Quote Originally Posted by Ranton View Post
I have had golf ball size hemo's and the wife has had some the size of a softball. My veins are shallower than they seem so newbies tend to blow right through them. Until about 5 years ago I donated 21 Gallons of blood, the first 12 by the unit and the rest by double credit for components. I have had gouger's, hunters, rammers and butterflies draw me. The butterflies don't even give you a sensation during the draw. Now I have to check my prothrombin (clotting time) monthly and quickly learn the labs' best "vamps". I guess I'm approaching 300 draws in my life.
Heh heh...wow...that's a lot of blood. Personally I'm better with larger gauge butterflies than with smaller needles overall and straight sticks. If I have a vein that hasn't been abused, I'm fine with a straight stick, but the people who have donated plasma for 3000 years and have a ball of scar tissue, I pretty much suck at.

The larger gauge butterflies (ours are 17) allow me to feel more, I can actually feel resistance when I'm up against a vein wall instead of just flying through it with a micro skinny needle, and I like the finer control of a butterfly.

And dear GOD softball size hematomas? Was this during a regular draw, or during blood or plasma donation?