Small Rant: Emergency Room Adventure

I've been fighting some sort of virus for over a week now.  I thought it was just a bad fibro flare but yesterday had to admit that dehydration was also likely.  My doctor told me to go to the ER for an evaluation for dehydration earlier in the week if I got worse, so I finally listened to him yesterday.

The good news is that my kidney is fine and that I wasn't too dehydrated.  I guess my fibromyalgia really hates dehydration.  Anyway, some labs and fluids added up to being sent home with the admonition to call my doctor Tuesday if I'm still fighting this dang thing.

Here's the rant: why don't nurses listen to me when it comes to IV sticks?  I've had a ton of IVs in my life so far (seriously have lost count), and I have learned that A) I'm not an easy stick on a good day and a really hard one when I'm sick and B) if the nurse has to root around after putting the needle in, that IV is not going to work.

So, I make sure to tell the nurses these two truths every time, and every time, they ignore me.  They assure me that they can get the needle in, that they're really good at it, and when they don't get it just right, they root around with the needle trying to make it work.  Every time.  I had three nurses yesterday, and only the third listened to me at all after her first try failed exactly how I said it would.

Meanwhile, the pain from the sticks made me have some of the worst tremors I've had in awhile and definitely freaked two of the nurses out.  Thank goodness, my mom was there to explain that the tremors were my body's reaction to the pain and that it meant the pain levels were really high.  I asked for the ultrasound to find the vein three times, all to no avail.

It's my body, and I know it pretty well.  If they've never treated me before, how does their experience override mine?  Nurses, doctors, medical providers, please, please, please listen to patients.  We know our bodies, and we are trying to help you help us.

If anyone can tell me why medical provider types don't listen to me about this simple thing, please put it in the comments.  I'd love to get some answers.