General
Blood draw - size of needle
February 5, 2024
in General
Good morning / happy Monday!
i just did my monthly blood draw and they said my veins are getting thick and scarred… I have always been told my veins are like highways / easy to draw blood from…
now they needed to switch from a 21 gauge to 23 gauge needle. For some reason that made me teary-eyed and so worried about every following blood draw coming up (and there will be many!).
anyone else had this happen? Maybe all the blood draws the first few months post transplant scarred my left arm and now I need to offer the right more often / I wonder if this heals or the scarring stays?
1 - 8 of 8 Replies
Hi Karin.
When I had my fistula surgery when I was 18, the doctor recommended that since I would only have my right arm and I would be getting A LOT of blood draws for the rest of my life to take care of my veins by using a small butterfly needle for any blood draws. I'm not sure if the scar tissue goes away but I have one vein they haven't been able to use for years because of the scar tissue. Another one they will just go through the scar tissue, ugh.
For the last several years I only go to the lab at my transplant center, and they seem to only use butterfly needles for all of us. I am not sure if there is any actual science to this. That is just what I have always done.
Hi Karin, yes I am having the same issues to. They like Jeanmarie are starting to use a butterfly needle. I have always had no problems w/blood draws but my last lab visit they missed the draw due to the scaring. I am not sure if that gets better either.
Transplant Patient
what a fitting question as I, too, had labs this morning! I have terrible veins, super deep and scarred and they shift a lot. My body also doesn't respond well to needles, it's always been a whole ordeal, and from the time I've been a baby they've dreaded trying to take my blood.
That being said, they've always only ever been able to get my blood with a butterfly. Some lab techs have decided to be cocky and try with other needles, and always fail. Where I go now they know me and will just use a butterfly automatically, but if I'm anywhere new I do tell them.
Ok this is freaky as I am reading this I am waiting on CT and MRI which require IV with contrast. I will have labs tomorrow with my surgeons visit I to have scar tissue build up in my good vein. The other arm the vein seems to run and roll away. Haha. They’ve used a butterfly on me for quite sometime now but I always think of the what if … where will they go next??
Transplant Patient
Hi @Deb good luck tmrw - are you a kidney patient? I just worry about the contrast if you are!
Hi Karin, Thsnk you! I’m a liver patient but the contrast is taking a toll on my kidneys. I was just within the numbers to be able to have the MRI with contrast today. I worry about it. I may have to ask tomorrow a little more about it. I had to have 3 attempts at ivs today. My good vein had too much scar tissue, it’s still good for labs but not ivs, so we had to go with my forearm. That hurt!!
Transplant Patient
Ask them to do low dye contrast / they absolutely can!!!
Deb, I am thinking about you, I know this is difficult for you. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 all goes well..💚❤️