Moments of Permanence - February 28th, 2009

About February 28th, 2009

Junkie Sami is jonesing for crack 11:31 am
So, only three days after I had to take a drug screening test, my left arm looks like I'm an incompetent IV drug addict. Thanks to a long-ago staph infection hitting Red Cross-induced puncture marks (from giving blood) that left me with a handful of point scars on the inside of my left elbow, I already looked a bit addicty there as it was. Yesterday added three close-together puncture marks on the Good Vein^, and another puncture mark, complete with bruising around it due to blood leakage, around the Bad Vein*.

The net result of all this is that I'm probably glad the assessment of my feasibility for being prescribed controlled substances is being based on examination of my bodily fluids, not the flawlessness of the skin over my accessible veins.

I also have a patch of inflamed red skin, because I appear to be allergic to the tape with which they were putting wads of cotton wool over the needle marks. It doesn't itch or anything, it just contributes to the inside of my left elbow giving a very poor testament as to my character.

^ - which is perhaps less than happy about having multiple punctures in one morning, so since I don't want to lose my Good Vein when the Red Cross will be accepting my blood again next year and I want to return to donating, if I have to have a needle in the next few days I plan to get insistent about them using my hand or something.

* - The vein that phlebotomists and blood donation nurses aim for first is, in my left arm, tricksy. It hides. Assuming you can find it at all, when you go to put the needle in, almost everyone loses it. The first phlebotomist yesterday insisted on trying for that one, then had to go get an Advanced Phlebotomist when she lost it after putting the needle in... who listened to my explanation that I used to give blood regularly, I know where my veins are, and that there is a Good Vein but it's in an odd place, about two inches to the outside. This vein is reliably findable if you know you're looking all the way over there, and doesn't dodge incoming pointy things.
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