Sunday, April 12, 2015

When Your Veins Need to be Viewed

I'm about a week overdue for my routine lab draw. Because I'm taking the medication Cellcept, Dr. Young Guy wants me to have my CBC and ALT checked every three months. As I'm on these medications for a longer period of time, we may be able to decrease the frequency of the tests.

I have no squeamishness whatsoever about going to have blood work drawn since I've been gifted with veins in both antecubital spaces that are each roughly the size of a city sewer line. You think I'm kidding? Check this out:

I have one just as humungous on my other arm. 

No wonder the phlebotomists at my clinic love to see me come in. And I thought it was because they enjoyed my sparkling wit. .::snort::. 

The ones on my hands are equally impressive.


For those who aren't as lucky as I am, and dread visits to the lab because the phlebotomists have difficulty finding a vein, a new product may help. I thought it looked pretty spiff. Called the VeinView, it is made by the Memphis-based company Christie Medical Holdings. You can read more about this gee-whiz invention here

2 comments:

Robin said...

I was told to drink lots of water the day before any blood work was to be done to make finding veins easier. Mine like to play hide and seek. I can't tell you how many times they've had to use my hands to take blood.

Heda said...

You are lucky. You have almost as many veins as I have wrinkles.

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