My grandmother's tech yesterday made ME mad

[Adam_W]

  My grandmother and I have both mentioned here about the fiasco with her first attempted dialysis with the tech infiltrating her fistula. Well, she was finally able to start using it, and Monday it went fine. The access worked great, and there were no problems with cannulation. Well, today, the same tech she had before went to put her needles in, and she f'ing infliltrated it AGAIN. I haven't personally met this tech, but according to "Phurball", she's a very sweet, nice person. However, she just CAN'T PUT FREAKING NEEDLES IN! Apparently she regularly infiltrates others. Now my grandmother will have to wait ANOTHER FEW WEEKS before she can use her fistula again. This just irritates me because someone that bad at cannulateing should NEVER be allowed near a patient with dialysis needles. Grrr.

Adam

[boxman55]

I've maintained all along on this forum that if a tech infiltrates me he or she is done they will not come around me again. I guess I sound like a hard ass but tough sh.. Boxman

[thegrammalady]

the only person in charge of your grandmother's treatments is your grandmother. she is well within her rights to tell the center that this particular tech is never to come near her again. the first time she trys this the center might tell her no, that she can't do that, but it's not true (the first time i did that's what they told me. i basically said tough sh...., not going to happen, she isn't allowed to do anything with me. push me and i'll sue. that shut them up real quick) if enough patients don't want that tech setting their needles, the center will eventually get rid of her, which may be what should happen.

[livecam]

There are good sticks, in between ones, and bad ones.  Infiltrating a fistula is bad news.  My first one was horribly infiltrated on first use although not by a bad tech.  One of the best nurses there did it, the fistula just wasn't ready to be used.  I remember it well though.  My arm was black and blue, swollen from the wrist to the elbow, and very painful.  It didn't look or feel normal again for about two weeks.  All patients have the right to request the techs and nurses they are comfortable with.  I felt a bit bad about expressing a preference and making someone feel uncomfortable until years later when I found that it is commonly done.  Let your grandmother get a feel for who is good and who isn't and if a bad one approaches she can just ask for someone else.  Possible complications from someone who can't do the job right aren't worth putting being "nice" or "compliant" first.

[pdpatty]

My first stick,Shawn(a really good tech) did it. Needle went in with ease,worded great(had absolutely no pain). Second time his wife stuck me,she put my feet up and thing stopped. So it was use the cath. On third stick,another tech,this time still no pain and it worked fine. Next time a different tech,she went so deep I thought she was drilling for oil. Blew the vein so she tried above it. Didn't work. So arm has been resting for over a week now.
Think  when they go for it again  sometime this week,I will gently INSIST that they get Shawn to do it ,if he is there.
I can't understand why some techs can't do it correctly. My vein is very close to the surface and practially straight up the arm. Shawn said it was one of the best fistulas he had seen in a long time. Very easy to stick. Can't understand how she could have bunged it up so bad.

[meadowlandsnj]

I've been lucky so far--never infiltrated.  There's one particular tech I don't trust--I've seen her with other people and I watch her and I don't like the way she does it, like she's digging for gold or something pulling the needle in and out.  I won't let her near me.  I spole to my doctor about it and he told me I was right I have to protect my fistula, it's my lifeline. 

Donna