My Arm Is Swollen

[okarol]

  Cool Rerun, happy to hear it!

[Rerun]

Things are worse.  I guess blood pumps to my fistula arm, but is very very very slow to drain back to the body due to closed veins.  My head, neck, shoulder, and left breast are swollen.  My head feels like it is going to pop off.  My hearing is weird and I can hear my heartbeat. 

They don't tell me what to expect.  Has anyone here had this problem.  I don't even know what to look up on the internet.  I only put on 2 kilos over the weekend and it didn't help.  I was still swollen.  It is a fluid problem, but not.  Even if I don't drink anything it is still there.

They hope that my body would build new collaterals around the veins?     

[paul.karen]

:-(

Sorry to hear this Rerun.

I hope all the swelling goes down very fast for you and they figure out what is happening.

P&K

[Rerun]

It is Sunday and the last day of my weekend.  I go to dialysis tonight.  Usually when I wake up on Sunday my faces is as big as my house.  But, I try elevating my head and back when I sleep and I joined a gym.  Yes, me who hates to exercise worse than dialysis or even death has joined a gym.  The owner was trying to sell me a YEAR and there is no way!  I paid $25 for a month to see if I will even go.  I've gone 2 days in a row and just did the tread mill.  Those are cool, it takes your heart rate, has an incline like you are walking up a hill etc.

Zach you should be proud of me!   

What is the formula for heart rate.  I learned it once in grade school during mandatory PE.  Age X fat cells X height/ pie???  I would appreciate it if anyone knows it off the top of their head. 

Oh, yes the point of this post is my face was not as swollen this morning.  Usually when I look across the room I see the tops of my cheeks of my face.  I still am hearing myself talk plus my heart beat which is driving me nuts.

The docs say that collaterals will build around the blockages but it takes awhile.

A friend's Father was in town and invited me to the Davenport Hotel for Brunch.  This is a historic Hotel that has been remodeled and very nice.  The brunch was $35 a plate.  Is that nuts or what?  The friend's Father insisted on buying mine.  Thank goodness!! He is always very nice.
There were ice sculptures and even a chocolate fountain where you dipped strawberries.  YUM!!

[nursewratchet]

Hang in there Rerun.  Collaterals will form, will take some time.  The Gym will help, excersise, just like maturing a fistula, will strengthen the collateral veins.  Be patient, hahaha, easier said than doneI'm sure...

[G-Ma]

Glad you had a nice brunch.   

[kitkatz]

Hey Rerun I joined a gym, too. I have been going two to three times a week. I must be nuts!  I have also paid for sessions with a trainer.  WTF!

[Jess21]

I'm glad you are feeling better Rerun!
I need to call tomorrow to get my *first ever* fistula scheduled ASAP (they wanted to wait til after Dec. 20th...she won't after she finds out my fistula stopped working for about an hour wednesday! ).  But anyway, I digress...
This thread makes my arm hurt.

[502Blues]

They fixed it yesterday.  Yeah!!

The last two times I've had this done they asked if I had someone to drive me home and I said "yes" and I walked out the door, got in my car and drove home.  This time I had to drive 30 miles to a new place and the receptionist was smarter than the usual.  She wanted the name of the person and phone number.  I gave her my dog's name (Adrianne) and my home phone number.  She could tell I was lying and so I caved and told her that I could drive myself home and that I'd done it the last two times.  Well that didn't work.  She was very nice about it which made me cry.  Go a head and be a bitch and yell at me but don't feel sorry for me or I crumble into a puddle.  How humiliating!  Everyone there had spouses or parents with them.  I finally called a friend from work and she took time OFF WORK to come get me.  We went around the corner and had lunch and then I went back to  my car and drove home.  SO THERE!

I am the FIRST one to admit when I can't drive.  But, I feel fine after one of these procedures.  AND if for some reason I didn't feel fine I would call someone.  But, I don't really have anyone I can call.  You know?

Anyway, he opened up two places and the swelling went away.  I should be good to go.  I'm leaving tomorrow and I'll be back around January 7, 2008.

See you next year!   

I used to do the same thing, I would tell them i caught a cab there and will call one to take me home, but I walk right out of there and go straight to my car and drive myself home. If I didnt feel i could drive i wouldve called somebody but i always feel fine. Now they make sure you have someone with you to drive you home. Also I wanted to say when i had a fistula in my arm and it started to swell up, it was always because of a blocked vein i have caused by the temporary catheter they put in when i first got sick with kidney failure. They would balloon it up the first couple of times, then they start putting stents in it. Stents are supposed to keep the vein open but they dont. Once they start putting stents in, its the beginning of the end of that access. My arm was 3 or 4 times swollen bigger than normal when they finally could stop using mines because i didnt have a lot of options for a new access

[502Blues]

sounds like what youre going thru is somewhat similiar to what i went through.They first suggested putting one in my right arm too but the veins werent good enough plus i have the same sorta blockage on my right side as i did on the left. I hope your doctors dont wait till the last minute to figure something out like they did me.

[pelagia]

The brunch sounds good, but not the rest of it.  Hope they get a better plan together for you soon, Rerun. 

[Rerun]

I'm continuing with this thread because it is the same subject..... my fistula arm... upper left. 

I have always had a small aneurysm on my fistula which is getting bigger and bigger.  So, I finally had an ultrasound on it today.  Then the Surgeon (Dr. Dume and Glume) came in to tell me that it is not going to last and we need to do something to prepare for another fistula in my right arm.  I've told him that I don't want any more fistulas.  He is just dumbfounded that I plan to quit.  He cannot understand that I don't want fistulas all over my body so that I can live six months longer.  He doesn't understand that no matter how many fistulas you put in me that I'm not cured and that I'm not going to get any better.  He doesn't understand that there is no future in dialysis.  He wants to do a fistulagram (another one) on my current fistula to see if he can pair down the aneurysm but at the same time he wants to put some dye in my right arm to see if there are any good veins.  I told him that if he found that he could NOT use my right arm that he had to pay for the procedure.  But, I don't want to know if my right arm has any chance for a fistula palcement.  Then I'd have to make another decision.  I want to have no choices left and just be done with this crap.

 

[Sluff]

I understand how you feel Rerun, but selfishly hope you change your mind. I respect whatever your decision. Just understand I love ya. 

[pelagia]

Well I can't say that I know what you are going through because I don't.  But, I can tell you that I care about you and it saddens me that you have to carry this heavy weight through life.  It's also hard for me to imagine you as anything other than a fighter.  

[paddbear0000]

Oh Rerun, I'm so sorry to hear this! What about a catheter? I realize you've probably already thought that through, but I just had to ask! We love you and respect any decision you make.   

[okarol]

Damn. Is there a better vascular surgeon around? I know you're weary of all of this. I am sending you lots of love Rerun.   

[paul.karen]

:-(

Dont even talk like that Rerun.
Your stupid doctors may not need or know you but we all do.
I see where your coming from.  But 

[willieandwinnie]

  Oh rerun 

[G-Ma]

Oh Rerun.....I know what you are talking about, however, once I found this good vascular surgeon in Charlotte my thought processes changed a lot.  Have you checked around to see if there is another Vascular Surgeon, sometimes they deal only with accesses for kidney dialysis, and if not, please think about a catheter.  I'm not sure how you are feeling physically all over and that will affect your decision also.  Please, just step back for a moment and think about this.  Remember, we are all here for you.

 

[paris]

Rerun, you have been through years of ups and downs.   And you have been very clear of your decision for some time now.   I want you to know how much fun you made the first Vegas trip.  I was ready to meet this tall blond and but what I met was better.   A tiny little package of dynamite!!   It was a great weekend.  I was a newbie back then.  Sluff said it best; selfishly we hope you change your mind.  I know you have strong believes so I will pray for God's will and pray that He surrounds you with His loving arms during this decision making time.   

[kitkatz]

Rerun, I back you in whatever choices you make.  Graft problems are a true pain in the butt!   It is your body and life and you have to do whatever you have to do!   

[Lucinda]

Rerun. We all respect whatever decision you make but you may or may not remember that I wasn't even going to start dialysis because of the problems I was having with access.  I had three graft operations in as many months and my vascular surgeon said because of my veins any access was going to be a nightmare.  Well, the last one they did has been fine for the past 18 months and my mind set has changed enormously.  I know all the surgeries are a pain but maybe you should give your right arm a shot and then take it from there. I am sorry you feel so down about it but I am sure there are many here who know exactly how you feel.  If you are going to have one placed in your right arm I would make it a new start.  Let another vascular surgeon have a crack at it.  I know the cost involved is also a problem but surely there is a way to get you the best outcome possible.  I hope you change your mind.  Lots of love, Cindy. xxxx

[Rerun]

I appreciate your love and support.  I have been told that I can't get anymore catheters and that my right arm is no good for an access.  This guy even admits that he can't go in on my left side for a catheter.  This guy... unless he sees it for himself then he won't believe it. 

The access I have will last me the rest of my life.  Now you can see that in a positive way or a negative way.

If I had a perfectly working access no one would be looking at my right arm.  AND Boom!  One day it quits!  Then what?  To me this is the same thing.  My access is working fine and we will deal with it when it quits.

I am doing better today.  I also feel that if things were going better on Thursday nights I'd have a more positive attitude, but I don't really relish the thought of continuing dialysis LONGER than I have to with those two bozos.

                                                                         

[Rerun]

I just looked at the post I did on Premium Member the last time this guy (Surgeon) tried to scare me and it was six months ago!  SIX months ago and he had me thinking I had days left!  I'm sorry I get pushed to the edge so easily! 

[okarol]

  Keep up the good fight Rerun.

Love you!