Hello! Anyone else out there have difficult veins? I have been in treatment since 2018 and they always have trouble finding my veins for blood draws and iv's. I try to stay hydrated and use heat packs right before but that doesn't always help. For convenience I have been asking them to draw blood from my right hand because there is a nice, very visible vein there. I have been doing this for years, but after my last blood draw in November, my index finger and knuckle swelled and are still swollen. I was referred to a hand therapist after seeeing an orthopedic hand specialist. Both the doctor and the therapist believe the blood draw is the cause of the swelling and have advised me not to have blood drawn from my hand anymore. If I were getting iv chemo I would definitely ask for a port, but that seems excessive for just blood draws and the occasional iv to inject contrast for scans. Anyone have any suggestions?
Difficult veins: Hello! Anyone else... - SHARE Metastatic ...
Difficult veins
I absolutely hate being stuck for blood draws and IV’s. My veins are ok but sometimes incompetent people have stuck me 3 times which causes me to about pass out. So I’ve kept my port for almost 10 years even though I’m not on IV chemo. I use my port for blood draws and injections for scans at M D Anderson. For me, it’s been worth it. But I know not everyone will use it for blood draws.
Thanks for your reply. There have been many occasions where I have been stuck multiple times. Glad to hear that the port work well for you!
I agree with you that I think a port is excessive just for draws and scans. Although it’s easier than being stuck with a needle (for us challenging ones) , it adds a much higher risk of infection if they don’t follow proper procedure. I used to get my labs done at Labcorp but there’s no way I’d want them accessing my port for bloodwork.
Interestingly I’m getting a scan done this week , had to choose a location new to me to get an appointment quickly, and they asked for a script from my doc for port access. But the nurse later told me that my doc would prefer they don’t use the port for my scan, I’ve no idea why!
Anyway, so I’ll be getting stuck this week and dread who I might get but , and this is something I forget to do, if you do something like, pushups against the wall, or pump something with your hand it will help plump up your veins. I recently saw a post where the person said she had bought a hand pump gadget that weight trainers use to strengthen their hands, and that it helped her immensely . Or even pump squeezing a small squishy ball might help
That is interesting--thank you for sharing that! I will try that.
It’s certainly an issue! I’m coming up on 10 years of only using my left arm. My veins are not easy to find either. Have you asked your facility to use a vein finder? That helped immensely for years. My current facility does not have one, ridiculous in my mind. They can no longer use the run below my elbow to my wrist because they blow out. I’ve been having them use the vein on the inside of my wrist. They don’t like using it, but it works fine. I don’t want a port either. And I’ve found out that they can’t necessarily use a port for everything . Also, don’t be afraid to ask for their most experienced person to do your draw. I do that a lot! It’s your body, you can ask for what or who you need. The goal is comfort while being treated. Good luck!
Thank you so much!
I have lymphedema in one arm — the one that has great veins but can’t be used, and the other arm is the one that had chemo 15 years ago and the veins are impossible now. I had a brain MRI and it took them 2 hours of trying to set up an IV until they finally called a picc nurse. Honestly I really wanted to punch someone.
Now when I schedule imaging, I ask that they provide a picc nurse — they use ultrasound to locate veins.
Yes, ultrasound has saved me several times.
Hiya,
I have had this problem for almost 2 years now. I had blood taken today and was told it is quite likely due to the drugs. However, they had a clever machine they call a "Vein Finder" and it had worked twice now. They don't seem to have them in many places, so try to plan my blood tests when I go to places where they have them. It is some kind of ultrasound machine I believe.
I also don't want to get a port in until absolutely necessary.
Take care, Sissi
I have small veins which roll easily. Fortunately, there is one obvious vein close to the surface in my left arm which has now become enlarged. I usually have a messy-looking bruise after blood work, but I prefer this to a nurse probing me several times trying to input a line elsewhere.
tell me about it… The 3 monthly routine test is now a right ordeal as the only arm available has veins that were used for chemo 3 yrs ago and are all scarred up. They switch technicians after two failed attempts and my heart sinks as I’m then given someone who failed the previous time which doesn’t help. My ulnar artery is also unusable in that arm due to a traumatic cardiac catheterisation despite me saying the pain was intense and now ops are an ordeal because I often need direct arterial pressure monitoring. . That doctor’s name is scarred into my brain and I changed teams after that. I was considering asking the technicians to use the lymphy arm or getting a port but the suggestions on here are great and have given me hope. Thank you to all
unending chemo
Enhertu #3
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