I have horrible veins also... they usually probe and probe.. if you are afraid of needles.. just don't look, it is amazing how fast a the blood comes out.. my next donation is oct 13th
The nurses have told me to make the blood flow faster to drink a LOT of water the day of donation. Once I went immediately after running my blood was so thick that it took 15 mins to get a bag, then the wait afterwards, OYE, took forever it seems!
Oh, I read an interesting study if your veins are hard to find...if you tell your tech "my veins are hard to find", it will take them on average TWICE the time to find the vein than if you hadn't told them anything at all. So just sit down and be quiet - if you know where a vein is normally, point it out, and relax. It'll go a LOT easier for you.
Oh, I read an interesting study if your veins are hard to find...if you tell your tech "my veins are hard to find", it will take them on average TWICE the time to find the vein than if you hadn't told them anything at all. So just sit down and be quiet - if you know where a vein is normally, point it out, and relax. It'll go a LOT easier for you.
actually, I never say anything and yet my veins are hard to find- I've had trouble each time I donated- there's usually 3 nurses who come together, all puzzled and poke and jab at the antecubital until one gets something. It almost makes me want to not donate. It takes them SO LONGGGGGGG (not to mention the inital screening and crap) to find it, and they even MOVE THE NEEDLE AROUND when its inserted (SUPER-PAINFUL). I was once in an OR and saw a patient in surgical progress, using like, BAGS AND BAGS AND BAGS of blood. It made me realize how little one donation really was. Its not wonder the red cross tries so hard to find me all the time just to get my hemolymph. I want to help others, but its just so inconvenient for me. I still do it though, and I HATE doing it.
Obviously some peoples veins are genuinely hard to find - but good for you for going anyway! And think of it this way - to the patient who your blood goes to (Lots of people only need one or two pints), it means EVERYTHING...its not a small thing for them.
I have horrible veins also... they usually probe and probe.. if you are afraid of needles.. just don't look, it is amazing how fast a the blood comes out.. my next donation is oct 13th
That depends on the fear. I have an actual fear from so many years of needles (heart surgery, allergy shots, dental surgery and so-on) and dental surgery I've basically blocked from memory. Aye aye aye. It must've gone badly. But over time, I realized I was shying away from needles. So much so that I hadn't had a tetanus shot in over 20 years, nor had my blood drawn (even a finger prick!) in over 5! I was literally clenched and in tears, to the point they thought I was going to pass out once and sat me up, at the dentist's office....and you can't see that shot in your mouth. I never have been able to watch. But the anxiety builds before the shot and as soon as the needle pinches the skin, I flinch and go real tight. No amount of telling me to relax helps.
Now, months of therapy later, I explain my phobia before a shot. I explain do NOT tell me when it's coming. Do NOT tell me that you're just cleaning the area. Do NOT tell me to relax. Don't tell me anything. Because I will be concentrating on my focus point and on my breathing to take my mind off of what you're doing. If that doesn't relax me, you telling me about it, and ruining my concentration, damn sure ain't a gonna do it. And still...they always tell you about it. So...I always make them wait so I can get focused again. You'd think they'd learn.
Now, months of therapy later, I explain my phobia before a shot. I explain do NOT tell me when it's coming. Do NOT tell me that you're just cleaning the area. Do NOT tell me to relax. Don't tell me anything. Because I will be concentrating on my focus point and on my breathing to take my mind off of what you're doing. If that doesn't relax me, you telling me about it, and ruining my concentration, damn sure ain't a gonna do it. And still...they always tell you about it. So...I always make them wait so I can get focused again. You'd think they'd learn.
That's exactly what I have to do too! If I don't, I start sweating and feel like I'm going to pass out. I usually donate plasma, haven't done blood in a long time. The whole time I have to focus on something else, I must look really funny because I'm always asked if I'm okay!
I agree in what was said earliier in the post that you know you have become obsessed with losing weight when you are donating blood to drop 600 calories. I mean that is great but saving lives is the true meaning of giving blood as well as what happened to just exercising and eating right? I think that that is the ultimate best way to continue to be healthy.
I've been asthmatic my whole life, so needles have never been an issue for me until the last few years. I still give blood regularly (actually I am going today because we are going out of the country next week and I want to MAKE sure I get a donation in before we go), but the needles freak me out more and more each time I give. Kinda funny!
to get a bag, then the wait afterwards, OYE, took forever it seems!
But over time, I realized I was shying away from needles. So much so that I hadn't had a tetanus shot in over 20 years, nor had my blood drawn (even a finger prick!) in over 5! I was literally clenched and in tears, to the point they thought I was going to pass out once and sat me up, at the dentist's office....and you can't see that shot in your mouth. I never have been able to watch. But the anxiety builds before the shot and as soon as the needle pinches the skin, I flinch and go real tight. No amount of telling me to relax helps. 
