How long to test a new fistula?

[RightSide]

My first use of my new fistula was last Tuesday (October 27).  My neph has me on one needle (17 gauge, that's narrow), with one tube still going into my "temporary" hemo catheter. And at a relatively low flow rate (280, whereas I've gone as high as 350 with my hemo catheter).

I'm wondering how long this testing program takes, typically.  How long were you on one narrow needle before "graduating" to a wider needle?  To two needles?

How many sessions did it take before your doctors decided that your fistula was good enough for regular use, to the point that you could have your catheter removed for good?

[Brianna!]

I think they did a week with a smaller gauge needle for one week, Then they did two needles. and they did that for another week. then they did a larger gauge needle for like a week and a half. I think they used my fistula for a month with no problems, before they took out my catheter. But then it infiltrated shortly after they took out my catheter. So, that didn't work out too good.

[hurlock1]

    It'll all be over before you know it. It takes a while to get the fistula going right. It seemed like forever before they started using my fistula well. I had to go to the hospital twice for a fistula-gram. the first time, they just sent me back to The big D. The second time they did an angioplasty. I'm still not to clear about what that is, but somehow they made the vessel larger with a balloon. The worst thing about it was, the waiting to leave after the procedure. I'm a big guy (3x t-shirt) and they dialyzes me for 5 hr. With 14 guage buttonhole needles. I have been on dialysis for a little more than 1 1/2 years. It seems like I've been on the larger buttonhole needles for a long time.
The worst thing about dialysis is the "not knowing" and the expecting.
    As far as infiltrating goes, that can happen to anybody. Infiltrating isn't happening to your fistula. It occurs when you move your arm wrong, or when they put the needle not quite right, You, being knew, don't quite know what to expect so when they say "Does that feel alright?" you say Alright", but the positive side needle isn't in the vein and the other side is pulling blood out of your system and the positive side is just pumping some or all of it back into your arm. Then it starts to hurt and your arm turns purple. After a bit, you'll learn to know when things aren't quite right.
    Dialysis isn't "The end of the world" I had a friend that thought it was. She went and asked everyone she knew for a kidney. Finally she got one from her "birth-mother" (She was adopted) after only a few months on dialysis. She just went "La-de-daa" and took the meds etc. but didn't really take care of her kidney and threw the kidney within about 2 years. On TV; on the medical shows when someone has kidney disease, they make it a life or death situation if they don't get a kidney. There are millions of kidney patients that go to dialysis 3 times a week.
I am disabled, and am 60 years old. I still do freelance graphics, web and video work, but there's no way I could do an 8 to 4 job.
From your picture, you appear to be young. I don't guess that it would be the wrong choice to get on the list, but in the mean time it would be good to learn and cope with dialysis. Just remember that in order to get a replacement, you have to get an operation. and transplant kidneys aren't permanent. so when that one goes out you have to get on the list and go through the whole thing again.