Access Problems and On-Call Nurses

[skyedogrocks]

This is a huge rant!    Rob has been having access issues all last week, he keeps clotting.  So, his nurse came out on Thursday night to help hook him up since he really needed his treatment.  She was going on vacation the next day and all this week.  The other on-call nurse is away this week also.  Ridiculous!  Anyhoo, Rob skipped Friday's treatment since his arm was hurting and did it on Saturday.  Poor guy tried a few times until he finally got the needles in, in a new spot.  Well, he tried it again yesterday, was able to get on the machine, but the venous pressure was horrible and he infiltrated himself.  I feel so bad for him, he has been feeling so crappy last week because he only had 3 treatments when he should have had 5.

So, today he stayed home and called the on-call nurse.  No answer it went to voicemail.  He called an hour later and sounded annoyed that he was bothering her.  Too bad lady!  This is your job!  No way should 2 nurses be out at the same time....train another one!  So, she had him go into the center for a treatment thankfully.

In the meantime, he called his Neph and set up a fistula gram.  His Neph wanted the nurses to use his new access, if that they can't he will have to get another catheter.  He had 6 catheters and they kept getting infected, so this is not a great option.  His new access should be working, it's been almost 4 months and it's an upper arm one. 

I'm just disappointed with the Nurses who are supposed to be here for us.  His nurse is really nice, but she was having surgery on Friday and really wanted to spend Thursday night relaxing, not with us.  When you have an access issue, it's no so easy to talk over the phone, it's much easier if they come out to our home. 

Also, this center he is going to is a new one for him, it's where his nurse is based out of.  Only problem is, they don't have evening appointments.  So, he'll have to work half-days on his treatment days until his access starts working.

Ugh, I know I am probably rambling here, but I was so upset today.  My poor hubby has been feeling like crap and it's not his fault.

[goofynina]

Skydogrocks, i sure hope you gave someone a piece of your mind.    They cannot get away with that, someone has to be there at all times, what are they thinking?  I hope you and Rob get everything situated and get him back home and on his regular routine soon.  I'll be sending good thoughts and prayers your way. 

[silverhead]

I guess we are pretty spoiled, our Neph would have come right out of his chair and would ream a few people about his patient not getting the care that is needed, we have a special page in our "book", put in there by him, it states that anytime there is a question about deviating from normal, that the patient has the absolute last word on anything we want at that time, sure has stopped more than a few overbearing charge nurses in their tracks.......

[tubes]

im sorry to hear about your troubles skyedogrocks.  thats just not right that both nurses are out.  what the hell were they thinking.  apparently nothing....
i was wondering about rob clotting off.  is he on any blood thinners.
im on lovenox.  its a shot i have to take in my belly, 3 x's a week, on my off days.  usually tuesday , thursday and either sat or sunday, whatever day i feel like.
i hope u get everything straightened out and rob feels better real soon.

take care,
robert

[skyedogrocks]

im sorry to hear about your troubles skyedogrocks. thats just not right that both nurses are out. what the hell were they thinking. apparently nothing....
i was wondering about rob clotting off. is he on any blood thinners.
im on lovenox. its a shot i have to take in my belly, 3 x's a week, on my off days. usually tuesday , thursday and either sat or sunday, whatever day i feel like.
i hope u get everything straightened out and rob feels better real soon.

take care,
robert

Hi Robert - So sorry for not responding earlier, I never saw this post!  Rob takes 3,000 units of hephron for each treatment to stop clotting.  However, he is clotting when he's trying to needle himself.  His fistula is messed up.  Thankfully the clots aren't serious enough to do any damage to him.  Fistula grams are a waste of time, they wouldn't do one the last time because they know it's an issue, so why put him through that.  Thankfully he has an upper arm fistula that he'll be able to use soon. 

[tubes]

im sorry to hear about your troubles skyedogrocks. thats just not right that both nurses are out. what the hell were they thinking. apparently nothing....
i was wondering about rob clotting off. is he on any blood thinners.
im on lovenox. its a shot i have to take in my belly, 3 x's a week, on my off days. usually tuesday , thursday and either sat or sunday, whatever day i feel like.
i hope u get everything straightened out and rob feels better real soon.

take care,
robert

Hi Robert - So sorry for not responding earlier, I never saw this post!  Rob takes 3,000 units of hephron for each treatment to stop clotting.  However, he is clotting when he's trying to needle himself.  His fistula is messed up.  Thankfully the clots aren't serious enough to do any damage to him.  Fistula grams are a waste of time, they wouldn't do one the last time because they know it's an issue, so why put him through that.  Thankfully he has an upper arm fistula that he'll be able to use soon. 

I hope his upper arm fistula matures real soon.
I just learned of this....it's called a "wet stick", from my understanding as you cannulate you shoot in some heparin so you don't clot.  I don't know if that is something Rob can do but its worth to ask.

take care and keep us posted,
Robert

[skyedogrocks]

Oh yes, we do the wet stick, but it's saline he flushes with.  Now and then we'll give add some heparin if he has had to stick himself a couple of times and keeps clotting.

Rob likes it because he can see if it's drawing and pushing the right way.