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Do you drink water before labs?

Transplants | Last Active: Oct 31, 2023 | Replies (18)
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@gphetteplace

Hi Rosemary - I’m down to monthly (3 1/2 years post) but I’ve been doing this pretty much all along. I had sepsis prior to my transplant and my veins are pretty much toast so I do pretty much anything I can to make it easier. I’ve also found leaning back in the chair, relaxing and breathing deeply seems to help the blood flow. In the early days they sometimes had to stick me again because the blood stopped flowing in the middle.

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Replies to "Hi Rosemary - I’m down to monthly (3 1/2 years post) but I’ve been doing this..."
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Oct 29, 2023

@gphetteplace, I hear you loud and clear! I'm 14 years post with a liver and kidney transplant at Mayo Rochester . I have always been a difficult stick because my local labs complained about my tiny rolling veins, and they didn't use the small needles unless requested (and I didn't know that there was such a thing) Mayo has wonderful smooth, small, sharp needles and fantastic phlebotomists, and I learned what to tell my locals because that experience. I agree with your self help practices. Here are some of mine: leaning back, deep breath, relaxing, feet on floor, uncrossed legs, eyes closed...
My routine labs are 3 months apart now. One thing that really surprises people is that I still cringe at the thought of getting labs drawn. Somehow they think that I should be used to it by now. Haha.

Remind me, What organ did you get? How are you getting along? and have you been able to resume your pre transplant activities?

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