Blood Drive sighting

[smileyeagle1021]

may I say, this thread has been extremely difficult for me to read. I also have a bit of PTSDish phobia of needles... the very first time I had a blood test the phlebotomist missed and hit a nerve... this is something that has occurred twice since then when I've had blood tests... so even thinking about needles get's my heart racing, my stomach fluttering, and me a bit woozy... I know I'd pass out during a blood draw because I do every single time (when I have a medical draw I have to sign a waiver that the phlebotomist may continue after I pass out). Most people are understanding when I explain this phobia to them as to why I can't donate, because it most definitely is a real phobia, but then there are the assholes who will insist on telling me to just man up and get over it, those people piss me off, because trust me, if I could get over it, I would.

Oh, and as Sheldon pointed out, gay guys aren't exactly on the VIP list at the blood drive.

[PepperElf]

The last time a blood drive came around, I had a tattoo 3 months earlier. And here's the paradoxical thing about me; I can't stand needles. I know, you're all thinking, "How can you get a tattoo if you're scared of needles?" Simple; tattoo needles don't feel like injection needles, nor do they penetrate as far.

Yeah, I know I'm just rationalizing. But the fact remains that I can't stand needles that go that far into my skin and tickle my blood vessels.

not sure where you are, but in the US you can't give blood within a year of tattoos or piercings.

thats the only reason why i haven't had my second-piercings on my ears fixed

[Zombi]

I know, you're all thinking, "How can you get a tattoo if you're scared of needles?" Simple; tattoo needles don't feel like injection needles, nor do they penetrate as far.

Yeah, I'm the same. Plenty of piercings, but if anyone wants blood out of me they need to be using the baby needle. I had a lot of blood tests done when I was younger, and I freaked out so many times that the phlebotomist used to just ignore me and let me scream once she figured out that I wasn't actually in pain.

[Hitokiri Akins]

The last time a blood drive came around, I had a tattoo 3 months earlier. And here's the paradoxical thing about me; I can't stand needles. I know, you're all thinking, "How can you get a tattoo if you're scared of needles?" Simple; tattoo needles don't feel like injection needles, nor do they penetrate as far.

Yeah, I know I'm just rationalizing. But the fact remains that I can't stand needles that go that far into my skin and tickle my blood vessels.

[Salted Grump]

AB- here, and perma-banned from Donating due to a false positive.

But, up here, a False positive is enough of a 'holy shit' moment, Esp. with the Blood Scandal in the early 80's (Which is why the Red Cross does not have any control over CDN. Blood Supply any more, BTW) that It's perfectly understandable why there would be a 'blacklist' even for False positives.

[Pairou]

I may just be a freak, but I jump at the chance to get blood drawn. I like staring at it. I think I creep the nurses out, but I learned to tone it down when I was around 7... *koff* I can't donate blood, I'm underweight. I would like to though...

[Cia]

My Dad is A+, my Mom is B- and they made all the blood types they could...A-, B-, AB- & O-. I'm B- and my hubby is O+, our daughter came out with O+ so I had to get the Rh factor shot. When it comes to the Rh negative factor I looked it up and if both parents are Rh- their kids can only be Rh-.

I always thought that if you had type AB- blood you could only be transfused with type AB-. Turns out AB- can accept A-, B-, AB- and O-. AB+ on they other hand can accept all blood types no matter the Rh factor.

And to make life more interesting, dogs have two blood type and cats have one.

[morgana]

O Pos here. Ittty bitty baby veins, and they move on you. I always have to have the senior vampire do the stick, because the newer ones can't find the vein. Ugh.

And I still made it to the Ten Gallon Club.

How, I'm not sure.

[AriRashkae]

My own mother said she made a point to *not* react when sis and I got shots. She'd just look away if she was bothered.
Which I suspect explains why needles really don't bother me at all. I don't like the pain but that's about it.

I had to take my 3 year old with me one time to get my Depo shot. he tried very hard to leave the room when he saw the needle, but I managed to reassure him that the shot wasn't for him, but for Mommy. I don't like needles either, but I've learned to handle it.

Also: with enough of a distraction, you won't even notice the needle. I managed to hypnotize myself watching the second hand on a clock during my MMR when I was 8, and my Mom had to shake me and convince me that they did indeed give me the shot. When we took the toddler for one set of his shots, we had the GBA for him, and the nurse said it's the only time she's seen a kid laugh when getting his shots.

[Broomjockey]

I had to get a blood test done once when I was young. Maybe 4 or 5. Doc sends me down to the hospital to get it done right, and as quickly as possible. I go in, sit on the chair. And they stick me right in a vein.






Or so they thought. After a few seconds of no blood, they wiggled the needle a bit. See if they could nab it. No go. Try a slightly different spot. I mean, it was right there. How hard could it be? Nope. Nothing there either.

Over the course of 15 minutes I was stuck nearly a half-dozen times, by 2 different people, and they ended up with..........

NOTHING. They didn't manage to get a single bit of blood out of me. Since then, I've been less than fond of needles. I can get shots, but only in my right arm. One time, in High School, they were doing a series of shots for something. 3 shots, few months apart. 1st in whatever arm you wanted, then it alternated. Got my first shot in my right arm. Second shot, I begged them to just do my right again. Nope. No go. Fine. Assholes. I don't look. Nurse thinks I'm a huge baby. I stand up, walk a few steps, kinda wobbly. Take a breath. I'm fine. Really. Go down the stairs. And end up almost GOING DOWN THE STAIRS. Yeah, a minute after the needle was removed, I almost passed out.

As for when I need blood tests, I always make sure to mention they need to use the back of my right hand. It is absolutely the only reliable place to draw blood from on me, and they need to use those baby needles. Hell, the first time I was in the hospital, then ended up having to put my IV in my thigh with one of those needles since they couldn't find anything on my arm. Eventually, while I was out, they relocated it, out of necessity, but they did such a piss-poor job that I still have the needle mark over a decade later. *counts* Almost 2 decades, actually.

[PepperElf]

I personally have PTSD when it comes to needles (got extremely dehydrated as a little kid, they treated me less than the best, and now I'm scared shitless).

One of my co-workers has kids who are scared of needles... something to do with the fact that she would over-react whenever the kids got a shot, so she basically trained her kids to scared of needles.

My own mother said she made a point to *not* react when sis and I got shots. She'd just look away if she was bothered.
Which I suspect explains why needles really don't bother me at all. I don't like the pain but that's about it.


oh but i also learned another thing about blood too... you have to have enough fluid in your system for them to find the veins too.

i was super dehydrated and sick once. the medical staff could not find any veins that could support an IV. (They called it "popping a vein" which is kinda morbid a phrase lol)

the last option would be to put it in my elbow but i'd have to be immobilized so they wanted to wait.

they ended up finding a vein on the back of my forearm which actually worked out well cos it wasn't as annoying as having one on my wrist.

[bunnyboy]

I wish I could donate, but blood thickness, false veins/arteries, and fainting at seeiing my own blood makes it quite impossible.... especially the first two...(wont even get into the few times I've had to give a sample and it took minutes to fill those vials)

[Supermarket Slave Girl]

I'm A+ and so is my husband, i'd love to give blood but unable to due to very low iron, bummer really, hubby donates regularly though

[jedimaster91]

I definitely prefer being the sticker than the stickee. Especially with those ginormous 16 gage needles. But my left AC is a frikkin garden hose, so they like it when I come in.

The Red Cross vampires are after my O+ again. I had every intention of donating the last time they were in my end of town, but realized I was on antibiotics and couldn't. They're still calling my hubby even though he's told them several times he's donating (well, selling) plasma and can't give whole blood right now.

[dalesys]

Are you sure your ex is your child's biological parent?

She (my ex) very sure she's his mother... and that I'm the father (so am I)