I AM VERY ANNOYED!!!!!!!!!

[Bajanne]

  I am FUMING!!.  I am upset first of all, with myself.  In spite of all that I have learnt here at IHD, I still was not proactive in looking after myself and was depending on the nurses to do it.
Nearly a month ago, a little bump appeared on my graft.  I showed the acting Supervisor (the other was on holiday), and she said she would email the vascular surgeon (he lives in Washington and only comes monthly).  I told her to let me take a picture of it, email it to her, and she could send it to him.  well, when i got home, we couldn't find the camera.  I told her, and thought that she would go ahead and email him.
Okay, the Supervisor is back from her holiday.  she looks at the bump and says 'oh, that is like the infection you had last time'.  I told her that it wasn't an infection, that it seems to be a break in the graft because the blood is pumping there.
I get a call from them Friday morning.  'the surgeon is here.  Could you come to dialysis now and let him look at your graft?'  I rush there.  When he sees it, he says 'it's an aneurysm.  why wasn't I told before?  I am leaving at 10a.m. and can't do anything.'
He goes on to say that he was not coming in November and he thinks, though it is quite small, it should not be left. He asked me if I could go to St.thomas and let Dr. Okiye do it.  I said NO for two reasons.  the last time there cost over $9000, and my insurance only covered 80% and I no longer even have insurance.  Two, the first graft he did on my lower arm never worked!!!  he said he would have to ask a doctor there to do it.  She has been working with him and he is confident that she can handle it.  (sounds like a guinea-pig work there, doesn't it?)
I am so annoyed to find that he was there from Wednesday afternoon.  If they had called me, everything could have been done by a surgeon in whom I have confidence.
I love my nurses, but this time they goofed 

I am attaching two pictures.  The second shows the line where she will put the new graft.  the wavy line is the original path, and under that is the present path with the aneurysm.

[boxman55]

what a bunch of goof balls. I hope it gets done properly. I will be thinking of you...Boxman

[cherpep]

How frustrating!  I hope you can get this resolved soon.  I was wondering, though, what can they do to fix an aneurysm on a graft?

[thegrammalady]

here's hoping you get this resolved, i'll be think about you. 

[monrein]

Beyond annoying, beyond frustrating, beyond irritating.     whack whack whack.  Bajanne I really hope this all gets resolved as soon as humanly possible. 

[Joe Paul]

Good luck, I hope they get it fixed and fast!

[okarol]

Ugh! 
So sorry Bajanne! 

[Romona]

I hope things turn out ok!

[Sluff]

Let me know if you want me to send Kit and her stick... This really sucks. Hope you get it fixed first try. 

[pelagia]

  sorry to hear about this Bajanne...

[kitkatz]

It is not nice when things happen to your graft and no one will fix it quick.  Good luck with this one!

[jessup]

my thoughts and wishes to you
i  hope all goes well
 
sounds a bit like the Wally's we have here
it sucks when you can't pick and choose who can do work on you
once again
xxx ooh xxx

[G-Ma]

That's terrible.  I hate that we can't count on medical people to do what they are supposed to.  I would not be able to see anything on my graft..this is part of my close vision problem.  If I could hold my arm about 10 ft away I would be able to see it...      so I hope everyone around me picks up on anything.  I hope this gets resolved quickly.
Ann

[Lucinda]

I had the same thing with my graft when I first had my access.  My graft also blocked and failed three times in the space of six months.  It cost a fortune every time they had to remove a nodule or clear a blockage.  I found out that they had use some new untried and untested graft material in my arm.  Once they used the old graft material I haven't had a problem since.  They use you as a guinea pig, don't tell you they are doing it and every time something goes wrong they charge you an arm and a leg to fix it.  It is bloody disgusting and I don't blame you for being furious.  I was out of pocket about $3,000 to be their guinea pig.  I hope it all works out for you.  xxxx

[breezysummerday]

I hear your concerns Miss Bajanne. 

Here in Alaska, we have a lot of Locums.  Place Holders.
Temporarily fullfills the duties of another.  Yes, they
may take their place, but not their skills.  Guinea pig,
how appropriate. 

Okay, to make light of your situation and to let
you know I feel your pain:  I can swear like a
pirate and am doing so on your behalf.

We need your arms for the hugs we'll get
when we finally meet!

[Wattle]

   I hope you can get it sorted quickly.   It's really not good enough that your unit didn't tell the surgeon sooner.   

[Bajanne]

How frustrating!  I hope you can get this resolved soon.  I was wondering, though, what can they do to fix an aneurysm on a graft?

What the lady doctor will have to do is shut off that section and make a bypass graft (not sure in which order).

When I think that just an email weeks ago, or even a call just the day before, and this would have been fixed!!   

[teverman]

Bajanne-can you explain a little more about what this is.  This same exact thing appeared on my mom's graft 2 days ago.  She showed them at dialsys and they just told her to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get any bigger.  It looks just like the one in the picture.  What needs to be done for this?

This is exactly why I love this site-I had no idea that this was something we should be worried about.

Thanks
Tina

[Bajanne]

Just this morning, they told me that a patient that I knew (long before dialysis - didn't even know she was on) died at home from an aneurysm bursting.  It burst in her bathtub, and since she was paralysed on one side, it took her a while to be able to call someone to help her.  She died right there.  So it's obviously not something to play around with.
I was told that story because I asked the supervisor if I could just wait until  the vascular surgeon comes again.  She was showing me the risks in waiting.  But to me, there are also risks in letting an inexperienced person operate.  i suppose there must be a first time for every surgeon - just didn't want it to be me!

[idahospud]

you are in my prers and thouts .    Carol

[Rerun]

I'll pray for you Bananajane.  You really have no choice so just put your faith in God and let him guide the new surgeon.

[David13]

Bajanne, I hope your situation resolves without any complications.  I will be thinking about you.   

[Joe Paul]

I hope they get you fixed up soon 

[ODAT]

 
It is so frustrating when things should be so apparent to the people we entrust to care for us aren't taken care of. What do they call those degrees they give people who haven't gone to college? So many decisions are left to us when it shouldn't be. You are in my prayers.

[pelagia]

thinking of you Bajanne