Competition: Who has had the most blood drawn at one time?

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David

David

Co-Founder
Joined
Feb 13, 2006
Messages
13,705
Location
Naples, Florida
My doctor decided to do a few new tests on me. By a few new tests, I mean when I went to the lab to have my blood drawn, the stack of orders was a quarter inch thick. The lab tech filled up 15 tubes of blood. What's your record, how many tubes of blood have you had drawn at once? :D

With that said, when I saw the tech line up the 15 tubes I figured it was going to hurt a bit. Having the needle inserted doesn't bother me, what hurts in my opinion is when they switch the tubes. Well, this tech whipped out a fancy needle called a "Butterfly Needle" which was basically a needle with some wings to hold it in place then a long flexible tube where, at the end, was the place the actual blood tubes were changed. So when the tubes were changed, because of the flexible tubing between the needle and the tube, there was no movement of the needle! WHY in all my years of having blood drawn has nobody used this before? It was WONDERFUL. And why had I never even heard of this amazing gizmo. I came home gushing to my fiance and she was like, "Yeah, I use those all the time."
 
You've got me by a long shot, David. I've only done 6 vials at once. You are one tough puppy! I'm not bothered by the pain so much as I'm bothered by the loss of blood/energy.

Thanks for the tip on the butterfly needle. I've never heard of one either!
 
I've had 7-8 at a shot I think.....and have seen the butterfly needles for years.....they are quite nice when multiple vials need to be drawn!
 
8 for me. Butterflies are definitely the best. Where I live, they use them usually when your veins are weaker, and not as pronounced... TBH, I usually let myself get a little dry, so I can get a butterfly, as opposed to the normal thing :)
 
Dang, beat me by two! I had thirteen done at once. I don't know if my tech used the butterfly needle or not but I didn't feel a thing. He's amazing and he's also had experience with children too so that always helps =D
 
My daughter's record, I think, is 18 tubes. She has ITP and Crohn's and gets weekly blood tests and sometimes they coincide with the quarterly or semi-annual ones.
 
muppet said:
She has ITP and Crohn's and gets weekly blood tests and sometimes they coincide with the quarterly or semi-annual ones.
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Beaten by a child! :mad: ;)

I didn't realize Sarah has ITP as well :( My sister has that (she was diagnosed around age 12) and once they removed her spleen, she was good to go. I did some research on the genetics of ITP and Lymphocytic Colitis (what I have) and there are some definite genetic correlations. I wouldn't be surprised if UC or CD is correlated genetically as well.
 
I've been against removing her spleen but she's beginning to react badly to WinRHo and that might be the next thing. I've been doing a little reading on IVIG but I'm not exactly sure what it is or how it works or whether our insurance would cover it or even if it would be therapeutic for Sarah.

You didn't know she had ITP? What? You mean you DIDN'T memorize the whole block of text at sarah-story.com??! ;-)
 
My sister had her spleen removed when she was 13 or 14. She's 36 now and has been doing fantastic the whole time. I'm sure it's a mileage may vary kind of thing, but I know it was the best solution for my sister, by far, especially since the only real treatment back then was gobs of prednisone or injections of $5,000 per dose of hemoglobin.
 
I'm not surprised you haven't seen a "Butterfly Needle" David, they're normally used for kids and the elderly.........hmmmmm! Say no more! :ylol:

Dusty. :)
 
Three vials? But they weren't filled all the way. You can't get that much blood out of my s****y veins.
 
Wow, I feel like a wimp! I'm the same as Jessi, the most I've had was about 6 vials taken at one time, and even that amount made me a bit light-headed! I would be passed out on the floor if they took 12 or 15 or some of the crazy numbers I'm seeing in this thread. I don't think the Red Cross even takes that amount from blood donors!
 
OMG David, are you reading my mind? was at hospital for blood tests today and nurse took 5, I was thinking the same thing as I walked back to my mums house to pick up kids, Why so many tubes????
I have asked in the past if they could rebottle and give back to me at a later date as generally don't have that much blood to spare.
Got my first taste of the butterfly in May when I was in hospital and thought thank you to whoever came up with that one. Got to know the nurse who took bloods every morning and I think because I was the only one who smiled and made conversation with her so she decided to make it easy for me, don't blame the other patients giving her the cold shoulder as it the last thing you want to be faced with when you're sick and bedridden but still must be a pretty lonely job. She even told me that one man insisted that she was taking the blood far too often and that she was probably making black pudding at the back of the hospital for a full Irish breakfast!
oh and the most vials taken 8.
 
i think 4 is my record, but 14 jabs to find a vein must count for something, my previous record was 12 attempts. i have horrible hidden veins.
 
Trev said:
i think 4 is my record, but 14 jabs to find a vein must count for something, my previous record was 12 attempts. i have horrible hidden veins.
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Oh Trev you poor love, I haven't had that issue but one visit many years ago and the guy next to me says to nurse I have terrible veins, she said don't worry I'll get it, then his vein collapsed and blood everywhere, I nearly got weak and my nurse got fright and asked me how are your veins, I said FINE never had a problem and BAM for the one and only time my vein collapsed and blood everywhere. Think both nurses needed a cuppa after that morning.
 
During one of my longer hospital admissions, they had to draw blood to test for EVERYTHING. I was supposed to start remicade a few days later, and I was being put in a ward with severely immuno-compromised people. When the lab tech came in, she told me this is the most blood she has ever had to draw, and that it will take two veins. She took 14 vials and 4 bottles (which she told me is equal to about 3-4 vials) So approximately 26 vials. I got a tiny bit light-headed, but I didn't pass out and she was almost positive I was gonna pass out. I have pictures of all the blood she took haha I was so proud of myself.
 
I have horrible veins too. Last time I went to A&E they had to get Registrar (most Senior Dr) to put the cannula in. Sometimes the vein will dissapear prior to jab or during attempt. Sometimes they don't even get "blowback" from me (which I think is the initial reaction once needle hits vein).

I have for years only had blood taken from my hand with a butterfly needle, it is so much easier than digging about in my arms and not that bad at all. When I go in I just say "you'll need to use a butterfly needle and take it from my hand". I've had enough of arm digging so when they ask if they can try there first i say no. One tech fusses as she doesn't like taking it from the hand; but for me it is routine!

I had blood drawn for a White Cell Scan, they took 50ml exactly :) The syringe to be filled was h-uge, so was the needle, I thought they were going to jab that in my arm, but they used a butterfly :) As for vials I think 4-6 is my best.

Out of interest, do they have 2 vial sizes in the US? Here in the UK you have thin ones and fat ones.
 
Last edited:
Trev said:
i think 4 is my record, but 14 jabs to find a vein must count for something, my previous record was 12 attempts. i have horrible hidden veins.
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Well Trev...if you were just a tad more generous luv...:)

Dusty. :kiss:
 
25times Quote: She took 14 vials and 4 bottles (which she told me is equal to about 3-4 vials) So approximately 26 vials.

:voodoo: WOW! You should change your user name to 26times! :worthy:

I cannot believe you didn't pass out. Not even blacked out?! I really am a whimp, like Cat-a-Tonic said! :blush: I woulda fainted for sure!!! :yfaint:
 
I think 4 is my max. I had one vial drawn today and it hurrrrt!! I don't know what that lady did or didn't do but that is the second most painful blood draw I've ever experienced. It hurt the whole time, and coming out, too. Thank goodness it was only one vial. The first most painful was when an elderly nurse with serious hand tremors did our life insurance exam.
 
I have no idea how many I've had drawn at once. One time at the ER I had a lot done at once and the tech called it "the rainbow." Maybe that's something like what you had done David. :p They use the butterfly on me all the time and claim its cause I have small veins. They aren't small, the techs just aren't as skilled as the old ones. :p
 
Mayflower537 said:
I think 4 is my max. I had one vial drawn today and it hurrrrt!! I don't know what that lady did or didn't do but that is the second most painful blood draw I've ever experienced. It hurt the whole time, and coming out, too. Thank goodness it was only one vial. The first most painful was when an elderly nurse with serious hand tremors did our life insurance exam.
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Sounds like they went past the vein a little. It happens sometimes to me too. I'm just sitting there thinking, "dude, you can't draw blood from my bone!"
 
13 vials in one session pre-diagnosis when they were trying to find the cause of my super elevated CRP. Everything accross the board from CRP/kidney function/HIV. Used the same technique/device just changed the vials
 
Funny you mentioned HIV. EVERY SINGLE DOCTOR I have been to has asked me about that when I detail my symptoms. None seem to believe me when I say definitely not. I think I've been tested four times in the last 15 months :D
 
The lab tech filled up 15 tubes of blood. What's your record, how many tubes of blood have you had drawn at once?
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Wow.... sure you still have blood in ya?

I think 5 is my most...I am stingy lol.
 
Dont think I've ever had more than the what for me is standard 3. But I used to be a shocking wuss where blood was concerned & used to feel faint every time in the early days.
Now its become so much part of my life I just let them get on with it.
Rgds
Grant
 
David said:
Funny you mentioned HIV. EVERY SINGLE DOCTOR I have been to has asked me about that when I detail my symptoms. None seem to believe me when I say definitely not. I think I've been tested four times in the last 15 months :D
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I always get syphilis and tb every doctor what not just there own test but 2 of them. what's sad is they are both treatable so i sort of won't have minded either for a while.

mine most was 15 as well. after my second eye flare. It was literally a test for everything. I didn't even know yet i could got to a lab so i brought it to my old gp. it was hilarious. she was flipping out, because she was so sure it was allergies (she wasn't all that bright), and here i was getting tested for all sorts of genetic disorders, that i was the wrong ethnicity for, STDs, autoimmune things, and every blood count that is possible.

rheumatologist do like there blood work. blood cultures upset me more then tubes.

I'm small so I get a kiddy needle.
 
the most tubes of blood drawn at once? my record was 22! after having bilateral DVTs or blood clots in my legs, i had to undergo testing to see what was causing it. it was horrible, after being on prednisone for many years and at the time, being in a flare and only weighing 96 pounds, they had to stick me multiple times to get veins that would give enough blood! i remember when the tech laid all of the tubes out in front of me, i laughed and asked "who is all THAT for?"
 
I haven't the most tubes of blood drawn at once, but I might be up there for the most drawn over a period time. When I was in the hospital after Oscar was born (yay for my stoma!!), I was having blood drawn 3 times a day (3 vials every time) for 24 days. When I was released from hospital I had 2 vials drawn twice a week for 4 months.

So, that's 216 vials drawn in 24 days...and then 64 for the 4 months after I was released...so that makes 280 in a 5 month period....lol

Not bad for a person with a serious needle phobia...
 
The most for me was 7 tubes at once. That small amount compared to others about did me in! I feel like a wimp. Found myself dizzy and needed to rest at the lab for a short while. I've always wondered why so much blood needs to be drawn for some tests. I've seen some of the newer home testing kits for some items that would take a vile at the hospital, that just require a small drop for the kit.
 
Hi all I've had 16 tubes done at once. Was in hospital for 10 days after having a bad reaction to 6MP. Got it done the old fashoned way with the needle and the tubes getting popped in and out (ouch!) the phlebotomist had to take a rest in the middle because her arm was getting tired lol
 
I had about 16 in one day during a hospitalization. Between the CBC, CMP, blood cultures, and I don't remember what else, I asked the lab tech if he was planning on leaving me any. I'm surprised I wasn't really anemic by the time they were done at the end of the day!
 

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