Thursday, October 15, 2015

Its All About the Veins, 'Bout the Veins...

Nursing school has started and this semester it is all about IV's.  Yikes.  All about poking someone with a needle to find a vein.  It is not as easy as it sounds.  Shots, no big deal, you are not trying to find something so tiny, you are just poking.  IV's are a different ball game.

We had yet to practice IV's when I went to my first clinical this semester.  I had an opportunity to try an IV, but was unsuccessful.  The PICC team ended up being called in because the sweet little old lady had horrible veins.  I was super thrilled that I at least got to stick someone, even if I did not hit a vein.

That brings me to today.  I am dying to try to start an IV again.  Unfortunately, the floor I am on in the hospital, most people come to us from the ED or ICU so they already have IV's.  I am hopeful each time I go that it will in fact be D-Day or maybe I should call it V-Day you know, Vein Day.

With my undying devotion to want to start an IV comes me staring about peoples veins all the time.  I look at friends veins, Ken's veins, and now even strangers veins.  I was at the gym today and saw this buff man waiting on one of the machines.  I thought, oh he is buff and an older guy.  When I say older guy, you know, around 50 (just for you Mike!).

After I noticed his muscles, I was quickly drawn to the veins bulging on his arms.  I could see every single vein.  I was staring and maybe salivating just a bit.  I tried to look away, but I just couldn't.  I know he saw me staring at him and he probably thought I was checking him out.  In fact, I think some other man saw me staring at this guy too.  It was that obvious.  I debated about telling him I was not staring at him, but at his wonderful veins, but I decided that made me sound creepier than if he thought I wanted his bod.

All I kept thinking was that if only I had an IV kit in the car, I would offer to buy him a protein shake if I could stick him with a needle.  Mental note:  get IV kit for the car.