Weird blood draw

[KarenInWA]

My GFR is currently around 27.  Today, I went in for a routine lab draw, which included dropping off a 24-hr urine collection.  I drank more water than I normally do when I did the test, but not a lot more.  Today, when I turned it in and had my blood drawn, the phlebotomist couldn't draw any blood!  She tried both my left and right arms, then ended up doing a butterfly and a syringe on my right wrist after warming it up with a glove filled with hot water.  Any ideas what caused this?  She said my veing was collapsing while drawing the blood.  I have never ever had this kind of problem before.  I used to donate blood when I was younger and healthier, and that was always with my left arm.

What I want to know is this - will this effect my being able to do HD?  I'm leaning more towards HD once the time comes.  Maybe they'll come up with something better by that time and I won't have to worry about it! (HA-HA!!)  Anyway, thoughts are much appreciated.

KarenInWA

[peleroja]

I also have those nasty thin, rolling veins.  I have one good vein that the lab has been using for 6 years.  Don't know what I will do if I lose that one, although once in the hospital they drew blood out of my foot!  I can't answer about HD, but you're bound to have a vein somewhere they can use.

[monrein]

Could you be dehydrated?

[KarenInWA]

Could you be dehydrated?

That's what the phlebotomist suggested, but I drank more water than usual on Friday.  In fact, my urine that I collected both in the AM at home, and at the hospital in a cup was light in color, not concentrated.  I didn't drink a lot of water this morning, just enough to take my daily vitamins.  So no, I don't think I was dehydrated.  I drank probably around 2 liters of water from late Friday afternoon to just before going to bed (take meds before bed) and a tall glass of cran-grape juice for dinner.  I certainly hope I wasn't dehydrated after all that! 

KarenInWA

[BigSky]

Maybe you have excess water going into the tissue causing the problem.

[willowtreewren]

Even though you have been drinking plenty, are you also sweating more than usual?

I know this is worrisome.

Aleta

[KarenInWA]

Even though you have been drinking plenty, are you also sweating more than usual?

I know this is worrisome.

Aleta

No, the only time I sweat more than usual (when not excercising) is when we get hot, humid weather.  Sad to say, it wasn't hot nor humid when this all took place (think Seattle).  However, we are getting summer weather here again!

On a side note.... I sure would have appreciated some warm weather when I went to the Mariners/Yankees game on Thursday.  I bought the tickets back in March, thinking now nice it would be to go to a mid-August baseball game.  NOT!!!  It was *pouring*, the roof was closed, my jeans were damp, and I ended up buying a hoodie sweatshirt!!  And, the Mariners lost 11-1!!!  And....no A-Rod to boo!  Ah, the complexities of being a Seattle Mariners fan.... 

[Deanne]

No answers, but I always have the same question. They can only get my blood if they use a butterfly needle. Whenever they've tried a normal needle, the plebotomist always ends up telling me to have them use a butterfly in the future. I make sure I drink plenty of water in the morning before I have a blood test. They said my veins are small and roll.

[kitkatz]

The phlebotomists at Kaiser draw straws to see who gets me!  My veins hide and roll and if I am having a stressful day or am cold forget it!

[jbeany]

Depends on the skill of the lab tech, too.  I have small, rollie veins.  The newbies can't get me to bleed unless they come at me with a hack saw.  And yet, the more experienced techs don't seem to have a problem.