stupid buttonholes.

[Brianna!]

I was stuck a total of 4 times for my venous. My arterial went in good, with a sharp though. They haven't attempted to use blunts with the arterial yet. The blunt in the venous is just not going in! They're tried the last three times, and it wont' go in.

So this time it got in farther than last time. But then, it hurt so bad! Like it infiltrated or something! But I wasn't hooked up yet, so it didn't infiltrate. I had them take it out and use a sharp. Some blood came out, then there was a clot. 3rd time no blood came out. They just gave up, and went somewhere else on my arm. I just want to be able to use blunts, so I won't be so nervous about it infiltrating! I didn't move my arm at all, because I was scared I was going to infiltrate. I felt bad, my nurse who is establishing my buttonholes kept saying she was really sorry that she hurt me! I was like "it's not your fault! It's really okay!!"

I hope they didn't damage my track in my buttonhole?

Good thing though, I got my catheter out! And I showered and swam and it felt good!

[galvo]

The catheter out is great news!

[silverhead]

When we started home Hemo she had a good buttomholes started and when the time came to use blunts it was so difficult at times, especially after a day off that we used sharps and as time went on we finally gave up and have been using sharps ever since (2-1/2 years) she apparently scars up so much overnight that the blunts are just to much for her, the fistula grows in size over time and it is less likely that you will infiltrate, we have only one small incident in all that time, so hang in there, it will improve I'm sure.......

[fc2821]

Sorry you had that experience. Hope thing get better for you.

  on getting catheter out and and you got to shower and swim. Sometime the little victories are the best.

[Hemodoc]

I have been self cannulating starting at about 5 months into dialysis and doing it myself ever since.  If you are going to keep buttonholes that do work quite well, the only real option is to learn how to do it yourself and then do it in the same exact angle and manner each time.  If you have more than one person, buttonholes are very unlikely to work from what I have seen.  However, I still have to use a sharp on my venous even after two years which is not ideal, but in some cases there is no choice as with me.  Once you have stuck yourself a couple of times, the fear factor goes way down.  But who is going to know your fistula or care for your fistula more than you?

Good luck, the buttonhole is a fantastic advantage if you learn how to make it work for you.  Nothing wrong with this technique whatsoever.  It is the correct application or lack there of that makes people give up on the buttonhole.  So consider overcoming the fear factor and consider taking over this one aspect of your care.  When I did, I gained back part of the independence that I had lost  by starting on dialysis.  Perhaps others that self cannulate can comment on their own experiences.  I must confess I don't like sticking a 15 ga needle in my arm 5 times a week, but what choice do I have especially since I am now dialyzing at home on the NxStage.

Take care, and protect your access.  It is perhaps the most important thing you will do while on dialysis and we only have a few locations we can put a fistula.  Protect it at all costs, it is truly your lifeline.

God bless,

Hemodoc

[monrein]

I concur with Hemodoc about the buttonholes.  I've always cannulated myself and if I couldn't do buttonholes myself (or have the same person every single time) then I would choose to go with sharps and rigorous laddering up and down the fistula.  I would be in charge of telling my nurse where I wanted each needle to go.  I chose to dialyze 5 days a week with never more than one day off between session days and that meant easier buttonholes since the tunnel never healed up totally.  Of course, everyone is different but I never had to use a sharp although I can understand why one might need to resort to one occasionally.  Even with the sharp however, angle should be the same etc.  Sometimes I had to really push hard to pop into the vein but it was pressure not pain and one becomes accustomed to this difference.