I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: Dan.Larrabee on March 10, 2009, 02:28:53 AM
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Ok, I am not scared of needles, I have been diabetic for 28 years. I have a fairly high pain tolerance, but I still use the cream. No fistula was possible, so I now have a graft. I know I cannot use button holes with a graft, so it sharp sticks all the way. My wife is a cardiac nurse and she is a pro at starting IV’s. When we were in home hemo training, she stuck me the first time and has never missed. You should see my track lines, perfectly strait and no aneurisms. I don’t think I could have a spot on my graft that has not been used.
I guess I am saying that my wife is so good, I don’t want to go backwards and go through any bad sticks. I do want to stick myself because that is the only thing I cannot do for myself. I have read many of the caregiver’s forms and see that my wife really needs a break. Also, sometimes she does not get home from work until late and it makes a later night for both of us.
I just can’t get up the guts. I would love to have her come home one night and find me almost done with a treatment.
What tricks does everyone have?
How did you do it the first time?
How do you get the odd angle?
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I have no experience with this Dan, but like anything else, I bet after you get through the first time "the virgin voyage", you'll think...holy cow...what was I stressing about!? Good luck on your mission!
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Hi Dan - I don't have any experience with that either - I just want to give you some moral support.
I bet the first time is the hardest. Hang in there.
Sandyb
:bunny:
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Dan,first of all, is it possible to get hold of a piece of the material they use for the graft, so that you can practice on it to get the feel of how the needle enters it? I've never had a grafft so can't speak to that but I've always done my own sticks. I started at first by pinching myself hard to simulate how it might feel in terms of pain and found that if someone else were to pinch me it would hurt but that I can inflict quite a lot on myself. I've had both a forearm fistula and an upper arm one. The angles are trickier on the upper arm and at first I thought impossible but I soon got used to what was needed. I've never used the Emla cream but if you need to do that at first, you can. I find that I need to "feel" where the needle is going and lidocaine used to (the only 2 times I had it) make my fistula seem to shrink away a bit. For me, the "pain" is less when I stick myself because I'm concentrating so hard and if it hurts I can slow it down and breathe my way through it but I've never found the pain that bad anyhow.
Perhaps you could start with one needle and have your wife guide you verbally as to angle and such. You are very wise to ladder your sticks consistently and thus avoid aneurysms, that was my primary reason for insisting on doing it myself the first time. The second time I used buttonholes, always with blunts once established, but that's definitely not an option for you.
Best of luck Dan and I say you just have to bite the bullet and try it. Soon you'll be as good as your wife and it sounds like she could really be a great teacher and guide for you.
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Suck it up, Cream Puff! Be a man! Cowboy up! Grow a pair, ya nancy! What are you, a man or a boy? Wait, don't answer that- I can smell your diaper from here! ;D
I'm just kidding. I am able to channel my HS rugby coach on demand.
I would get a practice graft, have your wife explain t as best she can, and have her coach you the first couple times you practice, and coach you when you start on our own graft.
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Hubby has a fistula so I don't know what a graft is like. I know that one nurse gave us a piece of plastic hose to practice on. It was like a piece off one of the blood lines that go on the machine . Don't know if that would help to practice sticking for a graft too.
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needles hurt rather you have a penis or not -
that does not make you less of a man
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LOL Wally
Dan good luck.
All i can say is you will never know how easy or hard it is until you have done it.
As Nike would say.
Just Do It.
Ps. the needle in the picture you placed. Is that the actualy size??
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I started with a 16 gauge needle but quickly worked up to a 15 gauge which is standard. Not sure which that is in the photo.
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I also do not have a graft i have a Fistula.. but, I wanted to give you moral support as well.... :2thumbsup;
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Ok, I am not scared of needles, I have been diabetic for 28 years. I have a fairly high pain tolerance, but I still use the cream. No fistula was possible, so I now have a graft. I know I cannot use button holes with a graft, so it sharp sticks all the way. My wife is a cardiac nurse and she is a pro at starting IV’s. When we were in home hemo training, she stuck me the first time and has never missed. You should see my track lines, perfectly strait and no aneurisms. I don’t think I could have a spot on my graft that has not been used.
I guess I am saying that my wife is so good, I don’t want to go backwards and go through any bad sticks. I do want to stick myself because that is the only thing I cannot do for myself. I have read many of the caregiver’s forms and see that my wife really needs a break. Also, sometimes she does not get home from work until late and it makes a later night for both of us.
I just can’t get up the guts. I would love to have her come home one night and find me almost done with a treatment.
What tricks does everyone have?
How did you do it the first time?
How do you get the odd angle?
Hi Dan. The only problem you had was that you waited too long. It's really not a big deal. I just started using my fistula and started my own needles during home training 2 weeks later. The thought of doing it really bothered me so I just wouldn't let myself think about it. I simply decided to do my needles and turned off the mental switch. I knew I had to begin at some point and waiting was only going to make it worse. If other people could do it, then I could. That's all I needed to know. It was that simple. No eeewwww, or "I can't" or "I don't want to".... I HAD to so I DID. And the rest was history. I'm no pro yet - only been doing this for a couple of weeks but I'm doing it and glad I am.
Just turn off the mind switch and put it in cruise control. Just do it. You'll be fine and sad that you didn't start sooner.
Wendy
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I can't really offer any advice either as today was my first day even being stuck. Man, I sure wish I had seen this thread before now because it wouldn't have been such a shock seeing the size of the needle! All I can tell you is that my nurse told me you feel a pop when the needle goes into the graft. :cuddle;
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Ok, I am not scared of needles, I have been diabetic for 28 years. I have a fairly high pain tolerance, but I still use the cream. No fistula was possible, so I now have a graft. I know I cannot use button holes with a graft, so it sharp sticks all the way. My wife is a cardiac nurse and she is a pro at starting IV’s. When we were in home hemo training, she stuck me the first time and has never missed. You should see my track lines, perfectly strait and no aneurisms. I don’t think I could have a spot on my graft that has not been used.
I guess I am saying that my wife is so good, I don’t want to go backwards and go through any bad sticks. I do want to stick myself because that is the only thing I cannot do for myself. I have read many of the caregiver’s forms and see that my wife really needs a break. Also, sometimes she does not get home from work until late and it makes a later night for both of us.
I just can’t get up the guts. I would love to have her come home one night and find me almost done with a treatment.
What tricks does everyone have?
How did you do it the first time?
How do you get the odd angle?
Hi Dan. The only problem you had was that you waited too long. It's really not a big deal. I just started using my fistula and started my own needles during home training 2 weeks later. The thought of doing it really bothered me so I just wouldn't let myself think about it. I simply decided to do my needles and turned off the mental switch. I knew I had to begin at some point and waiting was only going to make it worse. If other people could do it, then I could. That's all I needed to know. It was that simple. No eeewwww, or "I can't" or "I don't want to".... I HAD to so I DID. And the rest was history. I'm no pro yet - only been doing this for a couple of weeks but I'm doing it and glad I am.
Just turn off the mind switch and put it in cruise control. Just do it. You'll be fine and sad that you didn't start sooner.
Wendy
Excellent advice Wendy. My mantra always was "If anyone in the world is going to shove steel needles in me, then it'll be me, myself and only me." Needing control over things didn't hurt either.
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My Marvin thinks all dialysis folks who self-cannulate are brave, brave souls. He's been on hemo for the better part of 14 years (three-year break in the middle with a transplant), and he has NEVER, never, not one single time even LOOKED during cannulation. Once the needles are in, he looks (it's not the blood that gets him). Now that we're on home hemo, I do all the cannulating. I don't enjoy that part of the process one bit (I don't want to hurt him and I'm scared to death that I'll infiltrate), but that's the only part of the whole dialysis thing that I don't feel 100% confident about. I don't let Marvin know that I'm nervous about it because I know he just can't do this for himself.
When cannulating, I say a quick prayer, suck up my nervousness, and go for it! Marvin always tells me, "Babe, you're good!" after I cannulate. I think he's just saying that. Marvin has a fistula, and we use buttonholes and 15-gauge needles (blunt). Marvin also has a nerve (a very sensitive nerve) that runs right smack dab across his arterial buttonhole. Once in a while (maybe once a month), his arterial buttonhole will close up on us after a day off and I have to use a sharp. This is weird, but I'm not nearly as nervous when using the sharp needle as I am when using the blunt. Why is that?
You can do this, Dan! And, hey, if you can't, you've still got a great sticker in your wife. You're lucky!
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The mental hurdle the first time is bigger than the actual pain caused by the stinkin' needles! Take a deep breath, and repeat to yourself - "I can do this, I will do this, I'm doing this!"
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My needle stick on Saturday didn't hurt one bit. But then again, that was my very first one and i will probably have thousands more.
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Hey Dan...I am doing my home training now and just learning my needles. -When you first start with your own needles help your wife direct the needles in. I have a graft and I believe they are easier than fistula to access. I haven't done it totally on my own yet but certainly not fussed to give it a go. First you have to watch the needles go in, then that is one big hurdle out of the way. Give it a go and let us know how you go. x
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Wait till they hit a nerve. I cried the first time a nerve was hit. Now I just try to find the position where it will not throb all night and stay there.
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The picture of the needle is a 17ga. Green is always 17, and 15 is blue.
Good luck, and once you do it you will be suprised how easy it is, and then once you get good at it, you won't want anyone else to ever poke you.
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Good Luck! You can do it! :2thumbsup;
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Thanks everyone! I will just "Do it". Tomorrow's the day.....
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The picture of the needle is a 17ga. Green is always 17, and 15 is blue.
Good luck, and once you do it you will be suprised how easy it is, and then once you get good at it, you won't want anyone else to ever poke you.
At my hospital clinic, 17g are pink and 16g are green. I don't know what color 15g are because I haven't used that size yet.
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Ok, I did it and y'all were right, NO BIG DEAL. I did use a few tricks and I will post pictures later. Thanks again everyone!!
BTW, 15g are blue - thats what I use.
hi everyone, i'm dan's wife...he did awesome!! i was very proud of him..he said he did much better than i ever did lol!
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:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: Wooohoooo
I am so proud of you. That is a great achievement. :cuddle;
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WOW, what a great thread... I read it from start to finish and was VERY excited to see you did it!
I will be in the same position as you Dan very soon
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Hey hey hey Dan. I absolutely KNEW you'd do it and now you'll not want anyone else. Congrats. You should be very pleased with yourself. :2thumbsup;
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:yahoo; Dan. Congratulations, you should really be proud of yourself. :cheer:
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Congratulations!!!! :cheer: :bandance; reading this thread makes me see it can be ok to do yourself When time comes for me maybe I wont be as scared. Thanks for showing your courage. thats great.
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Good for you Dan. You DA MAN!!!
:clap;
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You're right! Dan is da man, Wenchie! Way to go Dan! I'm sure it will just get easier and easier from here on out! :clap;
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Well done Dan....not so bad afterall. I have only just started dialysis and went straight into training for home dialysis. Hurts a lot less when you do it yourself doesn't it? I have just become very clincial. I disassociate my arm from the rest of my body and just do it. It is all about precision and angle and because I am concentrating on getting it right I don't even feel the needles. I am already getting territorial about who touches my arm and I never thought that would happen! I really admire you doing it after such a long time on dialysis. When you are just starting I think you have to take so much on board you just do it. I think if I let anyone start doing it for me there is no way I would have done it myself. Well done!!!
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:cheer: :bandance; :cheer:
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:yahoo;
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:bandance; :bandance; :bandance;
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Great news! Now you can support the next person who thinks they can't do it. Glad it is all going good!