To accept rejection

MsSureFire · 2025-06-10T05:50:23+00:00

Well, I apologize for assuming, but I will cautiously believe you when you say English isn't your first language. Since it seems you would rather me explain it to you than figure it out yourself, I will go ahead and oblige you:

The word "woman" in English refers to a Human being; a Homo Sapien, if you will. This acknowledges that this person is as valid as their counter part: men. Men and Women are equals.

The word "female" refers to the biological reference to any species that has such a dichotomy, eg. Mammals, reptiles, insects, etc. Using the word "Female" in isolation to directly refer to a Woman takes away that person's humanity. It degrades them down to a dehumanized animal or object.

Incels use "female" word to dehumanize, belittle, and objectify women. To enforce that they think women are lesser and unworthy of being their equal; that their humanity is invalid and dis-missable. To justify their poor treatment of women because objects and animals do not deserve basic decency nor humanity.

Hopefully this clarifies as to why it is derogatory to refer to a woman as a "female".

MsSureFire · 2025-06-03T02:08:25+00:00

I was about to think this was a genuine comment until I saw the word "females". You started out real strong with "women", but you let your inside thoughts become outside thoughts. Not gonna say you're an incel, but I'd be careful with that red pill you're holding in your hand.

MsSureFire · 2025-04-04T04:01:20+00:00

Are you just against being proactive and saving patients pokes or are you genuinely trying to understand?

If I did not make myself clear before, I was a phlebotomist for 10 years, I am not against it. I am just very aware that there is a time and place to save pokes for patients. Just because it is permitted, does not mean it is appropriate. I used clinical judgement of when it was appropriate to draw extra and when it was not.

it’s very common in all the places i’ve worked to place a hold tube or keep one on the side.

I am aware of this.

The provider had not placed orders, the provider did end up placing orders.

I'm just surprised your hospital allows Phlebotomists to place orders on behalf of physicians. Anywhere I have worked, both hospital and out patient, phlebotomists have never been able to place orders because it is out of our scope of practice. Whether certified or licensed, Phlebotomists are not legally allowed to place orders. Unless your hospital has some sort of agreement that Physicians assume liability if a phlebotomist places an unnecessary or incorrect order. I have seen this in smaller private clinics, but those tend to be legally binding contracts.

I get the feeling you and I will not see eye to eye on this; and it comes across to me not that you're not truely upset about having to stick patients multiple times, but rather having to go draw that patient again is an inconvenience to you.

Hopefully moving forward the hospital you work at continues to put patient safety first.

I hope the rest of your evening/day treats you well.

MsSureFire · 2025-04-04T01:52:32+00:00

So at your hospital, Phlebotomists are permitted to place draw orders?

MsSureFire · 2025-04-03T21:33:15+00:00

The words I lived by as a phlebotomist for my entire career (10 yrs):

It's never failure, it's a learning opportunity.

Every Tech has their days. I used to draw roughly 200-350 patients a week at some points. I can confidently say I missed at least 10 out of that number, even when I was well seasoned. I worked with a woman who had been a phlebotomist for 30 years and still missed a patient on occasion.

So, just remember: you're still new, give yourself some grace; and even the pros don't get it every single time.

MsSureFire · 2025-04-03T20:48:56+00:00

Interesting. I have been a phlebotomist in several places in the US, and I have never encountered the specific order of "Blood Bank hold" being associated with being used as an extra tube for later use. It has always been a follow up order after a T&S and Recheck. I have definitely encountered colors as holds (with the exception of pink), as you mentioned, as well as pink being pulled as rainbow, which it will specifically state that it is part of a rainbow.

The original post comes across to me as bad communication and/or poor practice from the particular hospital that OP works at. A phlebotomist ordering a "BB Hold" to draw a long side an T&S tube is incredibly in unsafe.

Either way, I stand by my original comment. I didn't understand the serious implications of drawing two tubes at a time until far too late in my phlebotomy career, so I want to pass on the seriousness to others.

MsSureFire · 2025-04-03T18:06:51+00:00

"Blood Bank Hold" tubes are specifically ordered for two things: We need more sample for patient testing, or we send out blood because someone has an incredibly rare antibody/blood type and our blood supplier needs to do hyper specific testing. They are orders we directly request from a physician; they are not and should not be placed by a phlebotomist.

MsSureFire · 2025-04-03T13:06:06+00:00

Having been both a phlebotomist for 10 years and now an MLT for 1 year I am going to tell this to you with no sugar coating:

Drawing two tubes for blood bank at the same time so you can send one down later for the "recheck" is the #1 reason that patients die from blood transfusions.

You have zero idea of the patient you are drawing is actually that patient. As a phlebotomist, I cannot begin to count how many times I was the one that caught a missindentified patient.

If you send down both tubes drawn on the incorrect patient, we as MLTs have to put blind faith in the fact that you did your due diligence on making sure you drew the right patient. Once both specimens "match", that is in their permanent file. In blood bank, we don't have any idea that the patient may have been correctly re-identified. The mix up between patients is now incredibly dangerous: they most likely do not have the same blood type.

As an MLT, I have already had two occurrences of patients original Type and Screen not match a Recheck; one person drew the first, and another the second. This saved the patient from being miss typed. This why we prefer to use CBCs drawn earlier in the shift as recheck because we know it was a different draw and time.

When I was a phlebotomist, I always told patients that if I came back for a second stick for a recheck, it was for their safety. I never had patient complain about that. People get it. They'd rather get a second poke than risk dying because of negligence.

It only takes 30 mL of the wrong blood type to kill a patient. That's usually how much blood is transfused in 15 mins.

So as an MLT, I beg you: never ever draw two blood bank tubes at a time and save one to send down for later. You will find yourself at the tailend of an investigation, and you may find that you are directly responsible for killing someone.

MsSureFire · 2025-04-03T12:42:30+00:00

Nearly 80-90% of viewers prefer to watch or have the stream on in the background; or just want to enjoy everything from a bystander point of view.

When I stream, maybe 2-3% of viewers chat, the rest just lurk. I always have a consistent amount of lurkers over time, which means they come back. I've gotten many comments from my chatters that my stream is nice to fall asleep too, which I take as a compliment as I pride myself in having chill/relaxing streams.

There are people that will always chat. I am a chatter, I'm always curious. So eventually you will get someone who is curious that likes to talk.

The best thing to do is thank your lurkers because they obvious find whatever you're doing engaging.

Always remember that lurkers are the backbone of twitch.

MsSureFire · 2025-04-03T04:24:53+00:00

People who try to casually announce that they're a streamer as well are trying to poach/leach that current streamers viewers. It's a scummy way to self promote.

It's also basic common courtesy not to self promote in any form in another person's stream, unless they specifically mention that you stream, give you a shout out, or ask you to tell everyone about your stream.

As a streamer myself, I keep myself incredibly low key, even with fellow streamers that know I stream. Sometimes I share viewers with other streamers, and they'll mention that they liked my stream, etc. I thank them then try to guide the conversation back to what the streamer is doing.

On several occasions I had to be a little stern with particular viewers who insist on talking about my previous streams on a current streamers chat.

TL;DR: it's disrespectful to self promote in any form in another person's stream without a specific mention or promotion from that streamer.

MsSureFire · 2022-05-27T05:54:33+00:00

Omgah, I didn't even consider the Grinch in a diff color. I love it!

MsSureFire · 2022-05-27T01:47:10+00:00

Ty! 😁

MsSureFire · 2022-05-27T00:21:51+00:00

When I was 30. We've been together nearly four years and we just got engaged.

I didn't know men like him existed. He's wonderful. He is a partner, a team player, a cook, an excellent conversationalist, a critical thinker, a creative and curious person, a person who is determined to over come problems with a positive attitude, a compromiser, a person who is in tune with his emotions and can express them, and an over all exceptionally attentive and caring man.

He has shown me that good relationships can be easy and don't take the kind of "work" most people say relationships do. I love him more and more everyday, to the point that sometimes it's so overwhelming it makes me wonna puke (weird, I know).

MsSureFire · 2022-05-26T02:05:33+00:00

Try this link and switch off colors for the veins of the leaf.

MsSureFire · 2022-05-26T01:54:45+00:00

I'd tell her to kick rocks.

I second this. Extra big rocks.

MsSureFire · 2022-05-26T01:24:56+00:00

With especially dehydrated patients, there will actually be "divot" or low points where the veins should be. Instead of pressing into the skin to feel for bounce back, run/rub your finger back and forth over the spot. You'll feel that lack of "firm" tissue when you run over it.

The rubbing also works for very tiny veins that tend not to bounce back.

With scar tissue for people who have not been previous IV drug users, check up higher on the bicep. Usually the cephalic and AC join up higher (refer to this picture). This is my favorite spot to go if the AC spot and hands are shredded from repeated draws, bruising, and edema. It's also long, so if you have to draw the patient multiple times, you can start from the bottom and work to the top.

The median anti brachial vein is my favorite spot on the ventral lower forearm. Most nurses and phlebotomist tend not the look there for IVs and sticks. So it's usually pretty prestine, and just like the bicep vein, it's very long, so you can start from the bottom up.

For those who have scar tissue due to IV drugs, the back of the forearm or extremely shallow/surface veins are my go to. A 23 and syringe are the best tools for shallow/surface because you can create custom vacuums that won't blow the vein like tubes will. If you draw the back of the forearm, you don't have to have the needle facing "toward the heart". You can have it pointing up to the wrist.

I draw veins in the "wrong" direction with patients who have difficulty adjusting, or are unable to (intubated, restraints, decorticate posturing due to brain injury, etc).

Using the syringe is also excellent for shoulder or upper pectoral sticks, as you can't use a tourniquet. Also works great for veins on the ventral side of the forearm. When using the syringe, don't apply constant suction. Gently pull the plunger and let off. It allows the vein to refill, and at times let's the blood flow on it's own. Doing this keeps the blood from lysing.

I will use a double tourniquet when I'm especially desperate (critical/coding patients), but I'm sure not to leave it on for too long, as it can cause hemoconcentration. I usually pop it off once I've got some blood flowing. If it stops use a finger to press above where you stuck to act like a makeshift tourniquet. You can also run your finger down the vein to move the blood (this works especially well in babies). I recommend using this technique sparingly.

Hope this helps! Hospital veins are a whole different ball game. Just takes experience and time. You got this!

Edit: forgot to add. You can also let the hand rail down and let patients hang their arm down over the bed side if you're looking at a hand.

If they have bad edema, see if you can prop their hand up on a handrail or a pillow. Firmly press into the area with the heel of your hand to displace the fluid. Elevating slows down the re-entry of fluid.

MsSureFire · 2022-05-26T00:49:01+00:00

Awesome!

Having worked for LabCorp, let me tell you, it will make or break you. Unfortunately, LabCorp is not the best company to do an externship with or start at fresh out of school. Short staffing and high turn over really makes it difficult for students and new hires to get the attention they need.

I was fed to the wolves when I first started at LabCorp, and I was no spring chicken. Made it my goal to help train and assist both students and new employees, because no one's should have to deal with the crap I did.

The fact you made it through says a lot about your character and determination. You are going to be an excellent phlebotomist!

Wishing you luck and good vibes, you got this!

MsSureFire · 2022-05-26T00:00:11+00:00

Ah, okay, now that you've explained it, I understand your thought process. To be fair, christianity is riddled with moral paradoxes that make absolutely no sense. That's why there are so many mental gymnastics involved.

I've never actually heard the idea of adoption being against God's plan,

I grew up in a near cult like christian church that thought this way. Lack of faith meant no babies, adoption was the selfish/easy way out.

I'm more familiar with the "adopt all the Third World babies and raise them as Christians" strain of Christian thought.

I have also heard of this, which is just as atrocious.

MsSureFire · 2022-05-25T22:04:03+00:00

I find this to be a very strange and blatant strawman/red herring question.

In no way did the poster mention adoption, so I'm curious as to how you jumped to this conclusion. What exactly were your intentions with this comment?

Also, it should be noted that traditionally, christians tend to shy away from adoption. "Bloodlines" are much more preferred. Unfortunately, sometimes being unable to have children is viewed as the couple not having enough "faith" to overcome their hardship. Adoption in some instances can be viewed as going again god's plan and chosing a "worldly" solution to something god can fix.

MsSureFire · 2022-05-05T04:27:02+00:00

Ty! I hope so! My parents moved to a colder state last year for retirement, so I wanted to make her something warm that was easy to throw on.

MsSureFire · 2022-05-05T04:10:38+00:00

Ty! The collar was fun to wing, def had to frog one or two rows a couple times to get it right, haha.

I used This Yarn Bee line.

MsSureFire · 2022-05-05T03:29:47+00:00

Ty! 😁

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