I have an owie, but for a good reason

[Blue Ginger]

Today, I was a good sister and got my whooping cough vaccine. Now my arm is a bit sore and I'll have a bruise tomorrow.

But my sister was nice and gave me a Crunchie chocolate bar because she knows how much I hate needles. (Honeycomb covered in chocolate = yum yum for my tum.) And I have new lego to 'get over the trauma of a needle'.

Has anyone ever started bleeding when they have had a vaccination jab? The nurse said she thinks she hit a blood vessel, but I've never heard of that before.

[EricKei]

Not I, but it's been years o_O I do get blood drawn for labs a couple times a year, tho.

I can't stand needles, either, but I found a workaround Namely, "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt." I've found that just closing my eyes works -- my issue is apparently SEEING the damn thing; essentially the antici........

(SAY IT!)

-pation, so I just ask my friendly neighborhood vampire to warn me just before they uncap the needle. Worth considering in the future

[lordlundar]

I can't stand needles, either, but I found a workaround Namely, "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt." I've found that just closing my eyes works -- my issue is apparently SEEING the damn thing; essentially the anticipation, so I just ask my friendly neighborhood vampire to warn me just before they uncap the needle. Worth considering in the future

This is actually why people administering shots and similar instruct you to look at a particular object and engage in a discussion with you. They actually wait until you're talking before puncturing the skin so you're distracted enough to not be anticipating it.

Personally I know what they're doing but I have no issues with needles and understand that it's part of their job so I let it happen.

[HotelMinion]

The last vaccine I got was years ago, and the nurse jabbed me to the bone. Very painful, I bled and bruised a lot. It was for the flu, and I got sick anyway. Didn't go ever again TBH.

[AnaKhouri]

The good thing is, once you have the whooping cough vaccine as an adult you won't likely need it again. My immediate family all got it when my first son was born but the doctor said you usually only need it once so they didn't have to get it again when #2 Son was born five years later. Being pregnant I got it twice just to be safe but for everyone else it wasn't necessary.

[dalesys]

When my dad was in the Navy he encountered a darts champion...


He'd sink the needle from across the room!

[catcul]

Why watch the needle when so many cat videos go unwatched?

I've watched YouTube when the foot doctor worked on my toe after I dropped a bottle of hot sauce on it.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Has anyone ever started bleeding when they have had a vaccination jab? The nurse said she thinks she hit a blood vessel, but I've never heard of that before.

I have on occasion bled a little when getting a vaccination shot. I find it helps to keep breathing while getting the shot. I also don't look at it. And I do hate needles, regardless of which end I am on. (I had to give shots to our dog and and a saline IV to our cat.)

[Android Kaeli]

I haven't, but usually my arm will be sore for a little bit and maybe get a small bruise. Its been a couple of years since I've gotten a vaccination, tetanus boaster and MMR if I remember correctly.

[Blue Ginger]

I'm part of the 'if I can't see it, it ain't happening' club. I'm fine if I don't see the needle, but if I do I freak out. This nurse was really lovely and kept me talking about why I was there and how far along my sister is, etc.

She didn't hit the bone. That just sounds horrifying. Anyone that did that to me would be needing an ambulance. I don't react well to pain and have been known to lash out without realising.

It was bad enough when I had the MMR(?) in grade six. There was nearly 100 students to be jabbed with that plus nearly 100 prep students being jabbed with whatever theirs was. They decided to do the grade six classes first. I was one of the first 15 students into the room for it. Picture trays and trays full of needles lined up on a couple of tables. I turned around and started walking out saying 'I'm going last' when one of the nurses grabbed my arm. Don't remember what happened next exactly but she was on the floor and I was outside. Apparently, I hit or shoved her so hard she lost her grip on my arm and fell on her bum. And I went dead last, after all the grade six kids and the prep kids. Don't worry the doctor did mine, she refused to go near me.

This Whooping cough one also included tetanus booster. Which is handy because I was due for that this year. Yay one less needle.

Arm is still a bit tender today but no bruise yet. I'll just baby it for today too.

[Food Lady]

This is actually why people administering shots and similar instruct you to look at a particular object and engage in a discussion with you. They actually wait until you're talking before puncturing the skin so you're distracted enough to not be anticipating it.

Personally I know what they're doing but I have no issues with needles and understand that it's part of their job so I let it happen.

I'm the odd one. I have no problem looking at a needle going in my arm. I even watch them draw blood (once they actually find my vein which is hard for everyone). When I have teeth pulled I like to look at the hole in my gum. The body fascinates me. I do think I'd have to draw the line at watching them do a biopsy, though.

[LadyofArc]

The good thing is, once you have the whooping cough vaccine as an adult you won't likely need it again. My immediate family all got it when my first son was born but the doctor said you usually only need it once so they didn't have to get it again when #2 Son was born five years later. Being pregnant I got it twice just to be safe but for everyone else it wasn't necessary.

Guidelines are YMMV between countries. I deal with this a lot in my current job (more the requirement of the health department than anything) and they say every 10 years or so if you're not pregnant or otherwise high-risk.

That said, the likely reason for that guideline was because of a few cases that hit the media surrounding that.

[Deserted]

I don't much mind looking at the tiny piece of sharp metal sticking out of my body, but I find that it really does hurt less if I don't watch. I just got a flu shot a couple days ago and a few blood draws last week. Each time, it took me a second to realize that the needle was even in. (Well... the last blood draw hurt like a bitch... but that was my 3rd in less than 24 hours, all in roughly the same place.)

[Dreamstalker]

The last blood draw I had, the tech ignored me when I told her that I have small veins and any draws need to use a pediatric needle (I think I know what works for my body kthx). That feeling of her trying to find the vein with the needle in my arm...urgh *shudder* Something I will never forget and never want to experience again. Nobody seemed too concerned that I almost passed out (I was fine once the needle was out, but while they were fishing around...). That bruise lasted a good week or so.

If a visible vein appears the same or smaller diameter than the chosen needle, I'd think you need to use a smaller needle.

[Racket_Man]

As a child I HATED those early 1960's (early single digits) harpoons they called hypodermic needles. They always wanted to stick me in the butt until I was like 8 years old

technology has progressed needle tech has been much improved over the decades. BUT I kinda got over my fear because in the late 1970's as I donated plasma twice a week for about 2 years. Yeah an 18 gauge blood needle that many times (over 100 sticks) I managed my fear.