I have the joyous luck of having both Factor V Leiden (heterozygous) and now GCA, (that darn Scandinavian relative somewhere in my background) so I keep clotting. I've developed another superficial blood clot after going to have blood drawn. This isn't the first time. The docs are thinking of putting me on a blood thinner when I return from my trip in March (during the trip they're giving me Lovenox), but I was wondering if anyone else was lucky enough to keep having superficial blood clots from IV or blood draws. I find it really hard to prevent. Some of the phlebotomists are pretty awkward and I do ask for the supervisors but not everyone is skilled at getting blood from a stone, which is pretty much what life is like now. My veins are not at all happy with this recent assault, which leads me to wonder, if they're like this when I'm 53, what does the future hold? 
No - nothing like that but I doubt I had more than a few sticks while on pred and not on an anticoagulant. We have wonderful phlebotomists here - my husband had cancer 20 years ago and the chemo really messed up his veins. In the UK they used a foot once after half a dozen attempts but here they get it first time and from a decent vein in his arm every month.
I used Lovenox when I needed a colonoscopy done a couple of years ago - my fat stomach was a beautiful colour! Just had to give my husband his shots after hand surgery the other week - he did his own until they did the op. Think doing my own was easier!
so I need to fly to the UK and kidnap a phlebotomist
No - Italy!!!!! We live outside Bruneck/Brunico right up in the north, almost in Austria and maybe 3 hours from Venice.
I wanted to do the plasma donation thing when we still lived in the UK but they need good veins in both arms - the left is brilliant, they spent an hour looking in the right arm. Nothing! But when I was in hospital here a bit back and they needed a vein in the right side in an emergency they got straight into one, no messing about. As a former phlebotomist I was impressed!
okay, so you're coming back to colorado with me then :D.
