I’m a Hard Stick

I stalk my favorite phlebotomist — but only when he’s at work.

Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography on Unsplash

“A hard stick is someone whose veins are difficult to locate. He is a difficult person to draw from because he is dehydrated or has veins that are too small. They may also be flat or difficult to compress. This makes incising them an uphill task. Encountering a hard stick is indeed a phlebotomist’s nightmare.” (Google search definition Feb 13, 2023)

I was born with a genetic mutation that causes epidermolytic ichthyosis (EI). It was previously called epidermolytic hyperkeratosis (EHK). I preferred it when it was named EHK because it was an easy abbreviation to remember (for dermatologists; no civilian knows what this means). I thought the “hyperkeratosis” part was very descriptive. EI rarely occurs, 1 in 300k births. According to a specialist in ichthyotic skin conditions I saw decades ago. I have a severe case of this disorder.

EI causes my body to produce skin cells faster than usual, around 100x faster. Also, my skin cells don’t break down normally, so I have flakes and callouses. I get painful blisters on my feet from walking or wherever there is friction, as occurs during exercise.