Just go hang out with paramedics. My arms are usually pretty vascular and I always hear about it when I’m on a scene with EMS. Their eyes get all big and they get a little excited. Apparently some people are in poor health and it’s tough to get an IV in them. Not me; on most days you could throw a dart and hit my veins.
On the flip side I think some nurses try to challenge themselves and make things more difficult. I had blood drawn in November and when I walked in I had that big garden hose type vein running right through my elbow. But this nurse sticks the one next to it that’s not even visible. My veins go flat and no blood comes out. After wiggling the needle back and forth she gives up and just sticks the giant vein that she intentionally avoided. I about puked.
Funny you mention nurses. My wife became a nurse a few years ago (second career–former schoolteacher). And when she was learning how to start IVs, she was delighted to have a guinea pig–Did I say guinea pig? I meant to say husband–with so many plump, juicy veins. But upon mastery of that skill, my vascularity was once again relegated to the ‘disgusting’ list, right up there with nose and ear hair.
As an aside, my daughter is now in nursing school. It won’t be long before she’ll start eyeing Dad’s arms like her mom did…
Sorta off topic… Oldest son is in what is known as J term at his college . It was advised by his academic adviser to take part in the program they are doing during this period. For the past month its been hard core studying and doing hands on training at a Nursing Home and after taking ( and passing hopefully) the certification he will be a certified nursing assistant. Not sure how this will lead into him becoming a Orthopedic PA down the road. But what the hell do I know.
The better half once once said: don’t wear that top, it makes your arms look too big and sexy.
I laughed it off, walked outside and past some college girls waiting for a bus who giggled and smiled longingly.
Then I went to buy something at the store and this model looking woman came up to me and stroked my arms, said nice arms and slipped me her number.
Then a tree dramatically fell and pinned a child. I ran up and bicep curled it off the kid. I looked up and was surrounded by people who started chanting my name…
No wait, that was when she said it made my “guts look big” and I grabbed a bottle of Glenfiddich… the rest was a bit hazy but the above sounds about right.
My wife is usually too busy wondering how the hell I bruised my nipple on stones to look at the rest of my physique.
That or belt bite around the waist. Or having most the skin torn off my upperback from the yoke. Or the blown out blood vessels around my face, back, neck and shoulders.
My daughter said to me today “daddy you have a at tummy”, whilst I was telly her I didn’t my other daughter says “it’s ok daddy” at which point I expected her to say it is fat but instead she says “it’s because you are old” … boom take that. Thanks kids !’
On the subject of wives, mine won’t let me get too “big” as there isn’t enough room in the bed as it is, cos of my stupid big shoulders and arms, which I have to point out are rather small compared to where I want them to be and compared to a lot of other arms. This is also 1 reason she doesn’t want me to run a cycle so I have to sneakily up my protein and calories and very slowly increase my size and save on a lot of earache
My wife and I don’t talk about the gym/training. She’s so sick of hearing me bitch about having every square inch of my body injured the past two years.
It’s been so bad I’d throw my back and not tell her about it. I’d be trying to walk straight or sit up, and she could tell, and shed call me out on it “you hurt yourself again didn’t you”
I endure the same judgmental comments. If I mention any sort of workout-related pain, the response is always the same–an exasperated “THEN STOP WORKING OUT!” (Crazy talk. Like that will ever happen.)
Like you, I hide my injuries as best I can, but when my shoulders get so bad I can’t put on a dress shirt and tie without assistance, it becomes pretty obvious.
It could be that they were looking for a better spot. Generally speaking the best veins (big, plump, straight, and long without any “squiggles” in their path) are in the crook of the elbow, which is the worse spot for an IV (lots of movement leading to potential problems, and it can “kink off” an infusion if you bend the elbow). Whereas if you can get a vein in the middle of the forearm you are golden, but they tend to be a bit smaller
It used to make me so mad, but then I realized I was doing it wrong, and it didn’t have to be this way. I was consistently injured for a reason, I knew that, but just couldn’t figure it out. Took me 2 years to find the solutions.
I tell you one thing. I will never again try to progress in strength while attempting to lean up. THAT SHIT CRIPPLED ME.
Plus, at 35, shit is a bit worn down. Need week long deloads even if I feel good. I have to take control of my decisions, not necessarily go by how I feel. How I feel is a lie quite often.
At 55, I’ve been lifting longer than you’ve been alive. (Not meant as any sort of dig or one-upsmanship; rather, simply as an indicator of how worn out my joints are.)
Confession: Yesterday, I drank most of a half-gallon of milk in 20 minutes. I threw up on the bus. Then, I finished off the carton. The back of my mouth tasted like cheese for about 4 hours, until I went to bed.
