How do YOU spell Thanksgiving?

[Desert Dancer]

'Cause I spell it:

S  H  O  W  E    R !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

(You may have guessed I got that damned CV catheter out.)

I also owe a great big thanks to someone on here, but I can't remember who. I had been having trouble with arterial pressure alarms the first few nights I dialyzed at home. Somebody on these forums mentioned they flip their arterial needle upside-down once it's in and it solved their alarm problem. I probably would never have thought of this on my own; I ran it by my nurses and they said 'Sure'. I've been flipping my arterial needle upside-down and haven't had a single alarm since then. So, whoever it was that mentioned that: THANK YOU!  I owe to you all my restful nights. 

I hope everyone had a great holiday (or a great weekend for our Aussie and UK friends).

[Stoday]

    

Cheers DD!

[Poppylicious]

Oh, this made me chuckle. 

 

Blokey hasn't had a shower since he began dialysis in 2009.  That's eighteen months!  Yikes!  I'm always amazed at how lovely he smells*, because if it were me I would have been inclined to just say 'sod it' months ago and spend my days ponging like a kipper that's been left in the sun too long ... Anyways, I digress.  Now he's using his fistula they're going to remove his chest line on the thirteenth.  He is SO looking forward to a very long, very hot, shower in our brand spanking new bathroom. 

(* unless he absolutely stinks and I'm just used to it!)

Yay!

 

[greg10]

..Somebody on these forums mentioned they flip their arterial needle upside-down once it's in and it solved their alarm problem...
I hope everyone had a great holiday (or a great weekend for our Aussie and UK friends).

  That's great.  I wish I would take credit for mentioning that, but that wasn't me.
Our experience with flipping the needle is mixed, that is to say it doesn't work all the time.  In addition, you have to be careful when withdrawing the needle in the "flipped" configuration because the needle is no longer in the same geometry as it was when inserted.  You may damage the insertion site (say ouch) if the needle is withdrawn and stopping pressure applied too early because of the beveled edge of the needle which has been flipped.

BTW, for those still using a chest catheter and wishing to take a shower, the Korshield mentioned in this forum is a good product that could let you take a shower and wash your hair without getting the chest area wet.
http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=1953.msg270525#msg270525

[needlephobic]

..Somebody on these forums mentioned they flip their arterial needle upside-down once it's in and it solved their alarm problem...
I hope everyone had a great holiday (or a great weekend for our Aussie and UK friends).

  That's great.  I wish I would take credit for mentioning that, but that wasn't me.
Our experience with flipping the needle is mixed, that is to say it doesn't work all the time.  In addition, you have to be careful when withdrawing the needle in the "flipped" configuration because the needle is no longer in the same geometry as it was when inserted.  You may damage the insertion site (say ouch) if the needle is withdrawn and stopping pressure applied too early because of the beveled edge of the needle which has been flipped.

BTW, for those still using a chest catheter and wishing to take a shower, the Korshield mentioned in this forum is a good product that could let you take a shower and wash your hair without getting the chest area wet.
http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=1953.msg270525#msg270525

Don't have to wish for a shower all ready do it and had no problems with my cath. I just take a shower keep side with cath away from the water flow get done dry off take dressing off pat dry and let air dry about a hour and put on new dressing. No big deal been doing it since Feb

[Pam]

 
It could have been me don' know if I posted about flipping needles or not. They have been flipping my arterial for 16 mos and there has never been a problem when they remove the needle.

[kitkatz]

I also spelled Thanksgiving- SHOWER!  The catheter was out on Tuesday.

[Riki]

Poppy, I had mine for eighteen months, from December 2008 to June 2010.  The novelty of the shower has yet to wear off.

Needlephobic, I was not allowed to take the dressing off.  It's a sterile dressing, and was changed once a week by the nurses in the unit.  When I was on PD, however, I could take the dressing off and change it whenever I wanted

[needlephobic]

Poppy, I had mine for eighteen months, from December 2008 to June 2010.  The novelty of the shower has yet to wear off.

Needlephobic, I was not allowed to take the dressing off.  It's a sterile dressing, and was changed once a week by the nurses in the unit.  When I was on PD, however, I could take the dressing off and change it whenever I wanted

They let me do it all the time and had no problem with it. So far so good matter a fact i had me a nice long shower last night just dry myself off take off the dressing let air dry about an hour stick another dressing on and I am good to go.

[greg10]

Poppy, I had mine for eighteen months, from December 2008 to June 2010.  The novelty of the shower has yet to wear off.

Needlephobic, I was not allowed to take the dressing off.  It's a sterile dressing, and was changed once a week by the nurses in the unit.  When I was on PD, however, I could take the dressing off and change it whenever I wanted

They let me do it all the time and had no problem with it. So far so good matter a fact i had me a nice long shower last night just dry myself off take off the dressing let air dry about an hour stick another dressing on and I am good to go.

Be careful with the shower, NP.  At least have someone check, clean or change your shower head frequently as it is known that most homes have bacteria contaminated shower heads.
http://www.webmd.com/lung/copd/news/20090914/bacteria-may-lurk-on-your-showerhead

"particularly striking was the non-tuberculous mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium avium."

[needlephobic]

Poppy, I had mine for eighteen months, from December 2008 to June 2010.  The novelty of the shower has yet to wear off.

Needlephobic, I was not allowed to take the dressing off.  It's a sterile dressing, and was changed once a week by the nurses in the unit.  When I was on PD, however, I could take the dressing off and change it whenever I wanted

They let me do it all the time and had no problem with it. So far so good matter a fact i had me a nice long shower last night just dry myself off take off the dressing let air dry about an hour stick another dressing on and I am good to go.

Be careful with the shower, NP.  At least have someone check, clean or change your shower head frequently as it is known that most homes have bacteria contaminated shower heads.
http://www.webmd.com/lung/copd/news/20090914/bacteria-may-lurk-on-your-showerhead

"particularly striking was the non-tuberculous mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium avium."

I usally stand in the shower with the cath out of the flow of the water. The dressing is on tight so no water gets in so just remove dressing pate the site down let air dry put on new dressing and had no problems yet and hope to not have any problems. One of these days I will get over my fear of needles (((((shivers)))))

[Desert Dancer]

Thanks, everyone! I'm always so grateful for any replies I get.

Poppy and Riki: Eighteen months?  EIGHTEEN MONTHS??  Oh, no.  No, no, no, no, NO.

Greg: Yes, I'm always very careful to flip it back before I take it out; the LAST thing I want to do is damage anything, although I do wonder how I can hurt anything with blunts.

Needlephobic: I tried to take a shower once after getting my cath and no matter how hard I tried I simply could not keep it from getting wet.  Even in the hospital they jerry-rigged the whole thing with tape and a ziploc bag; they said the only thing available was $30 and non-reusable, and who can afford that? I hope you bleach your shower head weekly... greg has a very good point.

Pam: Do they flip your needles back before they remove them?

kitkatz: WOO HOO!!    Then you know EXACTLY how I feel! I am sorry, but lying there in a warm pool of your own cooties just doesn't do it for me.    

[Pam]

 

Pam: Do they flip your needles back before they remove them?

I use 15g blunts and they do not flip it back when it is removed . They only flip the arterial.






[/quote]

[Poppylicious]

Be careful with the shower, NP.  At least have someone check, clean or change your shower head frequently as it is known that most homes have bacteria contaminated shower heads.
http://www.webmd.com/lung/copd/news/20090914/bacteria-may-lurk-on-your-showerhead

"particularly striking was the non-tuberculous mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium avium."

I think this was one reason why I didn't want Blokey having a shower; our shower was old and although I tried to keep it clean I didn't trust there to be no nasty little surprises that wouldn't upset me, but might upset Blokey.  Plus, I think he didn't want to have a shower because he was so worried about getting any infection of any kind; he wasn't prepared to take the risk. 

I haven't had a shower since Sunday!  Poo-ey!  My bath has just gone back in (and has running hot water!) but I'm not allowed to use it till tomorrow because the bits have to dry, or something (I switch off when people babble words in my direction which I don't get.)  I am desperate to get properly clean under running water ... kudos to all of you who do it for much much longer.