My Saga with Leukemia

Weekly Blood Tests

When I am home for a month, I have to see the "vampire" at the local clinic every Monday for blood draws to keep track of my blood counts. They relay the results to my doctor by fax. I came home from the hospital with a Hickman catheter implanted in my chest, with three lines attached that hang outside of my chest which will be used for more chemo in December when I return to the hospital.

While in the hospital, blood draws are done daily and these lines are a godsend. I will admit though, that the they are very touchy little buggers. The hospital lab workers often struggle a full ten minutes getting the tube to draw from them. They tell me that it all depends on where the line is laying inside of my chest. So they will then have me do a variety of things to get the blood flowing...hands above my head, deep breaths, turning my head, etc.

Well, the gals in the lab at the hospital are used to this "snag" and don't mind taking the time to get a line to work. But at the local clinic, they won't take time...it either works, or it doesn't. So with a very rare exception, they usually get it from my arm, or hand, or any of my small, basically invisible veins they can find. One girl, in particular, is horrible. It's as if because she can't SEE the vein, she has to DIG for it! She is the only one who aims that damn needle down when she draws blood. And afterwards, the cotton swab she tapes on, is always soaked clear through with blood by the time I make the 5-minute trip home!