Amazing what you get used to

[Vt Big Rig]

We are "redecorating" the house. I stripped off old wallpaper and the painters started yesterday.  Two guys in the house all day.

I get home from work, dear wife has the machine ready for snap and tap, I do my thing, and we connect up and get running. Just before I started I went to talk to the painters about a couple of things and told them we were going to start. And I did warn them, honest I did  ........ 15 minutes later they come in the room to tell us they are leaving for the day.

Apparently the site of fire hoses running around all filled with some red stuff and needles in my arm was not what they expected. We could have used their faces as a new color palate they changed so many colors.

I hope they come back today......

[Hootie]

 

[Michael Murphy]

Dialysis ain't for the faint of heart.  My wife has never seen me on the machine, but I know her and she would have nightmares for a week.  That's why if I eventually go to home hemo it will be when I move to the Adirondaks where you can do home hemo by yourself.






edited spelling moderator Cassandra

[PrimeTimer]

I am tempted to carry a fistula needle in my purse so the next time one of those people who pretend to care asks about hubby I can show them. 

[Vt Big Rig]

Dialysis ain't for the faint of heart.  My wife has never seen me on the machine, but I know her and she would have nightmares for a week.  That's why if I eventually go to home hemo it will be when I move to the Adirondaks where you can do home hemo by yourself.

My wife cannulates, connects me, up , and often sits in the room with me for most of the run. I have offered several times to work on self cannulation and she will not hear of it. I'm not crazy about the idea so I do not push it. We decided early on to not use buttonholes, partly because of potential infection issues, partly because we hated the "scraping".. She says as long as we are using sharps she is going to cannulate.

She must go to her sisters for 4 days in a week or so and is going nuts about someone else getting at my fistula. We have had several procedures done on it and now she is pretty possessive about it.

PRIME TIME  .... I think your needle show is a great idea. That alone will stop the "that's not so bad" crowd.

[Simon Dog]

We have had several procedures done on it and now she is pretty possessive about it.

I self-canulate, and am similarly possessive about mine.   Ain't nobody but me puncturing that sucka.

[PrimeTimer]

PRIME TIME  .... I think your needle show is a great idea. That alone will stop the "that's not so bad" crowd.

Or as his mother said, "Now, son, don't be afraid, dialysis is suppose to be good for you because it cleanses the blood!" 
But then when he traveled to visit her last year and asked if she'd join him at a treatment she said "Oh heaven's no! I'd probably faint!"    
But he didn't let her off that easy...that evening after dinner he called her aside, sat her down and unwrapped a fistula needle.   

[Blake nighsonger]

My brother passed out in his chair drinking a beer once watching the  football game where Joe Montana broke his leg,... he's probably wouldn't do to good visiting me in clinic.

[kitkatz]

My hubby will not cannulate me, he goes pale at the thought of it.

[Charlie B53]

I have no problem watch someone else get a needle.   When it comes to ME....... that's a whole different book.   Needlephobic since a sick childhood and the RN living next door sticking me in the butt morning and night, until she taught my MOM to do it.

Note:   I like that even less.

Let's just say, I haven't passed out in over 20 years now.   Break out those 14''s?   All bets are OFF.


You cannot imagine how Thankful I am for PD.

Yes, even though I am a 'Guy', I can be a wimp when it comes to needles.

Little girls with BIG needles, scare the Holy Livin' Qwap outta me!

Yes, you may quote me on this.

[raramorgan]

I am a nurse  and I am really worried about getting stuck everyday or several times a week. . PD inos not an option for me because of previous stomach surgeries.   I Know it will get better  and I will get used to it but that is one of the things that worries me the most. LOL

[GrowlingDog]

I am the most squeamish person I know.  I hate hospitals, just going in one makes me feel light headed. 

When I first met my wife she injected insulin, I struggled watching that but got used to it over time.

The first time my wife had dialysis I had to leave the room, I never thought I would be able to cannulate her.   It's amazing what you can do when needed.

In the next few weeks she will be transferring to home dialysis, the plumber has done his work, the electrician has done his stuff today, so we are just waiting for the B Braun Dialog to arrive and we will be almost ready.  I am the main person who will be doing all the set up and I will always cannulate as my wife finds it very difficult and usually makes a mess.

People often ask me what is involved, it's hard to explain it really.

[Simon Dog]

The best way to get used to having a family member canulate you, or doing it yourself, is to consider the alternative - having the person who is doing it randomly selected from a pool of techs who don't know you, or your veins, as an individual and who have to figure you out from scratch each time.  Mhy experiences doing it myself have been much better than anything I experienced letting others do the work for me.   

[justagirl2325]

I also recall watching nurses canulate patients in the hospital when he first started (almost two years ago) and thought I would never be able to even try, never mind be able to do it.  Our first run at home with the fistula was a disaster (as we were only allowed to bring blunts home) but now for some reason they have given us sharps and they work so much better.  I canulate at his request and do it fairly well now.

[Simon Dog]

Curious that you were only allowed to bring blunts home.   The RN at my clinic insisted that I learn sharps and blunts in case I ever had a buttonhole problem, and included both sharps and blunts in my initial supply order.

[PrimeTimer]

You know you're getting use to things when the cycler alarms and you yell at it to hush up, opposed to grabbing the manual and feeling your heart in your throat. 

[Michael Murphy]

When I started dialysis.i was infiltrated at least once a month and I grew concerned about it and have been trying not to move my arm while connected. But recently I expressed my concern to a tech and she laughed and said she could stick my fistula from across the room. Then I realized what had changed.  The dreaded dialysis bumps, the thing I least wanted to develope.  I turns out besides the bad the bring they make needle sticks safer.

[cbatsea]

We only have 1 buttonhole, so we use that for the arterial access (and it works like a dream), but I have to cannulate his venous with a sharp.  We are thinking of trying for a venous buttonhole, but so far, we can't get one to work, so we're using the ladder technique for his venous access.  He can self-cannulate on his upper right arm....as he's right handed and his fistula curves in the wrong direction...so it's up to me.  I don't like doing it, but if we're out of town and he needs to use a center, then I get a bit worried about others sticking him!!  Yes...you get used to stuff you never thought you would!

[Charlie B53]

I'm barely past my second week of using my fistula.  We are still learning exactly where it is.  Twice now Nurse thought she had it only to have one needle fail to flow, after moving it around a bunch give up and use one side of my 'port' which fortunately for me, hasn't been pulled out yet.  Good thing as I have already been waiting for Dr to call with the appt to remove my port.  Once that's gone we have no option but keep poking around until we get both needles to flow.

I almost want this fistulla to 'grow' fat enough to make it an easier target!

Needle-phobic as I am it may be quite a while before I even 'think' of sticking myself.  Wife is skittish enough I know she won't even think of it.  I' have to have someone stop by for every treatment for the stick before I could consider hemo at home. 

[cassandra]

I'm barely past my second week of using my fistula.....

Wow did I miss your post that you started being needled?


And are you still doing exercises with a stressball?


Love, luck and strength, Cas

[Charlie B53]

Clilnic Dr wrote me for generic Xanex 0.25, I couldn't tell that it did anything so I took a second one.  Nurse asked me if I felt that one.  NO, She t.old me to take a third.  Still no change, but I did notice my starting BP was 30 points lower.  Finally under 150!

We are still learning just where to needle.  Twice she got the initial 'flashing' pulse then it quit and wouldn't work.  Once it would draw out but was sharply painful on return so she didn't use it, used my cath instead.  Following a 'ladder' we learned at the top the fistula no longer follows the incision line.  The second time we got up to there I pointed out upon palpitation I think it vears off to the right so this time Nurse tightened the band even tighter and made it raise better, found it! Still need lots more practice, it will happen with regular use.  Still glad the Cath hasn't been pulled yet.  It's neat to have a fail-safe when the needle doesn't just slide right in.  I have a problem with her 'digging' around, even though she is very careful and only makes maybe two strokes before she gives up.  I've had far far worse times getting an IV put in.

[Michael Murphy]

Charlie it gets better and it’s a lot safer then a cath, there used to be a  large guy 3 seats down from me who was harpooned by 12 gauge needles.  Those looked scary.  My final and best advice is “ Don’t Look”. Those damn needles look about the size of the Holland Tunnel going in.  They look a lot smaller coming out.

[Paul]

My final and best advice is “ Don’t Look”.

I never look, too frightening.

It is funny, I inject myself with insulin several times a day, and I used to have to inject my own EPO. No problem with either of those. But I can never watch someone else sticking a needle in me!

[cassandra]

O sweet people someone putting a needle in you, and you putting a needle in you is completely different. Now for Charlie it might be a few weeks early to give it a go, but it's a lot less stressful to put them in yourself. Definitely when you use Xylocaine spray (which I find easier to use than Emla cream (which is better on buttonholes))
But than I didn't believe that either for a whole 10 years.


Luck to all, Cas

[Charlie B53]

Believe me, I do NOT look.  At least not until the needle is in, done, and taped.

I also have managed to test my blood sugar and inject my insulin.  Years ago when I was far more needle-phobic I wouldn't have been able to do even that.  I mean I was so bad clear into my 30's a simple injection in the arm at the Dr's and I would take a nap!  That hasn't happened in maybe 30 years, so I am improving.

I am still a very long way off from needling myself.  I won't outright say I won't EVER, just not for a while yet.

VA gives me Lidocaine 'patches', 5%, they are about 5 X 7 inches.  When my lower back tears and the pain gets too great I stick one on.  It helps somewhat.  I have cut one into strips, place that on the fistula area a couple hours before going in.  Once there I peel it off, replace the protective plastic and save it to reuse another day as these are supposed to contain enough medication for at least 12 hours.  I figure only a couple of hours I should be able to reuse each piece at least 3 or 4 times without any reduction in medication.  Neat and clean, no mess, no having to 'wrap' my arm with plastic.  Quick and easy both putting it on and taking it off.