Do you stick your own needles?

[Epoman]

Do you? I do, and I will never go back (as long as I can). When you stick yourself you can feel everything. I was scared at first but the first time I did it I was hooked. I have never infiltrated myself. It's so easy to do and I can't believe if your able to do it yourself why you don't.

If your able try it sometime, you won't hurt nothing, the tech or nurse is right there in case you decide to stop half way or you get too scared.

[LifeOnHold]

I can't even tweeze my eyebrows, never mind stick needles in my arm!

[Epoman]

I can't even tweeze my eyebrows, never mind stick needles in my arm!

It's really not hard AT ALL! many people are shocked when I tell them I stick my own needles but it's actually easy and one thing is you control everything, if it hurts you stop and re-adjust.

[Wizard]

sticking your own needles is real easy. you start by watching the PCT's then mock every thing they do except without the huge fingernails and gum smacking.

[babi68]

  I have been doing my own needles for 2 years now. Where I do dialysis younger patients are encouraged to do their own needles. I really don't enjoy it at all (but who does), but I sing to myself as I am doing it. Over here in Canberra, most of us use local. Some people don't, and I must say they are braver than me.  I have only ever "bombed" one time. As you said Epoman, give it a go and if you stop halfway there are always staff around to help you.  Liz

[Epoman]

I have been doing my own needles for 2 years now. Where I do dialysis younger patients are encouraged to do their own needles. I really don't enjoy it at all (but who does), but I sing to myself as I am doing it. Over here in Canberra, most of us use local. Some people don't, and I must say they are braver than me.  I have only ever "bombed" one time. As you said Epoman, give it a go and if you stop halfway there are always staff around to help you.  Liz

That's right at least give it a try. There are always someone there to help if you screw up or get scared halfway. I will never let anyone stick me, and I don't use local I like to get the feelings in the skin dead.

[tamara]

Im a self jabber.I got trained at the royal melb hospital on home training, now doing nocturnal.The technicians said you can feel when it goes in and all that.Don't feel nothing once its in.What I do is go for the angle.Its pretty funny I follow the angle to a freckle and know that i've got my arterial in and the venous i dont feel go in at all its more pot luck really.Been needling myself for over a year and only had to recirculate twice for a badly positioned needle and never "blown".Also I'm a toughie don't use local, its just an initial millisecond of pain, so i just jab away thinking the sooner i needle the sooner that timer starts clicking away !!!!!!

[Bajanne]

Are you guys saying that you need more than ONE stick per session?  I am hearing 'arterial' and 'venous' and I am already having the shivers!  TWO needle sticks per session?
 

[Epoman]

Are you guys saying that you need more than ONE stick per session?  I am hearing 'arterial' and 'venous' and I am already having the shivers!  TWO needle sticks per session?
 

Yes, sorry to say you will need 2 needle sticks one for the blood leaving and one for the returning blood. Now I do know there used to be a single stick needle that was used in the past but the level of cleaning was not as efficient so that never really caught on with the industry. So you will need 2 sticks per treatment and if you go 3 days a week that will be 6 sticks a week. 

Lets see for me I have been stuck as of today 3,400+ times in my right arm. 

Yes it does hurt and it will hurt alot, however your arm will get used to it and the skin will deaden over time but even I still feel a little pain once in a while.

You see this is what this site is all about getting the truth, the straight answer. No sugar coating the answer.

[cabarle]

I doubt I could muster the guys to stick my own needles. I'm a big baby when it comes to needles. At first they had me on smaller needles and now I graduated to the larger needles. The VA is suppose to get me some cream to help dull the "pinch".

[Rerun]

I think I'll just stay with the Hickman Catheter.  I don't think I can do the needles.  Well, I'll probably pass out before they get to me with the needles... which will work.

[Bajanne]

Yes, Rerun, let's!   WE ARE STAYING WITH THE HICKMAN!!!   EVERYBODY NOW - GIMME A H! H!  GIMME A I! I!  GIMME A C!  C!  GIMME A K! K!  GIMME A M!  M!  GIMME A A!   A!  GIMME A N! N!
WHADDYA GET!  HICKMAN!   HICKMAN!!  RAH! RAH! RAH!
NO STICKY NEEDLES!  NO! NO! NO! WE WANT HICKMAN!  WE WANT HICKMAN! 
I tried anyway........

[Rerun]

SCORE!!!  No Needles! 

Bajannne2000 - Is that picture where you live?  It is beautiful.   

[Bajanne]

Actually, it is the view I am seeing now as I look out the sliding doors of my verandah/gallery/patio.  And coincidentally, a cruise ship is there right now (there are 2 in the picture)

[Rerun]

Nice!  I live next to a 6 lane freeway and the houses which are just normal 2 to 3 bedroom homes are going for $500,000.  It is nuts.  I wish I was on one of those cruise ships.  That could be a new post.

[Bajanne]

Have a look at pictures I have taken in my region - British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands, Barbados.  Just click on this link - http://community.webshots.com/user/bajanne2000

[Rerun]

Those are gorgeous~  Thanks for sharing!  I would send you pictures, but I don't have a digital camera.... yet.

[Epoman]

Those are gorgeous~  Thanks for sharing!  I would send you pictures, but I don't have a digital camera.... yet.

Come on you got to get one. You can pick up one cheap nowadays. Keep an eye for a digital camera on www.slickdeals.net

[6yr Vet.]

Hi Epoman Yes I cannulate myself.I told myself  I couldn't do it for 4 years.I'm now at home doing my own treatments on my time.After the initial stabbing it's all gravy now.Hope other people have the same experience.

[Epoman]

BUMP to the TOP

[Bajanne]

Now that I am accustomed to being stuck twice per session, I must say that it would be impossible for me to stick my own needles.  My graft is in my upper arm and it would not be an easy thing to accomplish.  Also, the lidocaine has my skin in the area really tough and I don't look forward to pushing and pushing.  I leave that to the nurses.

[Bear]

MY fistula is in my upper arm too Baj'. I have to use the stainless steel clamps
to hold the cannula ends with the hand on that arm, while I do everything
else with the other. I must admit I was a bit skeptical that I would ever be
a 'self-sticker'. But hey! I do it O.K. now, sorta... 
Btw check this shot out for familiarity Baj'! 

[Rip1]

I do when certain techs are putting me on. The good ones I let do it. I too have not been infiltrated since I began this method some years ago. Good Luck. Rip1

[Panda_9]

You big bunch of babies!!! 
I was always too scared to do it too, but of course if you keep telling youself you cant do it, then of course you aren't going to do it. You need to make yourself do it, and BELIEVE ME when you do it yourself it is 1000 times better. You are in total control of the local, and the cannula's, and it hurts alot less as you know your threshold. I have been doing it myself for about a year with the buttonhole system, and once your sites develop, you barely even feel a mozzie bite.  I very very highly reccomend you at least give it a go. It is scary at first, but once you get the hang of it, its easy. Plus, doing it yourself, there is less risk of trauma to your fistula, as you can go in a the same angle each time. Where as getting someone different every time to cannulate, is causing more damage/scarring to the tissue.
I have an upperarm fistula, and its not hard to get the cannula's in at all. Over time I have devised my own system which works very well for me. I do absolutely everything myself. Even taking them out is a breeze.
Give it a go!!

[Panda_9]

Forgot to ask, Bear, what do you mean by using the clamps to hold the cannula's? Do you use them to pull them out or? My fistula is upper arm too but I don't use anything to hold them.