I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: peleroja on May 06, 2011, 06:51:01 AM
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The Good: Yesterday I had my surgery for what I thought would be a fistula, but my veins are garbage, so they gave me a graft instead.
The Bad: Duh, I got a graft instead of a fistula. Have heard not so good things about grafts. Also, it looks like the entire cast of DWTS have tap danced their way all over my left arm!
The Fabulous: My back/spine doc finally found something to work on my back/sciatica pain. Apparently Methadone in high doses helps narcotics addicts, and in small doses (like my 5 mg) is great for pain. Not only did it help with my back pain, it seems to be doing wonders for my knee pain as well. Who knew? Once the mini pain from the arm heals, I will be the happiest of campers!!!!!
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Well POOP on that bad part of the news!!! Im glad it's done already, but sorry it isnt how you would have prefered!! BOO! But!!!!!!!!!! i am glad for the Pain reliefe. It's wonderful when they find an answer to a need!! I'll be so glad when your 'back on the road' so to speak, and ;D on with life :flower; all the best to you and hurried healing :cuddle;
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Wow, methadone for sciatica, what a relief to be out of pain again. That is Fabulous!!! However, the graft, I guess that is maybe not bad, but not so fabulous either. Best wishes to you. How long can you take the methadone??
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Good luck with all of the above!
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How long can you take the methadone??
Don't know about the Methadone. Doc also gave me Nortriptyline and said to start taking it a week after the Methadone. The Nortriptyline is actually the one for the sciatica, but the Methadone also helped.
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Hi Peleroja,
After all you have been through time to treat yourself - maybe a new hat!
Hope you find your way through all the pain and that the graft does its job well.
Enjoying a beautiful evening by the sea - just off to help my husband with his CAPD.
All the best,
Kay ;)
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Well, I think the good news outweighs the bad! Pain relief now is much better news than possible graft issues in the future. I've got a graft, and it lasted the entire time I was on D - 2006 to 2009 - even when the docs said I'd be lucky to get a year or two out of it. Kitkat had hers for about 8 years, I think. Hopefully yours holds up for far longer than expected, too.
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Hello, peleroja,
I do hope your graft will last a long time.
Good luck and best wishes from Kristina.
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My graft lasted ten years, I hope yours goes as long.
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I have a graft. It is a year old, I just recently got a new surgeon that fixed it all up and runs like a champ now!
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I hope the graft goes well and very happy the methadone helps. One of the supplements I'm taking to be renal protective is actually used more often to treat neuropathy, particularly sciatica pain. It's benfotiamine and there's some information here about it: http://www.benfotiamine.org/index.htm (http://www.benfotiamine.org/index.htm) if you're interested in researching it. It's basically a potent form of the vitamin B1 so it's nothing crazy like tiger blood or unicorn horn. RightSide is the one that tipped us off to it. I've personally cleared taking it with my GP.
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hugs! :cuddle;
xo,
R