I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: kitkatz on December 15, 2008, 04:50:05 PM

Title: Stents and graft
Post by: kitkatz on December 15, 2008, 04:50:05 PM
I finally got in to see the vascular surgeon. Who took one look at my graft and said, Oh my.  He has me scheduled for graft stent placement on the 24th of DEcember. Preop on the 23rd.  He plans to put two stents into the graft to help the aneurysms that are developing go away. He says it is like chicken wire in the graft. So dialysis today, wed, and friday, then sunday, tues, procedure wed, dialysis fri next week.  At least I will have a few days for it to heal before it gets stuck again. Anyone had this done with a graft? He says the graft is a good one.  If the stents do not work, the replacement graft surgery and a catheter for six weeks.  That would suck deeply!
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: nursewratchet on December 15, 2008, 07:09:49 PM
We have several who have had that done.  Usually no problems.  Never had one not work well after.  Good Luck :thumbup;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: Lucinda on December 16, 2008, 01:59:19 AM
HI Kit.  I had one done and my graft - which I am obviously not even using yet - has worked a charm for the past year since they did the surgery.  It is not nearly as painful as getting a new graft and took a couple of days to heal.  I think getting the stents is reasonably straight forward.  It still takes time for them to get it right but not nearly as invasive as the surgery for a new graft.  Good luck with it. xx
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: Joe Paul on December 16, 2008, 03:16:15 AM
Good luck, hope it works good & lasts a long time  :thumbup;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: kitkatz on December 24, 2008, 10:17:04 AM
Stents are being done today at 1pm. WIsh me luck and say a prayer if you pray! 
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: rose1999 on December 24, 2008, 11:13:47 AM
Wishing you luck and hoping all goes well  :cuddle;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: Rerun on December 24, 2008, 12:24:45 PM
Praying that everything went well.  I have a fistula.  I wanted a graft because during my years of experience they seem to work better on the people I know.  But, they wouldn't do it.  I sure hope you do well Kit.  Kind of a crummy Christmas!  But you should have a NICE Easter!!

                                                    :flower;   For you!
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: monrein on December 24, 2008, 12:34:51 PM
Wishing you the best with it Kitkatz.   :cuddle;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: G-Ma on December 24, 2008, 01:33:36 PM
 :grouphug;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: willieandwinnie on December 24, 2008, 01:40:02 PM
:cuddle; Oh kitkatz, I pray everything went well. Take it easy and have a Merry Christmas.  :grouphug;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: Chris on December 24, 2008, 02:44:55 PM
Just saw this today (the 24th). I hope everything went well and that this procedure works for you kitkatz.
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: kitkatz on December 24, 2008, 10:50:31 PM
Well, it is over.  Of course the procedure took place three and a half hours after they said it would. But I have gotten used to Kaiser and its ways. It took about an hour and the docs gave me good drugs.  The drugs did not knock me out but gave me breathing room between the stuff they did.  What did I get for Christmas? Three stents in a working graft!  They found two aneurysms we could see, but found another up in the arm pit area. They tried to fix the narrowing by ballooning but it took another stent instead.  My arm aches and I am going to look for my prescription Vicodin tonight.   They kept me for three hours after the procedure, about the time I was complaining I hurt, it was time to go home.

Anyway the plan for tomorrow is I relax with my arm up and let everyone else take care of me!
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: circleNthedrain on December 24, 2008, 11:42:21 PM
So glad you are home on this Christmas Eve and really glad that all went well.  Thank god for "good drugs!"  Hope you found your vicodin, but if not, I have some if you need it.  Have a great holiday Kitkatz!
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: Bajanne on December 24, 2008, 11:47:32 PM
That is really good news!  My new graft is doing well too.  Graduated to green needles on Monday.  will soon be back to blue!
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: Chris on December 24, 2008, 11:47:52 PM
Glad you got it done and out in time for Christmas.

It must be a written rule in doctor school to make patients wait and exhorbanant amount of time and then rush to get them out with out giving proper meds.

Hope you do not have much pain for long.
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: kitkatz on December 25, 2008, 05:53:34 AM
It is almost 6a.m. and I am hurting. I found the Vicodin and am having some mood enhancing effects from the drugs they gave me.  Tears.
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: nursewratchet on December 25, 2008, 08:40:13 AM
Merry Christmas!  Take more drugs... :beer1;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: Chris on December 25, 2008, 09:34:50 AM
I have some Valium, Norco, some sort of nerve relief med I never took, and a muscle relaxer on tap for yah kitkatz. :secret;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: kitkatz on December 25, 2008, 06:35:27 PM
I ache tonight and I just need to whine about it.  My hubby hurts for me when I complain so it make him just as miserable as me.  His phantom pain acts up when anyone talks about pain!  The Vicodin will not let me sleep and I am tired from Christmas DAy activities.  Whine, whine, whine. Could you all pull yourselves together and help me feel better?  I am in tears.
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: MIbarra on December 25, 2008, 06:45:34 PM
Kitkatz.. so sorry your in pain. What a sucky time to have to deal with that. I hope Santa had extra good stuff for you since you have to spend the holidays like that. 
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: monrein on December 25, 2008, 06:46:20 PM
Kitkatz, I don't know what to say to ease the pain other than I care about you and wish you weren't hurting.  Is Vicodin anything like Percocet?  I use a Gravol suppository to make me sleep sometimes but not in a pain situation so I have no advice.

Here are some hugs   :grouphug; :cuddle; :cuddle; :grouphug;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: okarol on December 25, 2008, 10:45:59 PM

I could never sleep on vicodyn. Some people have to take benadryl with it.
I hope it gets better - makes me want to cry thinking of you hurting.  :cuddle;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: Joe Paul on December 25, 2008, 11:02:48 PM
Kitkatz, I'm sorry you are in pain, I pray you get some relief soon  :cuddle;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: G-Ma on December 25, 2008, 11:46:46 PM
Lord I hope your pain starts easing up for the new day.  Rest...be kind to yourself.
Ann
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: kitkatz on December 26, 2008, 10:28:46 AM
The arm does not feel like it has been whomped on as much this morning. But then Benadryl does strange things to my brain. I have an allergy that has decided to show up. Right when I feel worst!
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: nursewratchet on December 26, 2008, 07:53:10 PM
You already know all this I'm sure, but here goes...  Try to ice it, 20 minutes on and off.  Prop it up.. Take 2 Vicodin at a time, every 4 hours.  Don't wait till the pain is really bad to take the Vicodin, you'll never "catch it".  I'm so sorry you hurt rught now.  See if any of that (or all of it) works.  It's all I've got.  :flower;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: cris on December 27, 2008, 12:46:31 AM
Kitkatz,
hoping you feel better. I will pray for your pain to go away on tomorrow's sunday Mass. Just let them take care of you, rest that arm.
 :cuddle; :cuddle; :cuddle;

love,
cris
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: kitkatz on December 27, 2008, 12:05:38 PM
I appreciate the thoughts and kind words.   I kind of forgot that when they mess with the graft, they are messing with the entire arm.   I hurt up until this morning.  Now it just aches a little.  I feel better.  My allergies whipped up on me the last few days too.
Yesterday I got up at nine, went back to bed  at 11:30, slept till three, got up ate, net back to sleep at 4, slept till 5, went to dinner, then dialysis. I slept six hours at dialysis.  Ya think maybe I needed the sleep.  I came home at 5 went back to bed, slept till nine.  I sound like I live the life of my cat!  Needless to say where I am going soon....Back to Bed!  :clap;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: Rerun on December 27, 2008, 12:26:46 PM
You need your rest.  Take a pain pill just for the Heck of it.

                                             :waving;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: kitkatz on December 27, 2008, 01:13:04 PM
 :rofl; :rofl; :rofl;
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: thegrammalady on December 27, 2008, 03:35:32 PM
here's hoping things are doing better.
Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: pelagia on December 27, 2008, 05:15:50 PM
Gosh, just getting to this today.  Sorry you have been hurting KK.  Hope it gets to feeling better soon.   :cuddle;

Title: Re: Stents and graft
Post by: kitkatz on January 04, 2009, 01:16:47 PM
My arm looks better and I am getting full range of movement back into the shoulder and elbow areas.  I am swimming at the gym.  It made it easier to exercise the arm that way. Occasional twinges here and there.