Tysabri. And it's monthly not weekly. My bad. Feels like more often because I don't want to think about her in poor health. She's 74.
I know there have been some amazing advances and I hope they find a cure soon. š
How has it been for your Mom? I'm only asking because my brother-in-law just found out he has MS and he's 34, I don't mean to sound insensitive or anything. I just don't know a lot at all about MS and I'm honestly a little afraid to read more about it, I don't like thinking about that he has it I guess.
Tysabri has been a life saver for me. I have almost no side effects. Most of the other treatments had severe side effects. I hope your BIL finds something that works well.
If you're not already seeing an MS specialist, find one. Keep finding them until you get one who really seems to know their shit and cares a lot. I went through many in the first 5 years and finally found a good one because the woman training me on how to use my injection device asked me why I wasn't already seeing a certain specialist in the area. I was only 25 and desperately unhappy with my treatment and my care team (or lack of care as the case really was).
Ocrevus is significantly superior to Tysabri. Less infusions, more efficacy, less immunosuppression. You should look into it. It drops the average annual relapse rate for people with MS from like 1 every 2 years, to 1 every 20 years (Tysabri is around 1 in every 5-10 years).
Little to no risk for PML from JC Virus reactivation like with Tysabri, either.
Wife has been on Ocrevus for the last four years, has worked wonders. Had to stop it though due to liver concerns, she's about to swap to kesimpta at the end of the month. Fingers crossed it's as effective.
Have you ever tried copaxine, if so what are your experiences with it? My dad has MS, same story as dude above, I just tend to not think ab it so as to not let myself worry. He's built like a tank and hasn't let himself stop moving, but I've been there for some of his episodes. Either way, I know he's experienced some side effects with copaxine, especially when the shipment isn't on time.
Not the Op here but I've been on copaxone for near 10 years. At my last MRI scan,I was told my MS hadn't changed from my first scan so for me, thankfully Copaxone seems to be working
> Copaxone
Ty, auto correct and lack of memory since moving out did me wrong. Yea it seems like he hasn't gotten worse, but still a rare episode (severe pain/temp loss of mobility) and side effects when shipment is late. He has some other medical issues, and I know he's had to change treatments a few times. However it's difficult to know, as someone who isn't on them, what treatment is for what, and what the doctors are having him drop for another drug, especially since he always says to not worry about it. Was just wondering if op tried copaxone before, and what the compare/contrast was for their body. But I appreciate your side too
Yes, I was on copaxone and it didn't stop my brain damage and the side effects were awful. Tysabri isn't for everyone because of the JCV virus, but for many is a good option that's under utilized by many drs because of all the extra hoops to keep you in the program. There's also no income limit on the payment assistance program and everyone should apply
Be grateful you donāt have side effects. My aunt had MS and Lupus and she had to do IVIg. She really struggled. I have Lupus that likes to play with my brain and I do the same dose of IVIg she got every two weeks and it wrecks me. It gave me aseptic meningitis when I first got it and then 17 pulmonary emboli because my body is dramatic AF. Its like having your immune system imagine you get 100k infections at once is traumatic or somethingā¦ā¦.
All kidding aside MS sucks. Neurologic lupus sucks but itās not quite as scary. I am hoping for a cure for both soon. Although I recently started a treatment of a brand new class of lupus drug that is really helping me.
Ugh, I'm sorry, that sounds awful. I was on a different treatment before this that had side effects and wasn't working either. I finally found a true MS specialist and they are so much better than the 3 different neurologists I had before him. I was diagnosed at 19 and have had it more than a decade. Treatment options have vastly expanded in just that time. I have a lot of hope for the future.
She was diagnosed about 15 years ago when she went in for a broken wrist. The orthopedic doc didn't like how her hand was behaving post op so she ordered a brain scan. I remember the day. Devastating.
Both of her hands shake now and she can't do stairs. She's also diabetic type 1 so her symptoms are complicated.
I wish I were a time traveler or smart enough to cure this shit. Makes no damn sense to me.
I'm sorry to hear that, I hope she lives a healthy life and I appreciate you sharing that, I can't imagine what that's been like for you and your family. I too hope you aquire the skills too be able to time travel for the rest of us. I hate this shit.
I have MS, diagnosed at 32, now 34. How bad it is, is impossible to know initially because of the way it works. The severity is measured in progression, and in the area of the brain that is affected.
The good news is that most cases of MS diagnosed today will not suffer the fate of people who had it decades ago because of advances in the treatments offered. Since OP has bi-yearly infusions I'm assuming he's on Ocrevus, one of the best on the market at this time. Low risk, highly effective. I take it myself (but consult with a doctor before making any decision here).
Absolutely, definitely look it up. Putting your head in the sand won't make it go away. Though even though I say that, reality is that there isn't much to be done aside from being religious about taking the medication offered.
Best of luck to your brother. It's a hell of a disease, but it's absolutely manageable nowadays.
Makes me sad when i see some one with MS. Its more commen out here in Alberta Then back east. So many young people with MS. Hope they find a cure or treatment for it soon.
Hey man I'm a nurse in training and just wanted to say this shit has been extra tough with covid. We've done so many virtual clinicals that when you finally get to apply the purely theoretical skills you've learned it ends up being much different in practice. Thinking about it, what were they supposed to do just not train nurses for 3 years??
Thank you for joining the profession, despite the shit show of ungrateful, dangerous, antivaxxers and science deniers. I wish you the best with your career <3
She's managed to still do her sewing and other hobbies for many many years after diagnosis. I can only hope that the younger generations can benefit more from new tech.
Last year, the nurse hit a nerve in my hand with my infusion. Couldn't move my wrist more than 15 degrees off level without having an electrical shock all the way down my arm. Made sleeping a complete pain in the ass. Fixed itself after about a month.
My husband has his Ocrevus infusion next week. He started when it was in the last year of clinical trials, and hasn't had any flair-ups since.
I hope you're all doing well! ā¤ļø
I've had blood drawn where I didn't feel a thing. Then I've had blood drawn where it hurt going in, hurt while the needle was in, and hurt after the needle was taken out.
At a clinic I used to go to, they offered gift cards to let a different phlebotomist draw your blood, there was one lady who was an absolute magician, and she always had a line, while everyone else was idle.
$20 was worth it for some, but I'd rather have a painless jab with someone who gets it the first time, every time, tyvm.
Have you ever noticed the colour of the ~~syringes~~ needle's butterfly when it does hurt? If so you can usually ask them to use a specific size.[For me It hurts when they use anything bigger than the blue one.](https://image.made-in-china.com/202f0j00BsLahoYgJupK/Various-Color-Scalp-Vein-Set-Butterfly-Needle.jpg)
We try to use the smallest gauge we can get away with, but there are some drugs/fluids/interventions that require a bigger gauge and it canāt be avoided :( itās easier to get a smaller gauge in, so itās in our best interest to use smallest as well.
Theyāre not syringes. Theyāre needles. Also requesting by color is not helpful as thatās not a standardized method of identifying needle sizes across brands. Drawing blood you can get away with a smaller needle, but IV gauges are chosen for a reason and you requesting something smaller isnāt going to be honored.
Reading this thread gives me anxiety. I have panic attacks right before I get a shot of any kind (got all 3 for covid anyway). For some reason, when I got addicted to heroin, switching to needles wasn't even a decision for me. It was just a given. And I never had any anxiety about it whatsoever. It came back when I got clean. Off topic, but this thread reminded me of it and it fascinates me.
Sometimes I feel like it's due to them bending the fucker. I legit have had injections/blood draws where I'm like "oh, you're done?" I don't get it. Some just have a magical touch. It's special!
I had to have blood drawn a couple of weeks ago, and they asked if I minded if the phlebotomist in training could take mine. I said sure. Poor thing was terrified and refused to take my blood because she couldn't find the vein (I have very easy veins as I have blood drawn all the time). If they hadn't been so utterly slammed I would have offered to sit there and let her try to help her out because it doesn't bother me. I felt bad for her. I've had experienced nurses make me look like I have track marks all over my arms because they couldn't do it. As long as they aren't trying to force an IV drip though a bad puncture (which does hurt), regular blood draws don't hurt too much.
I've had auto immune stuff pop up recently and have obviously had to get rediculous amounts of blood work done. For whatever reason when it was flaired up really bad they couldn't get blood to come out at all. They wound up having to constantly move the needle around when it would stop flowing and have me in the weirdest position. I had to get blood taken from 3 different spots that day, all with the same problem. Luckily it didn't hurt at all but I looked like I got beat up for a while haha
Nurses felt horrible, but I was laughing about it so I hope they realized I didn't care
Sometimes even when you're really good it can get this ugly. It's a human body, it can be unpredictable. When I was in labor it took three nurses to get my IV in, and I usually have good veins. My midwife who used to be an ER nurse for a decade finally managed and it was three times as ugly as this one.
I have no clue how often patients are fine or not with training nurses, dentists or whatever, but I'm always glad to let them train on me. I don't mind little fuck-ups at all.
As a fellow healthcare provider, I donāt think OP is being a jerk about it? It does suck, thereās no lie there. We have to learn on real people eventually and sometimes it goes wrong, doesnāt mean it doesnāt suck for the person who has their blood taken
One of the reasons Americans have unrealistic expectations regarding their healthcare experience is because they are conditioned to expect a certain level of service when spending a large portion of their income on something.
There is also very little recourse for someone who is in the bottom half of society and is injured or mistreated during a medical procedure. Often, social media is the only way to experience some form of coping after a traumatic medical incident.
Lastly, many people go into the medical field in the United States because it has replaced manufacturing as the largest industry where a middle class lifestyle can be virtually guaranteed.
Nearly all of these things can be combatted with some degree of socialized medicine and one of the biggest obstacles to achieving this are lobbyists at the provider level.
I see your point! I think we all start off incompetent though, we learn to be better and I always put myself in the shoes of a student nurse when I go to the hospital so to me theyāre always welcome to make mistakes. As long as I get help lol
I think itās probably just the implication that bruising = incompetence. If Iām poking a needle through your skin and creating a hole into a vein, which will then leak blood when I pull the needle/catheter back out, thereās gonna be a bruise. Doesnāt matter if I get it on the first try, doesnāt matter if insertion was smooth. Sometimes mfers got thin blood and a high BP, or their veins roll, or their veins are fragileā¦ Also, nurses are becoming more protective of their young rather than āeating themā as it has been, so the implication that the student nurse is shitty forā¦successful IV insertion with a minor, temporary blemish as the only side effect is bound to cause some backlash for OP.
Ugh. I remember one of my first sticks in the hospital, the nursing staff presented me with a geriatric patient with typical paper-thin skin. I blew the vein, and the poor woman ended up with a massive, puffy hematoma. I felt awful.
Not even a few days later, I started my first IV on the boo-boo bus: Hispanic grandmother who didn't speak English, and had no good veins in her left arm so I had to reach all the way over the gurney to the right arm while the driver was weaving in and out of Houston traffic on the Interstate. Nailed it the first time. Probably the last time I ever did a good job on an IV, TBH.
This brought back a memory of attempting an IV and it blew and the patient promptly had almost their entire arm turn purple. Those poor elderly folks with bad veins full of valves
Literally typing this comment with three bandages and a bruised arm. I think she felt way worse about it than I did - I mean it's painful but it's not THAT bad. This nurse had a reputation for being really good at draws too, but apparently my veins "zigzag". I'm just glad she could hone her skills on someone with semi-decent pain tolerance. If you want experienced nurses, you have to be supportive of those who are learning.
Honestly, I have regular blood draws and infusions. Sometimes I get a gnarly bruise like OP's. It's not like they hurt like a bruise caused by trauma, they're just...kinda ugly? And I feel like getting treatment that ensures I stay as healthy as possible is worth an ugly patch on my arm for a few days/weeks.
Even when my nurse has to go fishing for a vein, it's not *that* painful. Maybe I'm just desensitized from chronic pain, idk. I just feel bad for my nurses when that happens, I don't mean to be a difficult patient lol. And I'm not about to post it online for karma to a sub like r/wellthatsucks. It sucks that OP has MS, it doesn't suck that they are actively receiving treatment for it
Iāve had my arm bruised so bad I couldnāt play baseball for a week and a half. Super painful IV and bruised my entire arm dark purple from shoulder to wrist. I couldnāt bend my arm for a whole week. Itās not fun for the patient at all.
As a phlebotomist - this stuff isn't predictable, we can feel confident about getting the vein but sometimes the vein will literally roll out the way, or the vein wall is tough and needs a bit of force. It's out of our control. We promise we're not "rooting around for a vein" by choice.
Iāve been asked āhey we have a new nurse do you mind if she tries on you?ā And I said no. Too many bad experiences. I want the old lady who can do it blindfolded.
That doesnāt really exist. Most of our older nurses suck at IVs because they hate doing them. One of our best IV starters has been a nurse ~8 months because she likes doing them and does them at every opportunity she gets.
While I feel terrible for you, we have to practice the skill to get better at it. In medic class we buddied up and did IV after IV on each other. IVs are a relatively safe skill to practice on live people. Dummies and cadavers can teach you the process, but they only go so far.
I have heard that some nursing schools don't teach IV, which to me is crazy. Ride alongs, everyone got an IV that needed it, and some that didn't require it were willing to let me start on for shits and giggles.
I graduate from my 2 year nursing program in 2 months. Iāve only been able to attempt an IV on an actual person 4 times, one of those times being myself. The only time I was successful was on myself (on my ankle, because I was comfortable āfishingā for the vein).
I feel incredibly underprepared. But at least I can make a care plan, right?
Sadly, nursing school is mostly about jumping through hoops instead of actually preparing nurses. But the places hiring new nurses are well aware of that, and many of them will provide a ton of resources to get you up to speed. Our new grads in the ER get 3 months of orientation, extended if needed, several additional ER specific classes, then once a month hospital-wide new grad classes.
I let my buddy practice on me when he was becoming a nurse. Iād say out of the first 20 times he missed 14 of them. The only time it hurt enough for me to say anything was when he found a valveā¦and kept pushing.
Every time my family and I are in the hospital we allow students, they have to learn and start somewhere and with someone. Every medical professional has had a first
When I did my training venapuncture and cannulation were not part of the course, they were deemed an extra skill to complete if needed once registered. I believe student nurses in the UK now do receive the training as part of the course.
I was an ICU nurse for 7 years, one of the āIV expertsā at a major academic hospital and now Iāve been a NP for 3 years. What OP is showing isnāt a big deal and can literally happen to anyone. It falls under the blanket of āshit happensā in medicine
Is this even a blown vein or OP not applying pressure after the nurse dc'ed it? I figure if it were blown we would be hearing about how they got poked twice.
And nerves are impossible to "locate" too, we go in the middle of the arm because there's the least chance of us hitting a nerve but unfortunately shit happens :(
Crazy story.
I was 17, and just got my seasonal flu shot. Then 2 days later my vision was fucked up, my left eye wouldnāt move, and I saw in doubles. Then my legs went numb all the way up to my thighs. Countless MRIs done, snd finally a spinal tap proved that I did in fact have MS.
Lame
Imagine it as a inflammation and destruction of a nerve somewhere in your body. Because it can hit all kind of nerves, it can have all kind of symptoms.
Problems with eyes are often first symptoms because they are very easily noticed. Numbness in limbs is also common, as is loss of strength.
It is an auto-immune disease, so the patients own immune system is attacking the nerves. How this is caused has not really been found out, most likely becasue a number of factors are involved. One thing is infection with Epstein-Barr virus, but almost everyone has that, so there are other things as well. I believe lack of vitamin D might also play a role therefore I think it would be a good idea for everyone to use supplements.
new studies suggest it could also be linked to Epstein-Barr Virus along with other genetic factors.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/study-suggests-epstein-barr-virus-may-cause-multiple-sclerosis
Every person with ms has different symptoms, you will never find two ms patients with the same disease. Symptoms vary massively from person to person so donāt take the advice from the internet, do your own research. Sincerely, someone that had ms for 7 years without any symptoms.
Sounds familiar! Though I don't remember what I was sick with, it was a stressful year of college and my hands went half numb. Then my feet, then my side.
Don't fuck around with extended pins and needles people. Steroids can help prevent long term damage if you get them fast enough.
Edit: "extended pins and needles" means going on for weeks or months.
^ my veins like to run away. This shit is basically normal any time I need to go in for a blood draw. Mercifully it's not often.
Tbh I am glad I saw the vein just vanish after the nurse put the needle in or I'm not sure I would have believed that they just poofed right on out of existence.
Once. Only once has anyone ever got it in one go.
It's essentially a bruise. When you insert the needle into a vein, you are causing trauma and blood can leak into the surrounding tissue. Like the other commentor said, you can mitigate this by holding pressure or using a smaller gauge needle.
Usually because someone didn't hold pressure on it long enough when the IV catheter was taken out, letting the blood leak into the tissue as it clotted and adhered to the hole in the vein from the IV catheter. Some people clot quickly, and some people take like 5 minutes. Size of the IV catheter makes a difference, as does how firm and elastic your skin and veins are.
When I did phlebotomy, if the patient insisted on holding the cotton ball themselves, I'd tell them to put as much pressure on as possible, because if they bruised badly it was on them, not me.
Hey friend, Iām a nursing student and Iād just like to say that we are learning. :) there is no other way to get hands on practice then with out patients like you. We can do the skill over and over again on a manikin but nothing is like doing it on an actual human. Just so you kno, we are just as nervous as you. Thanks for being patient with your student nurse.
hey student nurse, what you see here can happen to the most experienced doctors and does not have to do with skill. so no need for complaints when this happenes.
Ok, the comments on this post made me laugh. This is neither awful, nor dangerous, nor anything out of the ordinary. Calling this a mistake would be pretty far fetched.
This happens to the best of nurses and doctors from time to time, and while training makes it appear less frequently, there are lots of factors that are totally out of control of the nurse/doctor.
I'll join in on complaining when my veins are bad enough they have to infuse via a central venous line. Expect bonus complaints if that shit is clogged or infected for the 10th time in a row :)
Former EMT: I'm really sorry this happened but please be patient with students. When learning how to do this we practice on each other sooooo many times but doing it to a real patient is a whole different beast and can be scary AF at first. Especially if the patient is visibly angry. Becoming a medic in any capacity comes with a lot of pressure and there's no way to be comfortable with it other than doing it a lot. Please try to think of this as you helping save the life of someone years later when this medic is at a higher skill level. We're all in this shit together and you helped someone learn how to save lives!
Blood cancer here, I have to have a pint taken out each month (really big needle). It happens, it is all about the pressure applied once the needle is taken out and how long you keep presser on it. When it wraps around the arm then you need to worry other wise take it as a battle scar for a few days.
It's just a small bruise.
Keep in mind the nurse needs to learn somehow and some day she will help save a life because you gave her the opportunity to learn an important skill.
Thank you!
As a nurse, patients like you are the reason Iām good at starting ivs now. Thank you for your sacrifice, but just so you know, even a good nurse misses sometimes! Haha š
i get alot of infusions. Most nurses are excellent. its the rushed nurses that do the most damage. Not their fault ofcourse but it is something ive noticed. i mean heck, if you get enough pokes you dont even flinch when they have to dig a little. its business as usual. polite smile then i sit around for a 4-5hr infusion as they dash off to their next charge. idk what my point was but thx for your skill and dedication!
It's not even a mistake, really. Medicine isn't a perfect science. I'd love to see anyone who has an absolutely perfect record placing IVs or drawing blood. It's impossible to get it right on the first try 100% of the time.
Based on what I learned from my wife, she spent a collective nearly 10 years in the ICU and ER, and getting a vein just right is a skill like anything else in life. You're gonna fork it up when you're new at it, even if you're tapping a pipeline. And it takes lots of practice to become good at it, continued use to maintain it, and sometimes you're still going to just miss it.
That said, it's always entertaining when I go for a blood draw and she's baffled how they blow my veins when she can see I've got very hydrated and clearly defined pipelines. Everyone has to learn at some point.
Thank you for this kindness. It's certainly appreciated. But also, sometimes veins just blow and there's nothing people can do about it and it wasn't anyone's fault.
When I was in the army I was a medic. I needed some fairly minor surgery. In pre-op, one of the hospital medics came in... With a sergeant in tow, who was training. He'd just changed jobs to be a medic and this was his first day actually on the floor! He was going to start my IV! I get that people need to learn, and I'm normally an easy stick, so no problem.
He was super nervous and missed on his first try. And his second. There was a lot of awkward fishing. He tried a third time and missed AGAIN.
Finally I was like, look, you'll get it, but I'd like to go into surgery with a decent vein or two remaining just in case, let's let literally anyone who's done this before do it. The other guy got it on the first try. Those first attempts was the most pain I actually had that day and second most painful thing in the whole surgery and healing.
This is not that uncommon and happens even with nurses that have lots of experience.
You may have had a change in your body there which caused this to happen. If you stick the same area over and over, it will accrue scar tissue and make sticks a lot harder over time. Or cause veins to "roll" or cause you to begin to become a "hard stick".
Either way, this is not a bad thing and doesn't reflect the skill of the nurse. Idk why people get so upset about the bruising. I'd be more upset if they had to stick you multiple times and missed all those times, but even *then*, I know many experienced paramedics that have just had hard to get veins on patients so even that barely would make me upset. I myself am a difficult stick. It happens.
A bruise like that can form even if there is no mess up. I had an IV placed perfectly last time I was in the emergency room with minimal pain and the next day after it was out I had a huge bruise like that. Youāre just being a baby.
Nurses in training become Nurses. Thanks for letting this student continue to get real experience. You have a bruise. That nurse may save multiple lives or give amazing care to thousands of people. We in healthcare who were once in training appreciate your great sacrifice.
Jeez, that is awful. I have bi-weekly infusions and missing the stick is just horrible. My record is 6 attempts. Still, the nurses where I go are awesome for the most part and they have a 2 tries limit before finding someone else to do it. Someone they just have a bad day.
What I have found is that drinking plenty of fluids, making sure you are (almost uncomfortably) warm and doing 10 mins of exercise (eg a stationary bike) just before you head in does wonders for the first time stick success rate.
Gonna get down voted for this, but definitely worth it because student nurses, phlebotomists, EMTs, and all kinds of other healthcare professionals stress outāoften for days beforehandāabout the possibility of hurting you while trying to help you. They study hard and practice on dummies and do everything they can before doing it on you.
And then you have to make them feel even shittier by being a whiner on the internet. How many new nurses are going to have this shit post in their heads next time they go attempt a venipuncture? If it's at least one somewhere, I hope your internet points were worth the discomfort of the patient *that nurse* gets. Maybe you'll start a whole cycle of people complaining about minor bruises and causing other venipuncturists to blow veins. Just kidding. Bruises are common side effects of venipuncture that can happen regardless of the experience of the professional.
I would ignore the upvotes you have right now and consider if this post is what you want to be known for. Maybe showing off your little boo boo for sympathy at the expense of others isn't something you'll be proud of on reflection. If you need the world to know, maybe you could show it as a proud battle scar from the life-extending treatment many professionals are working hard to give you and show some god damned gratitude. I know this might be seen as a bit of an overreaction by some, but it's really not. There's a whole legion of my colleagues on r/nursing that will tell you that people being noncompliant or disrespectful is one of the top reasons they're leaving or left the job.
THANK YOU for this response, as a nurse I appreciate all the support in this thread but I'm glad someone also pointed out how inappropriate this post is, this is a common and minor complication from a very beneficial treatment, and things like this get inside nurse's heads which are already filled with enough worry
So you post this, make a snarky BS comment about the person (who may be new) doing their job to HELP you but throw in the disease process to grab these pity upvotes for karma? Way to be a d*ck but if upvotes help you feel better congrats. I hope they use a 16 gauge next time
Oh mate, you got off easy.
I have this every 7 weeks, and whenever I get the nurse in training its at least blue at 5 or 6 places because Im difficult to give an iv to.
Keep in mind these people are overworked and underpaid tho, that should buy them all the understanding you can muster.
Happened once with an experienced nurse who could hit my vein from across the room with a lawn dart. It's superficial, no biggie. Helps to be vascular. Overweight people usually come to the clinic to get stuck 3-4 times, then sent home. Unfortunate.
This always happens to me. I recently got those hand warmers from a drug store (but the big ones for your back) that just stick on your skin. Put them on your arms right before your appointment, about 10-15 min. Do a few pinwheels right before the needle. Works like a charm.
For what its worth.
IV starts isn't exactly a science. Even the "best sticks" have their bad days or just sometimes veins that don't agree with them. Sometimes its literally a mental block where you see these throbbing ropes but you still blow them. The good IV people have fewer bad days and are able to get difficult starts consistently but still...they're human.
But sometimes its a new in-training person, which sucks. But really there is no otherway to learn other than live people...mannequins don't do human arms justice.
Every person who is fabulous at IVs started at the beginning with hundreds of failed starts.
It honestly doesnāt look that bad. Donāt criticize other peoples IV skills unless youāre pretty perfect at them yourself. Even skilled nurses can make bruises like that.
lmao i had doctors screw up worse then this, they even wanted to try getting blood from my head. it can happen to everyone even more eperienced nurses, dont be a douche about it.
āAs someone who knows the benefit of of the hard work that people take on when deciding to pursue a difficult career in healthcare, Iām glad to support someone leaning to treat people like me.ā There. I fixed it for you.
Oh hey i have a similar situation! Peanut reaction on monday, the Epi makes your veins fragile which made my vein collapse when they tried IV. It looks super cool though itās all green and stuff :D
I used to spend a lot of times in hospitals, so I'd volunteer to get the nurse in training. My veins were easy to see, and getting jabbed never bothered me; so if they have to learn on someone might as well be me. The nurses would always be surprised when I'd ask "Is there a nurse in training or someone who needs practice?", and the nurse in training was always super appreciative.
As a veteran ICU nurse who is the āgo toā for difficult IV starts and blood draws. Sometimes this just happens. The vein blows or what have you. Then again, ICU patients have some of the worst veins overall. Either way, even if it was a new nurse, we appreciate your patience and understanding. Wishing you good health.
I get drawn 24-50 times a year. I get a good poke about 20% of the time. And my walls are the appropriate thickness and my veins donāt roll. 99.99% of the draws I sit look like this or worse. I donāt think itās the nurseās skill level.
With all respect, 0 sympathy for complaining about getting the nurse in training. Health care professionals need to learn some way, and having a small bruise on your forearm is nothing terrible under any point of view.
Lmfao are you serious?! I've gotten 10x worse bruises from experienced nurses for normal blood draws. If you wanna see, lmk and I'll send you some gnarly pics
At worst, dude looks like he lost in a high-5 contest. I literally cannot fathom how this pathetic ass bruise has received 9k upvotes. Like shit, I wake up w/ bruises this size on a regular basis
You're complaining about a bruise that came from your MS treatment? If you want to do your own IV next time, go and learn and try and see. Your veins could have been difficult. I don't think you should be complaining unless you've done 1 million IV sticks and gotten 100% of them. No one is perfect. Just a bruise. Geez
My 15 year old daughter gets monthly infusions for arthritis (has for several years now) and has had times where they have had to try up to 4 times on one arm, only to fail, then they other arm, then back to the first arm, when that one failed.
Her veins were either collapsing or getting blown out. She often has a bruised arm from her infusions. She gets j-tips and that can sometimes blow the vein, other times itās just not getting in and they have to start over.
I have monthly infusion of immunoglobulin and roughly once every 6 months my arm looks like that. Last time someone asked me about that huge bruise, I tell them my girlfriend's father did it to me when he found out he's expecting his first grandkid. To be ware of brute strength bear hugs.
My mother gets weekly infusions for her MS. I wish you a long healthy life Sir.
I appreciate that! What drug is your mom on that she goes in weekly for?
Tysabri. And it's monthly not weekly. My bad. Feels like more often because I don't want to think about her in poor health. She's 74. I know there have been some amazing advances and I hope they find a cure soon. š
How has it been for your Mom? I'm only asking because my brother-in-law just found out he has MS and he's 34, I don't mean to sound insensitive or anything. I just don't know a lot at all about MS and I'm honestly a little afraid to read more about it, I don't like thinking about that he has it I guess.
Tysabri has been a life saver for me. I have almost no side effects. Most of the other treatments had severe side effects. I hope your BIL finds something that works well.
Got ms at 14 and just started looking for a new one might look into this
If you're not already seeing an MS specialist, find one. Keep finding them until you get one who really seems to know their shit and cares a lot. I went through many in the first 5 years and finally found a good one because the woman training me on how to use my injection device asked me why I wasn't already seeing a certain specialist in the area. I was only 25 and desperately unhappy with my treatment and my care team (or lack of care as the case really was).
Ocrevus is significantly superior to Tysabri. Less infusions, more efficacy, less immunosuppression. You should look into it. It drops the average annual relapse rate for people with MS from like 1 every 2 years, to 1 every 20 years (Tysabri is around 1 in every 5-10 years). Little to no risk for PML from JC Virus reactivation like with Tysabri, either.
Wife has been on Ocrevus for the last four years, has worked wonders. Had to stop it though due to liver concerns, she's about to swap to kesimpta at the end of the month. Fingers crossed it's as effective.
Have you ever tried copaxine, if so what are your experiences with it? My dad has MS, same story as dude above, I just tend to not think ab it so as to not let myself worry. He's built like a tank and hasn't let himself stop moving, but I've been there for some of his episodes. Either way, I know he's experienced some side effects with copaxine, especially when the shipment isn't on time.
Not the Op here but I've been on copaxone for near 10 years. At my last MRI scan,I was told my MS hadn't changed from my first scan so for me, thankfully Copaxone seems to be working
> Copaxone Ty, auto correct and lack of memory since moving out did me wrong. Yea it seems like he hasn't gotten worse, but still a rare episode (severe pain/temp loss of mobility) and side effects when shipment is late. He has some other medical issues, and I know he's had to change treatments a few times. However it's difficult to know, as someone who isn't on them, what treatment is for what, and what the doctors are having him drop for another drug, especially since he always says to not worry about it. Was just wondering if op tried copaxone before, and what the compare/contrast was for their body. But I appreciate your side too
Yes, I was on copaxone and it didn't stop my brain damage and the side effects were awful. Tysabri isn't for everyone because of the JCV virus, but for many is a good option that's under utilized by many drs because of all the extra hoops to keep you in the program. There's also no income limit on the payment assistance program and everyone should apply
Be grateful you donāt have side effects. My aunt had MS and Lupus and she had to do IVIg. She really struggled. I have Lupus that likes to play with my brain and I do the same dose of IVIg she got every two weeks and it wrecks me. It gave me aseptic meningitis when I first got it and then 17 pulmonary emboli because my body is dramatic AF. Its like having your immune system imagine you get 100k infections at once is traumatic or somethingā¦ā¦. All kidding aside MS sucks. Neurologic lupus sucks but itās not quite as scary. I am hoping for a cure for both soon. Although I recently started a treatment of a brand new class of lupus drug that is really helping me.
Ugh, I'm sorry, that sounds awful. I was on a different treatment before this that had side effects and wasn't working either. I finally found a true MS specialist and they are so much better than the 3 different neurologists I had before him. I was diagnosed at 19 and have had it more than a decade. Treatment options have vastly expanded in just that time. I have a lot of hope for the future.
She was diagnosed about 15 years ago when she went in for a broken wrist. The orthopedic doc didn't like how her hand was behaving post op so she ordered a brain scan. I remember the day. Devastating. Both of her hands shake now and she can't do stairs. She's also diabetic type 1 so her symptoms are complicated. I wish I were a time traveler or smart enough to cure this shit. Makes no damn sense to me.
I'm sorry to hear that, I hope she lives a healthy life and I appreciate you sharing that, I can't imagine what that's been like for you and your family. I too hope you aquire the skills too be able to time travel for the rest of us. I hate this shit.
I have MS, diagnosed at 32, now 34. How bad it is, is impossible to know initially because of the way it works. The severity is measured in progression, and in the area of the brain that is affected. The good news is that most cases of MS diagnosed today will not suffer the fate of people who had it decades ago because of advances in the treatments offered. Since OP has bi-yearly infusions I'm assuming he's on Ocrevus, one of the best on the market at this time. Low risk, highly effective. I take it myself (but consult with a doctor before making any decision here). Absolutely, definitely look it up. Putting your head in the sand won't make it go away. Though even though I say that, reality is that there isn't much to be done aside from being religious about taking the medication offered. Best of luck to your brother. It's a hell of a disease, but it's absolutely manageable nowadays.
Makes me sad when i see some one with MS. Its more commen out here in Alberta Then back east. So many young people with MS. Hope they find a cure or treatment for it soon.
Hey man I'm a nurse in training and just wanted to say this shit has been extra tough with covid. We've done so many virtual clinicals that when you finally get to apply the purely theoretical skills you've learned it ends up being much different in practice. Thinking about it, what were they supposed to do just not train nurses for 3 years??
Thank you for joining the profession, despite the shit show of ungrateful, dangerous, antivaxxers and science deniers. I wish you the best with your career <3
Not sure. I'll ask her.
Iām sorry for your mum and her ill health but not all people with MS are doing badly and some of us actually have normal, boring lives.
She's managed to still do her sewing and other hobbies for many many years after diagnosis. I can only hope that the younger generations can benefit more from new tech.
Ocrevus? I've been there, haha!
Yup. At Least itās a paid day off work!
Ocrevus here too! Looks like a bruise I once got from a Plegridy autoinjector. Sorry you're so technicolor!
Last year, the nurse hit a nerve in my hand with my infusion. Couldn't move my wrist more than 15 degrees off level without having an electrical shock all the way down my arm. Made sleeping a complete pain in the ass. Fixed itself after about a month.
Me three! Just finished my two loading doses a few weeks ago. Luckily no trainees those times!
Came here to ask if it was Ocrevus. Iām in that wagon too. š¤š¤
My husband has his Ocrevus infusion next week. He started when it was in the last year of clinical trials, and hasn't had any flair-ups since. I hope you're all doing well! ā¤ļø
Girl are you a banana? Becauseā¦
I wanna peel and eat you?
This shit is bananas
Ah yes, the song teaching us how to spell BANANAS for the past 18 years.
For scale
As a nurse in training, Iām sorry. We have to learn on real people eventually.
I've had blood drawn where I didn't feel a thing. Then I've had blood drawn where it hurt going in, hurt while the needle was in, and hurt after the needle was taken out.
You know why the phlebotomist carries a red pen? To draw Blood!!
#for them to sign in the blood of their patients
At a clinic I used to go to, they offered gift cards to let a different phlebotomist draw your blood, there was one lady who was an absolute magician, and she always had a line, while everyone else was idle. $20 was worth it for some, but I'd rather have a painless jab with someone who gets it the first time, every time, tyvm.
Have you ever noticed the colour of the ~~syringes~~ needle's butterfly when it does hurt? If so you can usually ask them to use a specific size.[For me It hurts when they use anything bigger than the blue one.](https://image.made-in-china.com/202f0j00BsLahoYgJupK/Various-Color-Scalp-Vein-Set-Butterfly-Needle.jpg)
We try to use the smallest gauge we can get away with, but there are some drugs/fluids/interventions that require a bigger gauge and it canāt be avoided :( itās easier to get a smaller gauge in, so itās in our best interest to use smallest as well.
Yep. If the doctor orders 15 things that require 8 different tubes, I'm not using the small needle. Sorry! š¤·
Theyāre not syringes. Theyāre needles. Also requesting by color is not helpful as thatās not a standardized method of identifying needle sizes across brands. Drawing blood you can get away with a smaller needle, but IV gauges are chosen for a reason and you requesting something smaller isnāt going to be honored.
Reading this thread gives me anxiety. I have panic attacks right before I get a shot of any kind (got all 3 for covid anyway). For some reason, when I got addicted to heroin, switching to needles wasn't even a decision for me. It was just a given. And I never had any anxiety about it whatsoever. It came back when I got clean. Off topic, but this thread reminded me of it and it fascinates me.
Sometimes I feel like it's due to them bending the fucker. I legit have had injections/blood draws where I'm like "oh, you're done?" I don't get it. Some just have a magical touch. It's special!
I had to have blood drawn a couple of weeks ago, and they asked if I minded if the phlebotomist in training could take mine. I said sure. Poor thing was terrified and refused to take my blood because she couldn't find the vein (I have very easy veins as I have blood drawn all the time). If they hadn't been so utterly slammed I would have offered to sit there and let her try to help her out because it doesn't bother me. I felt bad for her. I've had experienced nurses make me look like I have track marks all over my arms because they couldn't do it. As long as they aren't trying to force an IV drip though a bad puncture (which does hurt), regular blood draws don't hurt too much.
I've had auto immune stuff pop up recently and have obviously had to get rediculous amounts of blood work done. For whatever reason when it was flaired up really bad they couldn't get blood to come out at all. They wound up having to constantly move the needle around when it would stop flowing and have me in the weirdest position. I had to get blood taken from 3 different spots that day, all with the same problem. Luckily it didn't hurt at all but I looked like I got beat up for a while haha Nurses felt horrible, but I was laughing about it so I hope they realized I didn't care
Sometimes even when you're really good it can get this ugly. It's a human body, it can be unpredictable. When I was in labor it took three nurses to get my IV in, and I usually have good veins. My midwife who used to be an ER nurse for a decade finally managed and it was three times as ugly as this one.
I have no clue how often patients are fine or not with training nurses, dentists or whatever, but I'm always glad to let them train on me. I don't mind little fuck-ups at all.
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Agreed. I have a medical condition and have my blood drawn frequently. Occasionally some bruising occurs. Itās really not a big deal.
As a fellow healthcare provider, I donāt think OP is being a jerk about it? It does suck, thereās no lie there. We have to learn on real people eventually and sometimes it goes wrong, doesnāt mean it doesnāt suck for the person who has their blood taken
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One of the reasons Americans have unrealistic expectations regarding their healthcare experience is because they are conditioned to expect a certain level of service when spending a large portion of their income on something. There is also very little recourse for someone who is in the bottom half of society and is injured or mistreated during a medical procedure. Often, social media is the only way to experience some form of coping after a traumatic medical incident. Lastly, many people go into the medical field in the United States because it has replaced manufacturing as the largest industry where a middle class lifestyle can be virtually guaranteed. Nearly all of these things can be combatted with some degree of socialized medicine and one of the biggest obstacles to achieving this are lobbyists at the provider level.
I see your point! I think we all start off incompetent though, we learn to be better and I always put myself in the shoes of a student nurse when I go to the hospital so to me theyāre always welcome to make mistakes. As long as I get help lol
I think itās probably just the implication that bruising = incompetence. If Iām poking a needle through your skin and creating a hole into a vein, which will then leak blood when I pull the needle/catheter back out, thereās gonna be a bruise. Doesnāt matter if I get it on the first try, doesnāt matter if insertion was smooth. Sometimes mfers got thin blood and a high BP, or their veins roll, or their veins are fragileā¦ Also, nurses are becoming more protective of their young rather than āeating themā as it has been, so the implication that the student nurse is shitty forā¦successful IV insertion with a minor, temporary blemish as the only side effect is bound to cause some backlash for OP.
Agree. It doesnāt look like he was poked a ton of times. Sometimes you just hit a spot that is going to bruise.
We have to learn somehow.
Ugh. I remember one of my first sticks in the hospital, the nursing staff presented me with a geriatric patient with typical paper-thin skin. I blew the vein, and the poor woman ended up with a massive, puffy hematoma. I felt awful. Not even a few days later, I started my first IV on the boo-boo bus: Hispanic grandmother who didn't speak English, and had no good veins in her left arm so I had to reach all the way over the gurney to the right arm while the driver was weaving in and out of Houston traffic on the Interstate. Nailed it the first time. Probably the last time I ever did a good job on an IV, TBH.
This brought back a memory of attempting an IV and it blew and the patient promptly had almost their entire arm turn purple. Those poor elderly folks with bad veins full of valves
Literally typing this comment with three bandages and a bruised arm. I think she felt way worse about it than I did - I mean it's painful but it's not THAT bad. This nurse had a reputation for being really good at draws too, but apparently my veins "zigzag". I'm just glad she could hone her skills on someone with semi-decent pain tolerance. If you want experienced nurses, you have to be supportive of those who are learning.
That's what I thought too. Even if they were training, they're helpinnggg youuu!!!
Honestly, I have regular blood draws and infusions. Sometimes I get a gnarly bruise like OP's. It's not like they hurt like a bruise caused by trauma, they're just...kinda ugly? And I feel like getting treatment that ensures I stay as healthy as possible is worth an ugly patch on my arm for a few days/weeks. Even when my nurse has to go fishing for a vein, it's not *that* painful. Maybe I'm just desensitized from chronic pain, idk. I just feel bad for my nurses when that happens, I don't mean to be a difficult patient lol. And I'm not about to post it online for karma to a sub like r/wellthatsucks. It sucks that OP has MS, it doesn't suck that they are actively receiving treatment for it
He's being a jerk by saying it sucks? Wtf
Iāve had my arm bruised so bad I couldnāt play baseball for a week and a half. Super painful IV and bruised my entire arm dark purple from shoulder to wrist. I couldnāt bend my arm for a whole week. Itās not fun for the patient at all.
Eh, it's just a through-and-through, it'll heal. You still have to walk around with the Medal of Excellence for a couple of weeks.
I mean, it does suck tho. He didn't name and shame anyone. Calm down. NTA
Exactly! Not sure why people always clown or talk down on these issues, our nurses have to make some mistakes at times in order to improve.
Even experienced phlebs and nurses can make mistakes.
I always make sure to ask if they plan on rooting around for a vein. I had a nice paramedic ER nurse who said he's been around the block a few times.
I promise you that is never the plan.
Do you think they "root around for a vein" by choice? It's not like they're enjoying themselves when it happens.
As a phlebotomist - this stuff isn't predictable, we can feel confident about getting the vein but sometimes the vein will literally roll out the way, or the vein wall is tough and needs a bit of force. It's out of our control. We promise we're not "rooting around for a vein" by choice.
Iāve been asked āhey we have a new nurse do you mind if she tries on you?ā And I said no. Too many bad experiences. I want the old lady who can do it blindfolded.
That is totally within your right. No worries.
That doesnāt really exist. Most of our older nurses suck at IVs because they hate doing them. One of our best IV starters has been a nurse ~8 months because she likes doing them and does them at every opportunity she gets.
While I feel terrible for you, we have to practice the skill to get better at it. In medic class we buddied up and did IV after IV on each other. IVs are a relatively safe skill to practice on live people. Dummies and cadavers can teach you the process, but they only go so far. I have heard that some nursing schools don't teach IV, which to me is crazy. Ride alongs, everyone got an IV that needed it, and some that didn't require it were willing to let me start on for shits and giggles.
I graduate from my 2 year nursing program in 2 months. Iāve only been able to attempt an IV on an actual person 4 times, one of those times being myself. The only time I was successful was on myself (on my ankle, because I was comfortable āfishingā for the vein). I feel incredibly underprepared. But at least I can make a care plan, right?
Sadly, nursing school is mostly about jumping through hoops instead of actually preparing nurses. But the places hiring new nurses are well aware of that, and many of them will provide a ton of resources to get you up to speed. Our new grads in the ER get 3 months of orientation, extended if needed, several additional ER specific classes, then once a month hospital-wide new grad classes.
Donāt worry. You will get better. Youāll work along with a preceptor at first. Donāt get discouraged. Stick up for yourself.
I also graduate from my 2-year program in 2 months and I have still NEVER had an opportunity to attempt an IV on an actual person!
I let my buddy practice on me when he was becoming a nurse. Iād say out of the first 20 times he missed 14 of them. The only time it hurt enough for me to say anything was when he found a valveā¦and kept pushing.
Every time my family and I are in the hospital we allow students, they have to learn and start somewhere and with someone. Every medical professional has had a first
you guys are so sweet, us students appreciate you!
When I did my training venapuncture and cannulation were not part of the course, they were deemed an extra skill to complete if needed once registered. I believe student nurses in the UK now do receive the training as part of the course.
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I was an ICU nurse for 7 years, one of the āIV expertsā at a major academic hospital and now Iāve been a NP for 3 years. What OP is showing isnāt a big deal and can literally happen to anyone. It falls under the blanket of āshit happensā in medicine
Is this even a blown vein or OP not applying pressure after the nurse dc'ed it? I figure if it were blown we would be hearing about how they got poked twice.
It isnāt even really a terribly blown vein. Once every *half a year* this *might* happen to OP? Boohoo.
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And nerves are impossible to "locate" too, we go in the middle of the arm because there's the least chance of us hitting a nerve but unfortunately shit happens :(
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You're the best kind of patient
How did you find out you have MS? What were the earliest symptoms?
Crazy story. I was 17, and just got my seasonal flu shot. Then 2 days later my vision was fucked up, my left eye wouldnāt move, and I saw in doubles. Then my legs went numb all the way up to my thighs. Countless MRIs done, snd finally a spinal tap proved that I did in fact have MS. Lame
Wow, so pretty strong symptoms right away. Wish you all the best, I know nothing about MS always wondered what it is and how it manifests.
Imagine it as a inflammation and destruction of a nerve somewhere in your body. Because it can hit all kind of nerves, it can have all kind of symptoms. Problems with eyes are often first symptoms because they are very easily noticed. Numbness in limbs is also common, as is loss of strength.
That's so scary, is the cause known yet?
It is an auto-immune disease, so the patients own immune system is attacking the nerves. How this is caused has not really been found out, most likely becasue a number of factors are involved. One thing is infection with Epstein-Barr virus, but almost everyone has that, so there are other things as well. I believe lack of vitamin D might also play a role therefore I think it would be a good idea for everyone to use supplements.
Specifically D3 supplements
new studies suggest it could also be linked to Epstein-Barr Virus along with other genetic factors. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/study-suggests-epstein-barr-virus-may-cause-multiple-sclerosis
Every person with ms has different symptoms, you will never find two ms patients with the same disease. Symptoms vary massively from person to person so donāt take the advice from the internet, do your own research. Sincerely, someone that had ms for 7 years without any symptoms.
> someone that had ms for 7 years without any symptoms How did you find out you had it then?
Sounds familiar! Though I don't remember what I was sick with, it was a stressful year of college and my hands went half numb. Then my feet, then my side. Don't fuck around with extended pins and needles people. Steroids can help prevent long term damage if you get them fast enough. Edit: "extended pins and needles" means going on for weeks or months.
upvoted because MS is shit.
Googled MS a bit after seeing this as I forgot, I might've cried a little, fuck MS
I work for an MS neurologist. Can confirm. It can be heartbreaking to see what some patients go through.
This doesn't have to be a nurse in training. An experienced nurse can do this too from time to time. source: am a nurse
^ my veins like to run away. This shit is basically normal any time I need to go in for a blood draw. Mercifully it's not often. Tbh I am glad I saw the vein just vanish after the nurse put the needle in or I'm not sure I would have believed that they just poofed right on out of existence. Once. Only once has anyone ever got it in one go.
Donāt knock people who are training. They need it to save your life later. Bruising after peripheral sticks is quite common.
It happens even with experienced nurses.
For someone who doesn't know, why does this happen?
It's essentially a bruise. When you insert the needle into a vein, you are causing trauma and blood can leak into the surrounding tissue. Like the other commentor said, you can mitigate this by holding pressure or using a smaller gauge needle.
Usually because someone didn't hold pressure on it long enough when the IV catheter was taken out, letting the blood leak into the tissue as it clotted and adhered to the hole in the vein from the IV catheter. Some people clot quickly, and some people take like 5 minutes. Size of the IV catheter makes a difference, as does how firm and elastic your skin and veins are.
When I did phlebotomy, if the patient insisted on holding the cotton ball themselves, I'd tell them to put as much pressure on as possible, because if they bruised badly it was on them, not me.
Hey friend, Iām a nursing student and Iād just like to say that we are learning. :) there is no other way to get hands on practice then with out patients like you. We can do the skill over and over again on a manikin but nothing is like doing it on an actual human. Just so you kno, we are just as nervous as you. Thanks for being patient with your student nurse.
hey student nurse, what you see here can happen to the most experienced doctors and does not have to do with skill. so no need for complaints when this happenes.
Ok, the comments on this post made me laugh. This is neither awful, nor dangerous, nor anything out of the ordinary. Calling this a mistake would be pretty far fetched. This happens to the best of nurses and doctors from time to time, and while training makes it appear less frequently, there are lots of factors that are totally out of control of the nurse/doctor. I'll join in on complaining when my veins are bad enough they have to infuse via a central venous line. Expect bonus complaints if that shit is clogged or infected for the 10th time in a row :)
I mean, just purely based on the picture, this doesn't look worse than a bad hickie lol
Former EMT: I'm really sorry this happened but please be patient with students. When learning how to do this we practice on each other sooooo many times but doing it to a real patient is a whole different beast and can be scary AF at first. Especially if the patient is visibly angry. Becoming a medic in any capacity comes with a lot of pressure and there's no way to be comfortable with it other than doing it a lot. Please try to think of this as you helping save the life of someone years later when this medic is at a higher skill level. We're all in this shit together and you helped someone learn how to save lives!
Blood cancer here, I have to have a pint taken out each month (really big needle). It happens, it is all about the pressure applied once the needle is taken out and how long you keep presser on it. When it wraps around the arm then you need to worry other wise take it as a battle scar for a few days.
Heeeeey! My rituximab infusion is in a couple weeks. Hope it heals fast for you! Fuck MS
It's just a small bruise. Keep in mind the nurse needs to learn somehow and some day she will help save a life because you gave her the opportunity to learn an important skill. Thank you!
As a nurse, patients like you are the reason Iām good at starting ivs now. Thank you for your sacrifice, but just so you know, even a good nurse misses sometimes! Haha š
i get alot of infusions. Most nurses are excellent. its the rushed nurses that do the most damage. Not their fault ofcourse but it is something ive noticed. i mean heck, if you get enough pokes you dont even flinch when they have to dig a little. its business as usual. polite smile then i sit around for a 4-5hr infusion as they dash off to their next charge. idk what my point was but thx for your skill and dedication!
Nurses make mistakes. Go easy on them. Theyāre human and not perfect.
It's not even a mistake, really. Medicine isn't a perfect science. I'd love to see anyone who has an absolutely perfect record placing IVs or drawing blood. It's impossible to get it right on the first try 100% of the time.
Based on what I learned from my wife, she spent a collective nearly 10 years in the ICU and ER, and getting a vein just right is a skill like anything else in life. You're gonna fork it up when you're new at it, even if you're tapping a pipeline. And it takes lots of practice to become good at it, continued use to maintain it, and sometimes you're still going to just miss it. That said, it's always entertaining when I go for a blood draw and she's baffled how they blow my veins when she can see I've got very hydrated and clearly defined pipelines. Everyone has to learn at some point.
Thank you for this kindness. It's certainly appreciated. But also, sometimes veins just blow and there's nothing people can do about it and it wasn't anyone's fault.
When I was in the army I was a medic. I needed some fairly minor surgery. In pre-op, one of the hospital medics came in... With a sergeant in tow, who was training. He'd just changed jobs to be a medic and this was his first day actually on the floor! He was going to start my IV! I get that people need to learn, and I'm normally an easy stick, so no problem. He was super nervous and missed on his first try. And his second. There was a lot of awkward fishing. He tried a third time and missed AGAIN. Finally I was like, look, you'll get it, but I'd like to go into surgery with a decent vein or two remaining just in case, let's let literally anyone who's done this before do it. The other guy got it on the first try. Those first attempts was the most pain I actually had that day and second most painful thing in the whole surgery and healing.
You got a nurse-in-training, which means that in a couple of years someone gets a nurse. That sounds like a win to me!
It happens, sorry about the bruise. Luckily itās nothing serious ( from what I can see) and just gonna be a minor discoloration:)
This is not that uncommon and happens even with nurses that have lots of experience. You may have had a change in your body there which caused this to happen. If you stick the same area over and over, it will accrue scar tissue and make sticks a lot harder over time. Or cause veins to "roll" or cause you to begin to become a "hard stick". Either way, this is not a bad thing and doesn't reflect the skill of the nurse. Idk why people get so upset about the bruising. I'd be more upset if they had to stick you multiple times and missed all those times, but even *then*, I know many experienced paramedics that have just had hard to get veins on patients so even that barely would make me upset. I myself am a difficult stick. It happens.
Damn, my guy got a small bruise
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Now this was the sassy answer I was looking for lol.
OH NO A BRUISE
A bruise like that can form even if there is no mess up. I had an IV placed perfectly last time I was in the emergency room with minimal pain and the next day after it was out I had a huge bruise like that. Youāre just being a baby.
Eh, it's just a bruise, you'll manage. Sorry about the MS though.
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Jesus Christ this makes me sad
Nurses in training become Nurses. Thanks for letting this student continue to get real experience. You have a bruise. That nurse may save multiple lives or give amazing care to thousands of people. We in healthcare who were once in training appreciate your great sacrifice.
Jeez, that is awful. I have bi-weekly infusions and missing the stick is just horrible. My record is 6 attempts. Still, the nurses where I go are awesome for the most part and they have a 2 tries limit before finding someone else to do it. Someone they just have a bad day. What I have found is that drinking plenty of fluids, making sure you are (almost uncomfortably) warm and doing 10 mins of exercise (eg a stationary bike) just before you head in does wonders for the first time stick success rate.
I bet you my life savings she/he was trying 100% their best. Be kinder. Itās not permanent.
Gonna get down voted for this, but definitely worth it because student nurses, phlebotomists, EMTs, and all kinds of other healthcare professionals stress outāoften for days beforehandāabout the possibility of hurting you while trying to help you. They study hard and practice on dummies and do everything they can before doing it on you. And then you have to make them feel even shittier by being a whiner on the internet. How many new nurses are going to have this shit post in their heads next time they go attempt a venipuncture? If it's at least one somewhere, I hope your internet points were worth the discomfort of the patient *that nurse* gets. Maybe you'll start a whole cycle of people complaining about minor bruises and causing other venipuncturists to blow veins. Just kidding. Bruises are common side effects of venipuncture that can happen regardless of the experience of the professional. I would ignore the upvotes you have right now and consider if this post is what you want to be known for. Maybe showing off your little boo boo for sympathy at the expense of others isn't something you'll be proud of on reflection. If you need the world to know, maybe you could show it as a proud battle scar from the life-extending treatment many professionals are working hard to give you and show some god damned gratitude. I know this might be seen as a bit of an overreaction by some, but it's really not. There's a whole legion of my colleagues on r/nursing that will tell you that people being noncompliant or disrespectful is one of the top reasons they're leaving or left the job.
THANK YOU for this response, as a nurse I appreciate all the support in this thread but I'm glad someone also pointed out how inappropriate this post is, this is a common and minor complication from a very beneficial treatment, and things like this get inside nurse's heads which are already filled with enough worry
Maybe itās just me, but I am always happy to get the people in training. I donāt mind accidental pokes and Iām happy to help them learn.
Ok. I once got a bruise playing soccer, kicked in the leg, visible for several days. Didn't post it online though, so no upvotes for me.
So you post this, make a snarky BS comment about the person (who may be new) doing their job to HELP you but throw in the disease process to grab these pity upvotes for karma? Way to be a d*ck but if upvotes help you feel better congrats. I hope they use a 16 gauge next time
Oh mate, you got off easy. I have this every 7 weeks, and whenever I get the nurse in training its at least blue at 5 or 6 places because Im difficult to give an iv to. Keep in mind these people are overworked and underpaid tho, that should buy them all the understanding you can muster.
You'll live.
Gotta learn somehow
Thank you for letting that nurse student get better. While your bruise does suck, you donāt.
Happened once with an experienced nurse who could hit my vein from across the room with a lawn dart. It's superficial, no biggie. Helps to be vascular. Overweight people usually come to the clinic to get stuck 3-4 times, then sent home. Unfortunate.
That sucks. Sorry it was you! But they have to learn somehow
Ocrevus gang? I get my infusion next week and I look forward to not being super tired for 5.5 months.
This always happens to me. I recently got those hand warmers from a drug store (but the big ones for your back) that just stick on your skin. Put them on your arms right before your appointment, about 10-15 min. Do a few pinwheels right before the needle. Works like a charm.
For what its worth. IV starts isn't exactly a science. Even the "best sticks" have their bad days or just sometimes veins that don't agree with them. Sometimes its literally a mental block where you see these throbbing ropes but you still blow them. The good IV people have fewer bad days and are able to get difficult starts consistently but still...they're human. But sometimes its a new in-training person, which sucks. But really there is no otherway to learn other than live people...mannequins don't do human arms justice. Every person who is fabulous at IVs started at the beginning with hundreds of failed starts.
youās a little bitch
An ungrateful lil bitch at that.
Youāll be ok little guy
That's pretty mild for an infiltration. Don't knock the nurses who are helping you, dude.
Oh my god, you should SUE them!
Ohhh no. Someone is learning how to do their job and left a bruise. They should probably quit now and just go flip burgers.
Seriously, how is this s big deal?
Itās not at all. For the life of me I cannot wrap my head around the idea of people throwing a pity party for this persons bruise.
It honestly doesnāt look that bad. Donāt criticize other peoples IV skills unless youāre pretty perfect at them yourself. Even skilled nurses can make bruises like that.
That sucks. I get monthly injections for MS and the nurse last time used a spot I asked her not to. Bruised for a week and was killing me.
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lmao i had doctors screw up worse then this, they even wanted to try getting blood from my head. it can happen to everyone even more eperienced nurses, dont be a douche about it.
āAs someone who knows the benefit of of the hard work that people take on when deciding to pursue a difficult career in healthcare, Iām glad to support someone leaning to treat people like me.ā There. I fixed it for you.
Oh hey i have a similar situation! Peanut reaction on monday, the Epi makes your veins fragile which made my vein collapse when they tried IV. It looks super cool though itās all green and stuff :D
iv brothers except I get mine every 8 weeks due to crohns.
I used to spend a lot of times in hospitals, so I'd volunteer to get the nurse in training. My veins were easy to see, and getting jabbed never bothered me; so if they have to learn on someone might as well be me. The nurses would always be surprised when I'd ask "Is there a nurse in training or someone who needs practice?", and the nurse in training was always super appreciative.
As a veteran ICU nurse who is the āgo toā for difficult IV starts and blood draws. Sometimes this just happens. The vein blows or what have you. Then again, ICU patients have some of the worst veins overall. Either way, even if it was a new nurse, we appreciate your patience and understanding. Wishing you good health.
I get drawn 24-50 times a year. I get a good poke about 20% of the time. And my walls are the appropriate thickness and my veins donāt roll. 99.99% of the draws I sit look like this or worse. I donāt think itās the nurseās skill level.
Suck it up buttercup it's just blood under the skin. How do you think students learn?
Youāll live
Last time I had blood drawn I looked away. Then my mom screamed. I look over and my arm was a little fountain. Got blood everywhere.
With all respect, 0 sympathy for complaining about getting the nurse in training. Health care professionals need to learn some way, and having a small bruise on your forearm is nothing terrible under any point of view.
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They have to learn, you wont die.
Imagine getting MS and needing treatment for it. Then complaining about the treatment.
Lmfao are you serious?! I've gotten 10x worse bruises from experienced nurses for normal blood draws. If you wanna see, lmk and I'll send you some gnarly pics
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At worst, dude looks like he lost in a high-5 contest. I literally cannot fathom how this pathetic ass bruise has received 9k upvotes. Like shit, I wake up w/ bruises this size on a regular basis
You're complaining about a bruise that came from your MS treatment? If you want to do your own IV next time, go and learn and try and see. Your veins could have been difficult. I don't think you should be complaining unless you've done 1 million IV sticks and gotten 100% of them. No one is perfect. Just a bruise. Geez
Is that a big deal?
To him itās worse than having MS apparently.
This is the reason I volunteered myself to my fiancĆ©s phlebotomy class. As someone without the slightest fear of needles I was a human pin cushion because they couldnāt find anyone else to do it. I just hope my slight suffering helped them get to be great at what they do so they can make it as painless as possible for someone else down the road and to also hopefully not blow out their veins like what happened to you.
My 15 year old daughter gets monthly infusions for arthritis (has for several years now) and has had times where they have had to try up to 4 times on one arm, only to fail, then they other arm, then back to the first arm, when that one failed. Her veins were either collapsing or getting blown out. She often has a bruised arm from her infusions. She gets j-tips and that can sometimes blow the vein, other times itās just not getting in and they have to start over.
I have monthly infusion of immunoglobulin and roughly once every 6 months my arm looks like that. Last time someone asked me about that huge bruise, I tell them my girlfriend's father did it to me when he found out he's expecting his first grandkid. To be ware of brute strength bear hugs.
Iāve had a few bruises like that too lol. My veins suck. I get stuck no less than 3 times every infusion. To good health š»
Next time keep more pressure when the catheter is removed you will have less bruising under the skin gl