Is anyone sick of needles?!?!

Hi Louise, I was very lucky and had no probs with my veins but do drink plenty of water before. I know 2 girls that had ports put in as their veins collapsed and both have kept these in 2 years after treatments finished. they had no private health cover and cost them nothing.(this was in W.A)  I feel a bit ripped of having private health as am now $20,000.(2 reconstructions)  out of pocket were-as these girls paid nothing. I went private as I didnt want to go on a  waiting list with cancer but they dont muck about and put you straight in with BC anyway. Wish I'd had this knowledge then, hope this helps and good luck, Kaz

Hi Louise,  i didn't really have any problems with the needles, even when it took more than one attempt to find that all important vein, guess i'm a bit weird!!    but it is all in the technique of the nurse, one of mine tried three times and was unsuccessful, the other nurse walked up and got it straight away. the thing i didn't like was the purple latex gloves, omg they give me nightmares, do you know how many cop shows feature them, my dentist had them last time i went too!!!  that's my whinge for today, lol

take care

kathy 

Hi Louise

My surgeon was concerned about my veins and suggested that I get an implanted port. My oncologist organised it and it is placed in my right upper arm - opposite side to surgery. It was a surgical procedure which took about an hour, sore for a couple of days but then wouldn''t know you have it. Each time I have a blood test or treatment the nurses just plug in the needle ( it's a special one), flush it out and away we go. No searching for veins. It cost about $1,400 and sorry I can't remember how much could be claimed but for ongoing treatments - mine are going to go for 12 months - it has been a blessing. Hope this helps?

Regards

Kay

No one tells you that treatment wrecks your veins.  I always had "bad" veins but after radiation aparently they are shot to pieces.  I dread having surgery - just for the fact of the canula input.  At least I have some "show and tell".  The last time I had surgery a couple of weeks ago left my hand and arm black and blue.  The poor anaestheist was so apologetic because my veins kept collapsing and rolling (aparently this is because of the radiation).  Finally after four attempts to get the needle in and much sweating from my part, he suggested the gas mask.  "Thank God for that!!!" brought great laughter from the theatre staff!!!  Hang in there - but you might like to remember the gas mask for later use.  XLeonie

Hi Louise, I totally understand how you feel about the dreaded needle! I went for a heart scan and blood tests the other day, and had to have a few needles. I don't know how I managed to get through chemo last year with all the poking and prodding, but i did. I have quite difficult veins...they just don't pop up very easily, which makes them difficult for the nurses to find, and often results me in feeling like pin cushion! The nurse took one look at my veins and luckily said "oh, this looks like a job for a very experienced senior" and she went and got the resident "guru" of blood taking! lol!

Louise I'm told that if you drink plenty of water before having a needle, this helps the veins to be easily accessible (and may help them to be less sore). Also, the nurses can give you a warm heat bag and place it on the site before a needle, and this also can alleviate soreness in veins. Not sure if you'll find any of that helpful but best wishes with the chemo. Once you get going with it you might become desensitized to it all and just take it in your stride eventually like I did! Celeste x

Hi Louise, I totally understand how you feel about the dreaded needle! I went for a heart scan and blood tests the other day, and had to have a few needles. I don't know how I managed to get through chemo last year with all the poking and prodding, but i did. I have quite difficult veins...they just don't pop up very easily, which makes them difficult for the nurses to find, and often results me in feeling like pin cushion! The nurse took one look at my veins and luckily said "oh, this looks like a job for a very experienced senior" and she went and got the resident "guru" of blood taking! lol!

Louise I'm told that if you drink plenty of water before having a needle, this helps the veins to be easily accessible (and may help them to be less sore). Also, the nurses can give you a warm heat bag and place it on the site before a needle, and this also can alleviate soreness in veins. Not sure if you'll find any of that helpful but best wishes with the chemo. Once you get going with it you might become desensitized to it all and just take it in your stride eventually like I did! Celeste x

Hi Louise, you are so brave, hang in there! This has to pass and you will recover. Just keep thinking that? I agree that needles are tiring. I am not having chemo so I can only imagine how many needles that would involve. But I reckon the sentinel node biopsy was really bad? - 5 needles in a circle around my nipple? I thought they were joking when they first told me that! Surely it is torture? It felt like torture anyway. Keep pleading with the nurses to be nice to you. That could just work. I had a blood test yesterday and the nurse was quite rough. My sister in law is a nurse and she said there are good and bad techniques. Chin up ! Lyn x

Hi Louise, you are so brave, hang in there! This has to pass and you will recover. Just keep thinking that? I agree that needles are tiring. I am not having chemo so I can only imagine how many needles that would involve. But I reckon the sentinel node biopsy was really bad? - 5 needles in a circle around my nipple? I thought they were joking when they first told me that! Surely it is torture? It felt like torture anyway. Keep pleading with the nurses to be nice to you. That could just work. I had a blood test yesterday and the nurse was quite rough. My sister in law is a nurse and she said there are good and bad techniques. Chin up ! Lyn x

Hi Louise,

 I totally get what you're talking about. I had my treatment in 2006 and I have a real issue about needles now. I never did before chemo but after the constant poking and prodding, the thought of another needle makes my skin crawl.

I don't have any miracle cures apart from pleading with the nurses to be super nice to me :) Sorry I'm not much help, just wanted to say I understand your frustrations. 

x evie