I can't believe it, 3 different interventional radiologists could not reopen my fistula with all sorts of plasti 'trials'. But this last fantastic near retirement age radiologist managed to open it. I can't believe it, a starting venous pressure of 133 (that's one hundred and thirty three). That's like 5 years ago when all was fine, after all normal plastis it was like that.I might jinx it of course, but I thought it so important to share it with y'all, that I risk that one.Love and luck to all of you, Cas
I like to hear success stories such as this. Good for you, Cas! Short story...I'm going in tomorrow morning for vein mapping of my left arm - originally used during my first run on dialysis from 1978-90. I thought it was fairly well shot, but my vasc. surgeon wants to see if maybe he can get a working graft placed.Long version...I finally lost the use of my 11 year old upper right arm graft about 2 months ago due to unopenable venous stenosis in the chest area just past my arm pit. My intervention radiologist and vasc. surgeon have been afraid to force a balloon into it for the past 3 years thinking the chances of causing irreparable damage was extremely high. And, unfortunately, my collaterals could no longer take the pressure off the main vein and I began experiencing horrible recirculation problems. During the last treatment I used the graft, the saline in the venous blood line at hook up was being totally sucked back into the arterial needle and back up the arterial blood line. Fascinating and horrific at the same time to watch. I was feeling pretty poor going in that night - to the point of having someone come wheel me in from the car. I asked the charge nurse to draw a potassium sample and she contacted my Neph to have it run stat at the hospital. By the time the results came back about 90, minutes later, I was getting a bit delirious. Potassium level was 8.5. Off to the hospital ER and massive amounts of kayexalate and a perm cath for treatment. What's a bit frustrating, my graft is still percolating well enough that I can still use it at least for an arterial site if having problems with one side of the perm cath. Hopefully, tomorrow's scoping will come back positive. I have a great deal of faith in my vasc. surgeon for his ability to think out side the box. However, I draw the line if it comes down to femoral caths or a HeRO graft.
The old guy came through, speaking as a old guy, it's good news.
O SutureSelf I'm so sorry that your fistula is so bad now. It was mainly your experience with the collateral veins that kept me believing it would be okay for a while, and it was. My now better working fistula will still have to be replaced, just no rush, and I am very grateful for that. My new one will also go in my previous fistula arm ('83/'85) where they happened to have found a vein which,with some operations, is going to work.I went into the plasti scared stiffless as it might go wrong, stop working etc just the normal things.But the morning of the plasti I decided to be positive. I don't know if it was something I'd read or something I'd heard of someone on the Olympics (don't loose me here, I've not gone mad or something) I decided to be positive, positive going into the theater, positive to the surgeon, the radiologist at the end of the bed, the person who moves the screens, and table, even the junior doctor I told to wash his hands again, cos I didn't see him do it. And to the assistant at my head of the bed.I don't know if it helped, but being positive makes people achieve more. If people feel believed in they can achieve more.I'm not saying if something doesn't work, I or you or whoever didn't believe enough, but it might work, and it's the only thing you can do.You believe already in your vasc surgeon, so tell him, before, during and after. And the whole team. Also believe in yourself that you WILL come through this.I also went in thinking I would refuse a femoral line if all went wrong, but I would try a HeRo graft. I would not have been prepared to loose everything yet, even when it's 'just' living on D, it's still My life, and it happens to be the only one we've got.Tomorrow's scoping WILL go positive, because you are going to be positive, and make the people working on you positive.Good luck my dear friend, it WILL go well, and I'll be thinking of you, and sending more positive vibes your way.Lots of love, luck and strength, Cas
SutureSelf: Your attitude is amazing. Seems no matter what you go through, you are looking ahead for solutions and the positives. You seem so much like my old track coach. The Olympic Games are held every few years, meanwhile, life happens. Right now you seem to be in the winners circle.
Thanks, Cas. Can't argue with being positive.Exploratory went will. Seems that although I've had both a graft and fistula, with numerous revisions and balloonings, my vasc. surgeon feels that my upper arm basilic vein is ok to use. However, the fistula will be deep and need to be transposed. He's also considering going with a bovine graft. I challenged him on that given how my gortex graft lasted 11 years. However, he feels that the current bovine versions are superior to the gortex and don't take as much time to heal. I don't know - it's all a crap shoot. All I can do is use good technique and take care of whatever is placed. I have no control over my anatomy. Go in next week to meet with vasc. surgeon to discuss and finalize plans.
When all else fails run in circles, shout loudly
Well yesterday morning my fistula arm was even more swollen than normal, after an uneventful D the night before. Was getting a bit worse, so called nurse, went into hosp, had scan which showed apparently narrowings were back. I don't completely understand as the narrowing had been there for years without my hand looking like a balloon. So must be a different kind of narrowing.Apparently I was taken off the 'urgent' list...... Now back on. Next Thursday a plasti again, not by Super Woman who is on holiday, and as we go on holiday to Viva El Portugal before she is back, it will be done by a 'stranger to me'. But 'they' were nice, and left me a phonenumber if I wanted to 'discuss' anything about that.I reckon it will be a pretty dumb idea to go to Portugal with a dodgy fistula, and arm, so I'll be spreading lots of positiveness and believes onto my arm, and over every single person who will be looking, working or thinking of my arm. Here's to being positive. And I'll take some diazepam too.Love y'all, Cas
Code: [Select]When all else fails run in circles, shout loudly
I Hate Dialysis Message Board
I Hate Dialysis Message Board
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