Graft Yes, Catheter No...More

[JScott1753]

  Hello, everyone--
  Just a quick update.
  My new graft, installed Sept. 23, is working well. They put the Transonic on it two Tuesdays ago and the flow was 400; not what was hoped for. Everyone at the clinic freaked, and three days later I was at the VA hospital getting an ultrasound. The doctor said he saw no problems with the graft and to watch out for alarms at the clinic(signs of blockages) and call at first signs of problems. He doesn't want to wait for blockage to occur before taking action. So, up to now I've only had 1 or 2 alarms(moving my arm around), and overall it's really working splendidly. This Saturday will be two full weeks using 15g needles.
  And, I am happy to report that since 4:30pm this afternoon, I have been catheter-free! But, wow, did it take a long time to get it out. Pulling, local anesthetic, scalpel, pulling, incisions--then  finally, zip! Got a few bandages and a couple of stitches, but is so good to be free of that thing! They even said I could take a regular shower tomorrow! Ooooh!
  Anyway, things are looking up. Now if that certain phone call would happen, things would be really great!
  Have a great rest of the week, everyone!
  Jon

[Riki]

getting my line out was liberating.  After 2 years, I could shower, and after 6 years, I could swim!  I had a PD cath for 5 years, and had the line put in after a really bad bout of peritonitis.  I couldn't go back to PD, so had the fistula put in.  I say, take a long, hot shower, and enjoy every second of it.  It's been almost 6 months since I got mine out, and the shower is still a bit of a novelty.

[galvo]

Good news.

[KICKSTART]

Thats what im waiting for a nice looooooooooong shower !

[Poppylicious]

Thats what im waiting for a nice looooooooooong shower !

Haha.  Blokey too!  But he's refusing to let them take his line out till he's had a full month using the fistula with no problems.  He managed two days and then something happened (I don't know what, but his arm is black and they won't reuse his fistula till the bruising goes down.)  By the time he's ready to shower we'll have our dandy new bathroom, which will be lovely.

Oh, and Yay! Jon.  *fingers crossed* for THAT phone call. 

 

[sullidog]

I hope yours is better then mine, Mine was put in april 8 and had the third reapair done on it allready.
Tro

[needlephobic]

Don't understand what everybodys prob is with the cath had mine in since Jan had lots of wonderful showers with no prob yet mine is still running good .

[RightSide]

For me, switching from a catheter to a fistula meant I could do aerobic exercise again. 

When I exercise, I get very sweaty; and the skin under the catheter bandage would get very sweaty and itchy.  Yet I was told not to clean that area myself, so I would have to wait till my next dialysis appointment for a technician to clean it.

Now with a fistula, if I get all sweated up from exercise, I just jump in the shower and presto!  Clean again!

[Riki]

being able to swim again was a big deal for me.  I live on an island, so I'm surrounded by beaches.  I practically lived on the beach as a kid.  I missed being able to go to the beach and play in the sand, and float on the waves.  I managed to get there once this summer, and the hotel I stayed at in Ottawa in August had a saltwater pool, so I got some swimming in.  I'm looking into aquafit classes for the winter.

[JScott1753]

  Needlephobic--
  At my clinic, they are very concerned that people with catheters keep the cath. dry, because of potential of infection. I guess it's because the vein that the lumen(s) of the cath. is/are inserted into go directly back to the heart. I assume you have something that covers your cath. and keeps it dry. There are covers made for that purpose. The couple times I tried I used a couple of thick sandwich or freezer bags that I cut to size and taped in place. The tape never stayed in place very long, so I went back to doing the washcloth baths in my bathroom; worked OK, not that much of a problem.
  Hope everything is going well for you.
  Jon
  P.S. Either here, or at another site, I read about someone having a catheter for more than 4 years, and they still have it!

[Riki]

I had mine for 2 years.  I know others that have always had lines (I can't say catheter, cuz I always think of PD. *L*).  I'm not sure if it was the same one, though.

[needlephobic]

  Needlephobic--
  At my clinic, they are very concerned that people with catheters keep the cath. dry, because of potential of infection. I guess it's because the vein that the lumen(s) of the cath. is/are inserted into go directly back to the heart. I assume you have something that covers your cath. and keeps it dry. There are covers made for that purpose. The couple times I tried I used a couple of thick sandwich or freezer bags that I cut to size and taped in place. The tape never stayed in place very long, so I went back to doing the washcloth baths in my bathroom; worked OK, not that much of a problem.
  Hope everything is going well for you.
  Jon
  P.S. Either here, or at another site, I read about someone having a catheter for more than 4 years, and they still have it!

well with mine i get into shower leave dressing on take my shower keep that side away from water shampoo soap ect get out of shower dry off take wet dressing off pat dry very carefully let air dry about a hour put on new dressing had not had a prob yet sometimes i think they tell you stuff to scare you. I read somewhere on line that the techs would rather stick you than deal with the caths your guess is good as mine. I am doing good still scared of needles social worker that was trying to help me retired got a new one still on the fence about her i have trust issues maybe thats another reason i am afraid of needles don't know

[Riki]

We weren't to take the dressings off.  They were sterile dressings, done with masks and sterile gloves.

[needlephobic]

We weren't to take the dressings off.  They were sterile dressings, done with masks and sterile gloves.

well they give me extra dressing when i go into D and i change mine all the time it is just a big square bandaid to me

[Riki]

I think they are going overboard for not wanting infection.. When I was a child on PD, I did shower technique dressings. When I started PD as an adult, I asked about this, and the nurses doing the training flipped, and told me that I was never to remove the dressing without masks and gloves.  At the time, I knew of people on PD who didn't even have dressings, so I wasn't sure what the big deal is.  Though my childhood, I never had one infection on the exit site.  As an adult with sterile dressings, I had infection after infection on the exit site.  When they finally allowed me to do the shower technique again, I never had another exit site infection.

[needlephobic]

They check it out everytime i go in i was even asked if i just wanted a bandaid so i see no big deal with it. the dressing is stuck real tight so no water soap is going to get in it and i get out pat myself dry take the wet dressing off pat dry the location let air dry about a hour then put on another dressing