My Curse

As if having hydrocephalus wasn't enough, I had to be cursed with small, hidden veins.  Every single time I need an IV (which is very often), they can't find a vein.  It is maddening!  I've had them in my hands, feet, and crick of my elbow among other places.  Warming up my arms and drinking lots of liquids help bring them to the surface but you aren't allowed to drink anything before surgery.  Usually the hospital has to call IV therapy.

One of the worst experiences I had was when I was about twelve years old and I was going in for a shunt revision.  They were unable to find a vein in pre-op so the nurses decided to look for one in the operating room.  I was strapped down to the operating table with two nurses digging around in each arm trying to find anything they could use.  Initially they used a local injection to numb the areas but they were searching for so long that the medication wore off and it was painful.  My nerves were already shot from needing to have another revision.  Being strapped down to the table for so long while still conscious made matters much worse.  I just wanted them to knock me out!  I am extremely claustrophobic and being strapped down causes a lot of anxiety for me.

During my 8 day hospital stay in December I needed two IV's in at all times while I was in ICU because that is their standard policy.  Unfortunately my veins wouldn't hold up.  The nurses kept having to move them into different locations because they stopped working.  By the time I was about to have my second surgery in a week, I only had one spot left that worked in the crick of my elbow.  It was more than four days old but since I was going back in for surgery the nurses decided that they would move it to another location while I was already under anesthesia so I wouldn't feel it.  When I got out of surgery my arms were covered in bandages and the IV was still in the crick of my elbow.  They weren't able to find another vein.  I looked and felt like a pin cushion.

Another time I had to visit the emergency room for a different medical condition.  The treating physician ordered a blood test.  The phlebotomist had difficulty finding a vein.  When he was moving the needle around I felt a shot of agonizing pain go straight up my arm.  He apologized and said that he was afraid that might be a bad spot.  Turns out that he hit a nerve and I now have permanent nerve damage in my right arm.  I feel pins and needs or shooting pains up my right arm every day.  Sometimes even the wind brushing across my arm hurts.

On the rare occasion that a phlebotomist can find a vein on the first try I give them excessive praises.  Maybe I should write down their name for future visits.  At this point only one poke is a true miracle.   It really frustrates me that this happens but there is little I can do to change it.  I guess I need to listen to some music to keep me pushing on.