My Arm Is Swollen

His reply is in bold:

Dr. Davis,

Will this axillary vein prosthetic be visible; like a tube under my skin across my collarbone? I'm not vain at all, but I don't want to look like more of a freak then I do.

I think we can bury it pretty far down so it won't extrude-I will try not to make it too visible

Have you done this procedure on others, and if so, can I talk to someone who has one?

Sorry, no. While putting a graft in is something I do every day, this graft (axillary vein to axillary vein) is pretty uncommon. Usually, in your situation we end up developing the other arm for access.

Even with my left arm... it has always had problems and Dr. Park (in Sacramento) told me I would have problems because I had bad veins from 22 years of Prednisone. How would my right arm be any different? To me it would be even worse because they chose the "good" arm.

Like I said, you have fairly good vein on the right arm

I went ahead and had the left arm fistual against my better judgement because my transplanted kidney had not failed yet and it would be a slow death with it still trying to work for me. I'm just telling you how it is. Now it would be quick.

In my experience, very few people, when push comes to shove, are willing to stop dialysis and die. What I think will likely happen is that your left arm will fail, and then you will decide you want to live. And then I will be several months behind, be forced to develop your right arm (we likely would not be able to save your left arm fistula), and you will have a right neck catheter or femoral catheter for several months

I am willing to try anything once. I have done home hemodialysis, PD, transplant, incenter hemodialysis, and nocturnal dialysis. I have had probably 4 catheters and countless fistulagrams. I am not a quitter, but my gosh it comes to a point where I feel guilty for costing the tax payers so much money, and I get tired of contributing to the health care crisis.

Neither option will cure me, and what future do I have in dialysis with no hope for a transplant. All I can see are more problems. You have to realize there is no break from dialysis. There is no two weeks off to go to Hawaii and then come back and hit it again. It is every other night with Saturday night off. I guess that is not enough for me.

Maybe you could get back to me with a name and phone number of someone who has this axillary vein prosthetic?

I have yet to see Obermiller, so I emailed him today reminding him that if he doesn't visit the center in April he won't get paid by Medicare. That may set a fire under his ass!

I stopped the nurse last night before he put heparin in the wrong line. That is just another example of why I'm tired of dialysis.

I really hope you understand my decision, but maybe we can agree to disagree. Isn't that politically correct these days?

Mrs Irwin, you're the patient. You are always the one in charge. It's your body, and I will respect whatever decision you make.

Thanks,

Darla Irwin~