Help! I am scared for tomorrow

[ESRD Survivor]

For the first time I am being stuck with needles instead of using my cath.  I doubt I will sleep tonight I am so scared its going to be a terrible feeling.  I have some elma cream to use, but really how much pain will I feel?  I know we all have different pain levels, but please tell me how it went for you the very first time.

[willowtreewren]

Fear is your worst enemy!

Put the cream on about an hour before you expect to be stuck. And try to relax.

My husband swears that it really wasn't so bad. 

thinking of you.

Aleta

[bette1]

First of all relax,  when you tense up it just makes it worse.  The elma cream helps a lot, but it will not be painless.  I have a fear of needles too, so I understand.  It's kind of like a bad blood draw shot.  It's not really that bad.  Once they get the needles in the worse part is keeping your arm still for 3 hours.

Good Luck!

[lmunchkin]

Yea, I remember hubby being petrified of needles too. But once stuck, he wondered what all the dread was.  It's like nothing to him now!  You'll do fine, I promise!  Let us know how it goes, okay?

lmunchkin       

[sullidog]

It's not bad at all, just relax, you will feel a pintch still with the cream, but after a while you may not even need it, I don't use it anymore. It's just like another blooddrawl/iv to me.

[GraphicBass]

It's 5 seconds per stick of blood-draw discomfort, then it's over. When your buttonhole is established (you are getting a buttonhole started first thing, right?) it's easy-peasey.



gary

[dyann]

I was so afraid of sticking myself I do home hemo but it wasent as bad as I thought  I know I am one of the lucky ones I dont even have to use the cream  but once it is in I am fine.  Good luck it will be ok  I promise!

[kamar55]

I never used the cream--don't think I was even told about it. It's just a pinch and then it's over. If it hurts a bit, I usually clench my toes until the pain goes away--it works for me.

[kellyt]

You will be in our thoughts tomorrow!  Be strong!  I'm sure the first day is the worst!   

[DawnLee]

I see from the date and time your first needle stick is over, how was your first treatment without the cath?  I'm happy that you now have a fistula or graft it is better for you and your dialysis treatment. Let me know how everything went. 


DawnLee

[huldafolk]

I have been doing hemo D for over 7.5 years now.  I always put on the emla cream 1 hour prior to treatment.  When time for needles, I ALWAYS have LOCAL anesthetic placed by needle first. The emla makes the LA needle less burning.( if placed slowly),  I have good areas for insertion and BAD areas to this day that feel like the needle is going right through a 1/2 inch diameter nerve root. This will lift you right out of the chair even after the emla and LA combined. Most times if done well by nurse, it is not a painful issue ( but as stated , the potential is there!)

[ESRD Survivor]

Well it isn't over...my tech called in sick and I want him to do all my sticks as to establish the button hole.  It won't be till tomorrow now, so another sleepless night is a head of me.  lol  I plan to use elma cream and laticane for a little while until I get used to it.

[carol1987]

Don't forget to wrap your arm with saran wrap after you put the emla cream on...

The fear before starting was much worse than the actual experience... I will be thinking of you!!!
 

[kitkatz]

So... how did it go?

[bluesgirl]

being pre-D this is one of my concerns, the pain of the stick. I've always been afraid of needles, even though this has got better now that for the last year I've had to have so many tests done every month. So my question is does it actually hurt even if you put emla on an hour before? How much does it hurt with the emla? Like a normal blood-draw for a blood-test or worse?

[G-Ma]

This from a chicken...emla=no pain...I started buttonhones in Jan and awesome, NO PAIN, take crust off and needle slides right in and pop..that's all and without emla.   

[Bruno]

You are quite right to be afraid, I was scared s**tless.
Still am, but now I'm sticking the needles in myself...seriously, you do get used to it and if you buttonhole it hurts even less - I have one spot where I can't feel a thing and the other access it hurts a bit.
I believe it hurts less if you do it yourself rather than having someone do it for you.
Strange but its true.

[Hazmat35]

I have been NEEDLE-PHOBIC since i was a little kid. 

Having to be stuck with needles was like a repeating nightmare for me.  I use the Emla cream and it helps, but mine is a MENTAL issue! 

I have since worked out my "demons" with this issue.  They have been using a button-hole on me for about 2 months now, and it is so easy!  I still use the cream, but not as much.  Sometimes I still have some "anxiety" attacks now and then, but it is much better. 

[RightSide]

Don't forget to wrap your arm with saran wrap after you put the emla cream on...

Wrap your arm LOOSELY! 
Don't wrap it so tight that you put pressure on your new fistula.
Believe me, it gets routine very quickly.  Just remember that the treatment is there to make you feel better.
Fear is all in the mind.

Good luck.

[ESRD Survivor]

So I did it!  I put the elma cream on an hour before and they used some litocain and I felt nothing.....but....it was only one needle, used the cath for return and it was a 17 gauge.  I alarmed almost the whole time, the pressure would not go more than 200, so the finally just hooked me up totally to the cath so I could get better cleaning.  They tell me this is not unusual.  They will work me up to the big needles soon.

[willowtreewren]

Congratulations! 

You did it! 

The worst part is over now. Truly, dreading something is usually far worse than the actual event.

I'm glad you have this hurdle behind you!

Aleta

[noahvale]

^^

[needlephobic]

I really don't know how you guys do it. I am so scared of needles  freak out just thinking about them. I am getting help with my phoba. but still not ready to be stuck. Last time I was stuck with a needle it took 8 people to hold me down to get a IV in.  ((((( shivers )))))  took me a while to read this thread I freaked out to many times

[boswife]

   So glad ya got to 'get it done'!!  It's so scarry even for the partner!!  I had big deals (phobias) to get over and im not the patient!!  Just to be there with him was so hard at first and he graciously let me out of the room when he got the needles.  Now, im doing it for him...lol  I wish you well with it all, and keep in touch letting us know your experience.  It'll all be old hat sooner than ya think 

And needlephobic... im glad your getting help with your fears..  It's awful when something is soooooooo strong in ya like that!! and espacially when it's something ya really need... YUCK!  I have 'issues' were not quite as bad as yours, but pretty darn awful,  It was  sheer determination to help hubby that i fought and finally won!!  Oh, im still afraid of needles and cant watch him stick himself with insulun, but i can do his needles for D.  Mabie you can work on just that one ?    I wish you well, i know it's tough!