Had the surgery

[pdpatty]

and the Dr had to remove part of my fistula and put in a graft. Now I have a rubber tube buried pretty deep. He also said he could see where the techs had missed my fistula. Now he says only someone who iknows what they are doing should stick my arm. Trouble is finding that someone.

[petey]

Marvin's clinic had an awful time sticking his grafts.  He had four total, and each time, the surgeon would say how awful it looked because the nurses and techs had stuck it multiple times for one treatment (they kept sticking it all the way through and out the back side).  The last graft he had only lasted two weeks; when the surgeon removed this one, he said it looked like a colander because it had so many holes in it.  Grrrrrrrrrrr..... those who don't know how to stick shouldn't work in this field!  Complaining didn't help (and, believe me, I did a lot of complaining).  The nurses/techs/directors would all say the surgeon put it in at a difficult angle.  Well, hello -- if you can tell the angle, you should be able to stick it.  They weren't a whole lot better at sticking a fistula, but at least a fistula will repair itself when you stick through the other side.  This is one of the reasons why we wanted to do home hemo.  I'm the ONLY one who has cannulated Marvin since last July.  Now, I know his fistula like the back of my hand  -- I take my time -- I'm careful -- and I haven't stuck all the way through or infiltrated a single time yet.  I think when I do, I'll probably cry. 

[oleboy]

The tec at my clinic who missed my knot/fistula lower left wrist, is no longer an employee of that clinic, my Neph had told them she was not to stick any of his patients in the future, I found out I was not the only one she injuredthat week.

[devon]

I have to confess... these descriptions make my fistula ache!

OW! 

I am not looking forward to the sticking part of the treatment!

-Devon