I know some people dread blood draws, but I have never had a problem with needles. But things have changed. Every day that I'm in the hospital, I have someone taking blood from my arm at least once a day. With a central line, it's not a problem at all. But once I get a blood infection, that central line comes out. And getting blood out of my arms becomes a problem. Maybe because my blood volume is lower my veins are smaller. Maybe because I've been stuck so many times my veins are scarred and it's harder to get into them. Maybe with all the drugs going through my veins they are more irritable. But whatever it is, my body doesn't like letting go of blood, and getting that sample every day is a challenge. I have one peripheral line in now, and everyone (including me) prefers that blood is drawn from there so I don't have to get stuck. Yesterday Matt from the IV team came in and worked his magic, using a heat pack, massaging the entry point, pulling on the line to work away the adhesions that might have formed between the catheter and the wall of my vein. It took about 20 minutes, but he finally got enough blood out.
Because the whole process has become so difficult, I've become much more guarded when it comes to my veins. One day someone from the lab came into my room and announced she was going to draw some blood for a CBC. And I was like, "Bitch, you better back off of my veins!" Actually, I didn't say the bitch part. Actually I didn't say anything like that at all. But I did turn her away, because what she said made no sense. I'd just had blood drawn a few hours earlier. What would change in a few hours? I figured out the medicine team wanted a new CBC after I was transfused, but I hadn't been transfused yet. Someone screwed up, and if I hadn't said anything I probably would have ended up with three blood draws in one day. I basically told the medicine team to back off on the labs, and they agreed to only one draw per day. And at noon rather than 5am. That way I won't be woken up at 4:30am by some nurse trying to get blood cultures out of me. Which involves two big needle sticks and 40cc of blood taken from my arms.
It seems silly to use up so much blood for cultures when a transfusion of a unit of blood gives me about 350cc. And that's if I can even get blood. Yesterday my platelets were down to 7. Normal is somewhere in the hundreds. I was told I would get a unit of platelets yesterday, but I was still waiting at 10pm. Then my nurse came in and told me the blood bank didn't have matching platelets available. I finally got some this morning, so I feel a lot better. Just kidding, I feel no different. But hopefully now I'll stop bleeding...if I start bleeding somewhere. If you live in Denver and have blood to donate, I'd appreciate it if you would. Especially if you're O- like me.
In other news, I got outside the other day after spending an entire week in my hospital room. I'm not sure if I have ever spent an entire week in a room before. When I went went outside, I felt like I was walking very fast. Like the feeling you get at an airport when you step onto the moving walkway. I walked very fast to the park, and the park looked very different too me. I thought to myself, "This is what happens when you spend so much time inside. You come outside and you see things in a whole new light." Then I realized it looked different because all the trees were naked. A week before, all the trees had yellow and brown leaves, and they had since fallen off. I guess some changes are a matter of perspective, but some changes are actually real.
Because the whole process has become so difficult, I've become much more guarded when it comes to my veins. One day someone from the lab came into my room and announced she was going to draw some blood for a CBC. And I was like, "Bitch, you better back off of my veins!" Actually, I didn't say the bitch part. Actually I didn't say anything like that at all. But I did turn her away, because what she said made no sense. I'd just had blood drawn a few hours earlier. What would change in a few hours? I figured out the medicine team wanted a new CBC after I was transfused, but I hadn't been transfused yet. Someone screwed up, and if I hadn't said anything I probably would have ended up with three blood draws in one day. I basically told the medicine team to back off on the labs, and they agreed to only one draw per day. And at noon rather than 5am. That way I won't be woken up at 4:30am by some nurse trying to get blood cultures out of me. Which involves two big needle sticks and 40cc of blood taken from my arms.
It seems silly to use up so much blood for cultures when a transfusion of a unit of blood gives me about 350cc. And that's if I can even get blood. Yesterday my platelets were down to 7. Normal is somewhere in the hundreds. I was told I would get a unit of platelets yesterday, but I was still waiting at 10pm. Then my nurse came in and told me the blood bank didn't have matching platelets available. I finally got some this morning, so I feel a lot better. Just kidding, I feel no different. But hopefully now I'll stop bleeding...if I start bleeding somewhere. If you live in Denver and have blood to donate, I'd appreciate it if you would. Especially if you're O- like me.
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| Earning my stripes? |
In other news, I got outside the other day after spending an entire week in my hospital room. I'm not sure if I have ever spent an entire week in a room before. When I went went outside, I felt like I was walking very fast. Like the feeling you get at an airport when you step onto the moving walkway. I walked very fast to the park, and the park looked very different too me. I thought to myself, "This is what happens when you spend so much time inside. You come outside and you see things in a whole new light." Then I realized it looked different because all the trees were naked. A week before, all the trees had yellow and brown leaves, and they had since fallen off. I guess some changes are a matter of perspective, but some changes are actually real.
Hi Sarah. Getting stuck with needles sounds like a pain. I was so sad about Waffles... I think she lived a good life.
ReplyDeleteAs for seasons: soon you'll have snow there! That'll be crazy. I think anywhere that has snow is crazy. I live in a place that has snow once every 15 years or so, and I feel like I haven't seen it in forever. I miss snow. And now I miss Waffles and I didn't even know her!
I miss you too. I'll see you soon...
Good job warding off the vampires. I hope you’re getting some more outdoor time in between all that nonsense.
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