Yeeeeeeees! My Fistula Can Finally Be Used!!!!!

[Cordelia]

I just got back from my vascular surgeon and he said my fistula can finally start to be used, one needle!           This coming Tuesday!           I'm so nervous and excited at the same time!   

I had my surgery Nov. 28 and I had it checked a month ago and it wasn't quite ready yet, but its ready now!     

My goal is to be able to swim this summer!!!!                             

[MooseMom]

That's really terrific news!  I hope everything goes well on Tuesday...I expect a full report!

[Riverwhispering]

what do you mean by "one needle"?

[willowtreewren]

Super! 

One needle will be used and the other line will go in the catheter, River.

Cordelia, make sure they are super careful so they don't infiltrate you. 

Aleta

[Whamo]

Great news.  I finally got my fistula working this week, with two needles.  I was on one needle for almost a month.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that I'm hard to hit.  My treatment didn't start until 1/2 hour into my four hour slot, and they cut my time short.  I also learned my complex cyst was in my kidney, but benign, and not a problem. 

[Traveller1947]

Congratulations, Cordelia!  Try to be patient if they have to stay with one needle for awhile.  It all works out eventually.

Great news, Whamo!  I know you were worrying about that complex cyst.

All the best to both of you...

[SteveK87]

Great to hear!

[big777bill]

 Wishing you the best! You should be much better off with the fistula online.

[Cordelia]

Thanks so much everyone for your congrats!         Congrats to you too, Whamo! Hope your treatments go well with your fistula!       

I'm a bit nervous, looking forward to it too, as I'm starting to get a little antzy to get this central line out. It's been in me for 1.5 years. I would very much like to swim this coming summer!     

My one nurse told me that sometimes the first week can go really well and week 2 doesn't. Or, vice versa. She told me she'd rather needle someone the first week than the second because by week 2 the arm is traumaticized and it's not as easy to needle week 2.

I'm a little worried about post bleeding. I guess I'll just wait and see how this works.

I'll report back Tuesday!     

[Whamo]

Cordelia,  Yes, your nurse is correct.  The veins have to adjust to the increased stress, and it takes awhile.  In any event I hope you're good to go by this summer.  I'm looking forward to spending some time in the pool this summer if not the ocean.  My nephro doctor said to stay away from polluted beaches.  Unfortunately Southern California beaches are all polluted these days.

[lmunchkin]

Congrats Cordelia and it will come to pass, you will see!  So glad for your news,  Whamo!!!! You two have been through alot lately.  Things seem to be looking up for you both, and Iam so glad!

lmunchkin

[Cordelia]

Thanks so much for your congrats too, lmunchkin.       

Here's my blow by blow of my first experience       


Well, I survived the morning!!!!                     It was actualy much easier than I thought it would be. My nurse explained everything so thoroughly, she was just fantastic!

I didn't get hooked up til a bit later which delayed me leaving my normal time, but what are you gonna do?

One thing I was a little browned off about though was that the nurses wanted me to not go to the bathroom during dialysis. I have been very fortunate to have the luxury of being in the private/isolation room that has a toilet. And, I use it every time I'm there, about roughly half way through my treatment. I just can't hold it in for 3.75 hrs. (that's how long my treatment per session is)    Anyways, they wanted me to try and 'hold' it and I couldn't.....I KNEW I'd pee my pants if I tried to hold out for that long, I just can't do it.

Anyways, I had to really push but they ended up allowing me to go halfway through afterall, I was so relieved, pun intended.        Anyways, I managed, I just held my arm, really, really carefully and I did my thing. But, it's so much less nerve-wracking with the cath, I must admit, when you get up to go pee     

The needle actually didn't hurt that bad. The access site was a bit sore upon her putting the needle in. Quite frankly, she jabbed me pretty quick so doing it fast, helped ease the anticipation of it all for me as I was pretty nervous up until she put the needle in. I somehow managed to relax.      I found relaxing, really helped.

Oh, my bp never dropped that bad. My pump speed was much less with only one small needle .....it never got up past 225. My usual pump speed for my access central line was 400. My nurse told me my clearance might not be as good as I usually clear roughly 2 kilograms. Somehow, though, I managed to do the same amount of clearance.         

All in all, it was a good experience and my nurses said I did great!     

One other thing I found difficult was sitting very, very still and not being able to really move my arm. Once I went to move it and I was like ooops, I can't do that.           It is so much easier with the central line since you don't have to be as careful.

Once the needle was out, she had me apply pressure for about 5 mins after. (I'm so used to just getting up and leaving so sitting a bit longer wll take some geting used to)  I didn't bleed much ....so she put a gauze pad on my arm where the needle was and used the tape over my arm. (So far the tape isn't bothering me)

One of my dialysis buddies told me to be careful opening up doors with that hand, doing that caused her to bleed. Once this afternoon I accidently went to pick my purse up in my access arm, and I was like oh, DUH! I'm not supposed to do that.

My nurse told me to keep the gauze on until supper time (I'm on the morning shift) then I can take the gauze off. Do not leave the gauze on until the next treatment, it can come off in a few hours.......

My nurse also told me NOT to panic if I notice any post-treatment bleeding. Just put pressure on it for a few mins and it should stop.

All in all it was a pretty good experience!         

[MooseMom]

Oh, you must be SO relieved!  I can see why having to go from a catheter to your fistula would take a lot of getting used to; a lot of little things are different, like being able to go and pee halfway through treatment! 

Thanks for posting about your experience, and I hope you will keep posting once you start using two needles.  Are you going to try to learn to self-cannulate?  I'm sorry...I've probably already asked you that.

[Cordelia]

Oh, you must be SO relieved!  I can see why having to go from a catheter to your fistula would take a lot of getting used to; a lot of little things are different, like being able to go and pee halfway through treatment! 

Thanks for posting about your experience, and I hope you will keep posting once you start using two needles.  Are you going to try to learn to self-cannulate?  I'm sorry...I've probably already asked you that.

You're welcome, MM!       

Yup, the little stuff I took so much for granted before is now a challenge!       

One thing my nurse advised too is to carry gauze around in your purse wherever you go in case it starts to bleed.  I really, really hope that I don't have bleeding in between treatments!   So far, so good!

Sure, I don't mind posting about when I have the two needles     

[Whamo]

I'm glad everything went well.  It is hard, especially the first time, to avoid moving your arm, and keeping it still for 4 hours is a bit long.  I find my lower arm goes numb sometimes.  My catheter came off in about 15 minutes.  That little girl doctor was a pulling and a tugging for a long time to get it loose.   She shot me up with locals three times.  It's still sore, the day after, but I don't care.  It feels so good to get it off my chest.   

[Cordelia]

I'm glad everything went well.  It is hard, especially the first time, to avoid moving your arm, and keeping it still for 4 hours is a bit long.  I find my lower arm goes numb sometimes.  My catheter came off in about 15 minutes.  That little girl doctor was a pulling and a tugging for a long time to get it loose.   She shot me up with locals three times.  It's still sore, the day after, but I don't care.  It feels so good to get it off my chest.   

Thanks so much, Whamo!    I hear you, its a real challenge to keep that arm still when you've been free to move the arms for 1.5 years in the chair!! LOL!         I have never had two needles in one arm ever in my life so I'm a little nervous about when they go to put TWO needles in. LOL!       

Luckily, my arm didn't go numb nor tingle. My nurse told me to let her know if my arm tingles especially.  I take it that means they've hit a nerve then, if that tingling or numbness happens, right?

You must feel so much better having your central line out! That's great to hear!  Oh btw, I wanna be 'knocked out' for when that happens when they take my central line out but I know they won't do that! LOL!     

[willowtreewren]

I had forgotten how Carl would bleed after treatments when he first started. I remember one evening we were eating dinner and he noticed that where his arm was resting on the table there was blood running across it and onto the floor! 

You are going to do great. 

Aleta

[Cordelia]

I had forgotten how Carl would bleed after treatments when he first started. I remember one evening we were eating dinner and he noticed that where his arm was resting on the table there was blood running across it and onto the floor! 

You are going to do great. 

Aleta

Well, I spoke too soon LOL            I bled after the treatment this morning.  Figures, I was in a hurry to get to my transplant hospital and it happened before I even left my dialysis unit!       

[MooseMom]

Was the bleeding really bad?  Did it stop before too long?

[Cordelia]

Was the bleeding really bad?  Did it stop before too long?

No, it wasn't too bad I would say. I didn't panic, which my nurse said I reacted very well. Most important, don't panic......

I would say the blood just blotched my small puffy square gauze pad. It bled for maybe 3 mins, she had me sit back down on a chair and within that short time frame, it stopped.

My clearances are quite good for my fluid removal-just a little over 2 kgs today!       

[fearless]

Cordelia, That is SO AWESOME!  It seems really quick after your fistula surgery - you must have good veins.

One thing I remember the vascular surgeon telling me  was - when you have to apply pressure, just be sure not to over do it.  You want enough to help stop the bleeding, but not actually "close" the vein (push the top of the vein down against the bottom of the vein) that is bad for the fistula.  You don't actually need a lot of pressure to stop the bleeding - it's more about how long you hold it (your clotting time)

I'm so happy for you.  I had some troubles getting started, and it took me many more months than you to get to the point you're at now.  CONGRATS! 

[Whamo]

Fearless, Thanks for the tip on how to handle the bleeding.  I hate that chore, holding the bleeding, because if you do it too hard you hurt your vein, and if it's too weak, you bleed.  Most of all I hate the waiting because I'm anxious to get out of the freaking chair.  I'm glad your fistula seems to be working so well. 

[Cordelia]

Thank you so much Fearless, for your congrats too!   

Thanks also for the tip on the bleeding, also! It's helpful to know that, I had no idea.   So is it best to hold a gauze over the site just gently as opposed to firmily?

It's so strange, I was so doubtful this whole fistula thing could even work because I had been told by many people that I have small veins. I was very leery to even think about doing the surgery for a fistula. I thought it couldn't be done but my surgeon said he could and I'm pleased so far how it's working.  I am thinking it will likely be a couple weeks yet before they up to the two needles I'm guessing, although I'm not really sure. I'm gonna ask at my unit tomorrow and see what they say. They told me I have to have consecutive runs for a few weeks before taking the central line out.

Oh, I'm still hoping and praying that I can swim this summer!       

[lmunchkin]

Showering was a BIG issue for hubby. He was so glad to get the cath out.  First thing he did was spend alot of time in shower. He loves it.  He can't swim in pool cause of his amputation, but Im thinking about pushing him to go sometime. He loved to swim, but surprisingly, he never mentions it!

lmunchkin
 

[MooseMom]

Cordelia, my mother had teeny tiny veins because she was a teeny tiny lady, and her first vascular surgeon really screwed up and never was able to create a working fistula.  She had a cath for 18 months.  Her VS was affiliated with her Davita clinic, and he was crap.  One of the dialysis nurses secretly told her that he was crap and told her to find someone else.  She ended up going to a top notch surgeon, and out of that teeny tiny vein, he was able to create a truly magnificent fistula that served her well for five years.  So, often it is down to the brilliance of the surgeon.