I missed my treatment yesterday.........and my ACCESS is to blame

[Adam_W]

I went to get on treatment yesterday, and as I was finishing up putting my second needle in, I noticed blood seeping out from under the tape on the first needle. I removed the bandaid to investigate, and there was blood coming up from around the needle hub. I didn't have an effective way of stopping it, and I couldn't re-stick without having to remove the other needle as well because of the shape of my graft. I reluctantly took both needles out and missed my dialysis. At one point as I was holding the site for the second needle, the blood started pouring out of the first site, and I had to try and hold both sites at once. I had my nurses look at it today, and they think I may have gotten a little too close to one of my previous stick sites, and lacerated the graft. Fortunately as long as I stick away from that area for awhile, I should be fine. I have a very long graft (from my armpit all the way to my elbow), and I have plenty of places to stick. Sure did suck, though.

Adam

[migaguiar]

You have a graft and can stick yourself? I thought u could only do that with buttonholes? Stick yourself that is.
Maybe im confused.
 

[monrein]

When I was on dialysis a long time ago I didn't have buttonholes but I stuck myself using the ladder technique all up and down the fistula.  Same as what the techs do but same tech each time...me.  I think people can stick their own grafts too, but I've never had one.

[Adam_W]

You usually aren't limited to having to have buttonholes to self-stick. There are some home clinics that don't accept patients with grafts because they don't want the patient to deal with sharp needles (which I think is bull plop). Fortunately my home clinic is not like that. I've never heard of in-centre patients not being able to stick themselves if they have a graft.

Adam

[willieandwinnie]

Adam, we used Len's graft for over 6 years and that did occasionally happen if I stuck too close to the last stick. It also seem to happen more on the Venus side, most of the time I would just pull that needle and restick him further up. Len was never able to stick himself because his graft would roll. How old is your graft and do you have the one made out of the newer type material, kind of self sealing? I wish you the best for todays treatment.  

[jbeany]

The older the graft, the more likely it is to ooze around the stick sites.  Mine oozes constantly now.  I just stuff a bit gauze under the needles and run anyhow.  Unless it's really bleeding a lot, I've never had much trouble finishing a run.  A bit messy unsticking afterwards, but I'm still getting good clearances.

[kitkatz]

My graft is between six and seven years old and I am not having any real problems with it. Thank you Lord! I had a tech mistake it for a fistula the other day.

[flip]

One of the nurses told me that grafts are better for stopping the bleeding after the needles are pulled.

[Bajanne]

one young lady at our unit used to stick herself (she had a graft), but since she had an infection (similar to one I had) and they had to redo her graft, she has stopped sticking herself.  Epoman was very proud of sticking himself when he was doing in-center haemo, even before he started NxStage.