Need Help How to deal with hospital staff trying to put in an iv

[piecesofapril]

I'm not exactly sure where to post but really curious for advice or tools to deal with this. I've been to the hospital repeatedly for several issues the past 4 years and they ALWAYS have problems with the iv. Funny the lab never gives me a hard time. Now today i feel the need to go back to the ER, last month after i was discharged i finished the antibiotics and all the pain is back, it's that bad i had went to urgent care they said go to the emergency room.

I can handle the needles, but they can't- i've been at 2 different hospitals and the entire nursing staff ends up coming in as noone can find any veins! and they comment or ask why! I don't know i guess they are gone, i haven't injected or used in decades. But the dread is unbearable- last month they got a spot right below my wrist where i had a lot of scar tissue and it felt like the medications were balling up beneath it, it turned into a big swollen cold ball, i was screaming to take it out and stop the meds, even saline was burning.

Now i know i need a catscan with contrast dye, after they did the catscan without they got frustrated told me it was an infection and sent me home. here i am barely typing this my head hurts so bad on the left side.
Yet they can't keep an iv in me and i'm more scared of that! and the contrast dye feels like fire!

Does anyone else have these reactions, issues, iv rejection for lack of a better term, and how do you handle it to seek medical care?

thank you
i also just joined the discord so maybe ask there too?
i don't really know what topic

 

[G_Chem]

Yup I’ve dealt with this a lot, particularly when I did chemo and all my veins started trying from the poison they pumped into me. You need to find a way to direct them without them getting weird about it.

For instance, I prefer bicep injections to forearm. I’ve also got decent protruding bicep veins, but they thought it would hurt too bad plus they just never do them. Once I finally convinced them to go bicep they were shocked at how well it worked. (Plus much less likely to collapse.)

Also nurses at small facilities are much less practiced than large city hospitals, if you can pick and choose where you go..

-GC

 

[VerbalTruist]

I tell people that I’m a “hard stick” I don’t let them dig in my hands or wrist ever. Because that’s what happens. Have them bring out a vein scanner and a good tech. They’ll sort you out.

 

[piecesofapril]

Yup I’ve dealt with this a lot, particularly when I did chemo and all my veins started trying from the poison they pumped into me. You need to find a way to direct them without them getting weird about it.

For instance, I prefer bicep injections to forearm. I’ve also got decent protruding bicep veins, but they thought it would hurt too bad plus they just never do them. Once I finally convinced them to go bicep they were shocked at how well it worked. (Plus much less likely to collapse.)

Also nurses at small facilities are much less practiced than large city hospitals, if you can pick and choose where you go..

-GC

Thank you for sharing, wow i'm sorry you had to go through chemo!
I'll look into the bicep thing, and yeah maybe if I can go to a specialist instead if the hospital, i tried to put it off last night just skeeping through as much as I could. I tried suggesting my hands with a butterfly needle but they never seem to want to, and then once did it kept falling out. ugh

 

[piecesofapril]

I tell people that I’m a “hard stick” I don’t let them dig in my hands or wrist ever. Because that’s what happens. Have them bring out a vein scanner and a good tech. They’ll sort you out.

Oh wow, interesting! Thank you for sharing, I've never heard of such. They don't ever become frustrated or not talk to you like a human on about you to the other staff lol? it's so humiliating.
But yes I'm going to ask for these!

 

[G_Chem]

Thank you for sharing, wow i'm sorry you had to go through chemo!
I'll look into the bicep thing, and yeah maybe if I can go to a specialist instead if the hospital, i tried to put it off last night just skeeping through as much as I could. I tried suggesting my hands with a butterfly needle but they never seem to want to, and then once did it kept falling out. ugh

No problem and thank you! Bicep only works if you have some visible veins, just an example. These nurses get into a one track mindset (pun intended) and need directing. Sounds like you’ve got some really bad ones though if it keeps falling out!

You could also try ways to promote vasodilation, might help the nurses. Hot showers, cocoa, capsaicin, to name just a couple.

-GC

 

[piecesofapril]

No problem and thank you! Bicep only works if you have some visible veins, just an example. These nurses get into a one track mindset (pun intended) and need directing. Sounds like you’ve got some really bad ones though if it keeps falling out!

You could also try ways to promote vasodilation, might help the nurses. Hot showers, cocoa, capsaicin, to name just a couple.

-GC

thank you anything that helps. wish i had someone there mostly to advocate for me i'm terrible at speaking up whenever i do i get asked if i'm diagnosed with anxiety. my thought us who wouldn't have anxiety getting stuck a bunch of times and then the burning pain of missing!!! lol right?