Fistula surgery yesterday and already problems!!!

[monrein]

The warmth over the area is quite usual as I recall, due to inflammation from the swelling.  The pain from coughing is also to be expected as when you cough the blood in your veins presses against the internal sore areas.  I mean, after all they did do some pretty severe things inside your arm Paddbear.  If you had a cut on the outside and you suddenly pushed on it (what coughing is doing on the inside) it would hurt too.  I don't know about the hard red area.  Perhaps you could call the clinic tomorrow and ask.

[Chris]

Maybe neosporin on the area as a precaution?

[kitkatz]

Sweetie, take it easy until  the swelling goes down and quit poking at it, makes things worse for you.  Relax and let it all heal.  Place are going to feel funny for awhile on the arm.  I speak from experience. Two grafts, twelve redos on the bottom arm graft and two on the top arm graft.  Just let it all heal; then see what happens.

[paddbear0000]

Yes Mom!   

Chris, I did put some neosporin on it and bandaged it back up again. I've also started taking Tylenol to help with the pain and hopefully reduce some of the inflammation.

[pelagia]

PB - I hope that you will listen to Kit - It's million dollar advice! 

[kitkatz]

Yes dear, Now do as I say, not as I do!

[kitkatz]

No lifting, no lifting, no lifting with that arm for several weeks, not even your purse!

[kellyt]

I was told not to put anything on my fistula (cream, lotion, perfume, etc.).  I heeded this advice even after the scar healed.   It is different for a graft?

[Chris]

My doc said it was ok, but I had dissolvable stitches though.

[paddbear0000]

My stitches aren't dissolvable. They're supposed to come out at my 3 week follow-up appointment. My paper says I can take the gauze and tegaderm off after 3 days, which would be today. That seems kind of soon. Is this normal? I sure wish I could take it off of my cath site too because the peice of tegaderm closest to my neck is driving me crazy!!!

[Chris]

Have tape on stand by if the catheter one starts to come undone. You want o avoid infections and water. I used Nexcar Clear Cloth tape since it din't pull so hard on the skin when removing and less irritating to me than the other taoes. Your neck one will b changed at the dialysis clinic Tuesday, time to get use to new smells from the cleanser.

[paddbear0000]

Yeah. My best friend is a drup rep who used to call on a dialysis clinic. She said the smell was horrible. The way I'm feeling lately, I have a feeling I will be throwing up soon after I walk in! When I'm nauseous, smells make me puke every time!

[kellyt]

Good Luck tomorrow Padd.  You'll be in my thoughts.  You are going at 11 a.m., right?

I hope you can find something to take that will help pass the time quickly and keep your mind off what is happening, as well as the smells.

If you have a laptop join Netflix.  Then you can watch movies and such.

[paddbear0000]

Thank you! Yeah, I have a laptop, but it's really old and really slow. There's no way I can view movies on it.

[BRANDY]

Im so sorry you are having problems, maybe when swelling goes down it will be ok.  I am going to get my fistula thursday  listening to you I seem to know what I might expectl I hope it is all normal tho.  You arnt saying anything about fever, that is a good thing .  a great big hug to you.,

[pelagia]

Yeah. My best friend is a drup rep who used to call on a dialysis clinic. She said the smell was horrible. The way I'm feeling lately, I have a feeling I will be throwing up soon after I walk in! When I'm nauseous, smells make me puke every time!

I am very sensitive to bad odors and I never noticed anything smelly at my husband's clinic.  Do be careful about bleach on the chairs though.  He ruined some pants that way - getting into the chair too soon after it was disinfected from the person before him.  Do they do it that way at every clinic?

In any case, good luck tomorrow! 

[paddbear0000]

No, no fever thankfully. And the hard area I mentioned before turned out to be the tube! Oops! What can I say? I'm new to this! My hand became completely swollen with fluid today which was new. I've been keeping my arm elevated and have been using a heating pad and ice pack. I've been holding my arm up vertically for the last 2 hours and that seeme to have moved most of the fluid elsewhere. I can make out my knuckles again! And I got my wedding ring off for the first time in days! But, I think I'm starting to gain fluid weight all over because over rhe last 2-3 months I lost 11 pounds, but have gained it all back in less than a week. I've also noticed I'm not urinating as much either. I just noticed that I can't see the veins on my other hand as well as I used to either, so I don't know if the left hand swelling is surgery related or not (or it could just be making it worse?).

[monrein]

I'll be with you in spirit tomorrow Paddbear.  As hard as it is to do, try your very best to stay calm and relaxed.  No needles so that's one less thing to stress about.  Big hugs Janet.  

[okarol]

When did you last get labs done? Be very careful about the fluid - sounds like you may be retaining some.

[paddbear0000]

I had labs done last Monday.

[okarol]

Yeah - I wasn't thinking when I wrote that Janet, that you're starting hemo tomorrow. Hopefully they figure out a good dry weight and take off excess fluid without doing too much.
 

[kidney4traci]

Ouch!  Hope that dialysis can help.  Sounds like you are starting?  Sorry for the pain, I remember mine wasn't that fun either, but I had less complications than you are even.  HUGS!!!!  Keep us updated.