I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: spacezombie on May 23, 2008, 10:16:12 PM

Title: new catheter questions
Post by: spacezombie on May 23, 2008, 10:16:12 PM
My new cath is slowly trickling blood. How much blood is too much? Any tips to get it to stop? Also, they put it kind of low. The cath is totally resting on my boob. As attractive as this sounds, I'm not looking forward to whipping out my boob during each treatment. What do you do in this situation?  :-\
Title: Re: new catheter questions
Post by: monrein on May 24, 2008, 03:21:38 AM
I have the same problem with the placement SZ.  I don't wear a bra right now as a result but I wear a cami with adjustable straps.  So on dialysis I have an overshirt on and then take my arm out of the cath side. tuck the cami up under the cath but covering the boob and so far this is working.  It doesn't seem quite possible at first but as it gets less sore it's OK.

I had some leaking too, which stopped eventually.  I had quite a bit of blood on the third day and went to the hospital where they changed the dressing and no troubles after that with leaking.  They also gave me sterile swabs etc to clean up the area if necessary.

What's been annoying are the ends of the stitches poking me like little needles so I shoved a sterile pad under to make a barrier.

If there's significant blood, I'd ask the nurse to have a look at it.     Good luck Missy. 
Title: Re: new catheter questions
Post by: spacezombie on May 24, 2008, 12:51:29 PM
Thanks Morein! I have a cami that I can wear under my shirt to treatment. I think I'll try that. I called the doctor on call about the bleeding and he didn't seem too concerned. He had me put pressure on it for ten minutes and that has helped. I wasn't expecting all the bleeding since my other two hemo caths didn't bleed at all. I had one where the stitches were really uncomfortable though, so I know how you feel. When the nurse cut the stitches on that one it popped out suddenly a few inches and I screamed because I wasn't expecting it, haha. I go on tuesday to have the dressing changed and to get it flushed. <3