Great News! I Get My Central Line Catheter Out On Monday, April 30!!!

[Cordelia]

I'm finally getting my central line out on Monday, April 30 and I am so excited!        Finally I will be able to shower/bathe with no worries of infection and I can go swimming!!!!!!       

I'll let you all know how it went, I'm nervous too, but I think I'm more excited than nervous!

                                       

[Whamo]

That first shower is better than sex!

[Big E]

      

I remember how happy I was to get that dam thing out!  Congrats, Cordelia!

[MooseMom]

Hmmmm.....now, who was it who told you you'd certainly be able to splash in the pool by the time swimming season came around?  I believe that person was moi.     LOL!

I'm very happy for you.  I, too, love swimming, and I'd be devastated if I could no longer indulge, so I'm particularly thrilled that you will get to enjoy the summer in this way!

[mcclane]

congrats cordelia ! 

When they yanked my CVC out, I didn't take a shower right away (after all, there was still a hole in the chest that didn't heal up yet), for fear of infection or water getting into the unhealed hole, but after a few days, it was shower heaven ! 

no more bird baths 

[Jean]

Such wonderful news!!! Enjoy that wonderful first shower!!!   

[adairpete]

After I got mine out (and wsited a few days fir the hole to heal), I took a 45 minute shower. I figured after all the sponge baths I could afford to use up the water. Enjoy your shower!

[Cordelia]

Thank you everyone for your well wishes!     

I'm giggling on the bird bath......the shower being better than sex!                             

I'll keep you all posted on how it goes Monday!       

[Cordelia]

Were any of you able to 'watch' having yours removed? Or, is there a tent like thing in front of you that you can't see?

I remember when I had my line 'put in' there was a tent in front of my face that I could not see.

Just wondering if its the same when its removed?

How long til each of you were able to shower afterwards? I was told a couple of days.

[dialysisadvocate]

have the staff give you information on the correct procedure for disinfecting your access site before they cannulate - if you have this information you can remind them so that you don't get an infection -- if you know the correct practices e.g. washing hands prior to putting on gloves, if they staff touch the machine with gloves on that will touch your access site, they must change gloves..  hands must be washed before putting on gloves or touching gauze that will touch your site -- germs on hands are transferred to whatever is touched
roberta mikles

[Cordelia]

Yes, they know the procedures about taking steps to avoid infection on both of my access sites.

Mine is being removed on Monday. 

What I was curious to know was whether or not anyone has actually watched their central line being 'removed'

[Cordelia]

Heading out soon for this procedure. I'm excited, but a little nervous too. My dialysis buddy at my unit had his removed on Friday and told me they put 4 needles into your chest to freeze it before pulling it out. He said that the needles hurt like h*ll for him.

After hearing that, I must admit, I'm a little nervous. LOL       

Ah well, I keep thinking, I'll put up with the Short term pain for long term gain!       

This morning after I showered for the very last time with this catheter I threw out my leftover dressings, etc, for my line, in the garbage. It was quite therapeutic     

I'll report back later, let you all know how it went       

[adairpete]

I watched mine being removed.  I wanted to make sure certain that damn thing was out!  They numbed the area up alot so it didn't hurt.  I just had to sit there for a few minutes while the dr. applied pressure so it didn't bleed.  Didn't bleed much at all (not even when one of them fell out all on its own).  It's alot simpler procedure than them putting one in!  I'm so happy for you that it's being removed!  It was such a relief when it was finallly gone!

[cattlekid]

As far as showering afterwards, I was told that I could shower the same day as long as I covered the area with a Tegaderm.  I stayed in that shower for at least a half-hour LOL

[mcclane]

best wishes ! 

[deniferfer]

Good luck today and hope all goes well!! 

[Cordelia]

Thank you so very much everyone for your best wishes!     

I'm going to lay down for a nap and will stop by later to let you all know how it went!       

[MooseMom]

Yes, you go rest for now.  I hope it went OK.

[Cordelia]

Yes, you go rest for now.  I hope it went OK.

Thanks, MM!         I had dialysis this am and needed a wee nap   

Well, it went super well. It was a breeze. I took 2 ativans yesterday an hour before the procedure and I sailed through it. Hardly felt the needles and really I only felt the line being slowly pulled out. NO PAIN.

They ended up delaying my appointment because the doctor that was supposed to do it, couldn't come so I think I waited about an hour before it came out after I got there.

After I got off the table I remember the one doctor ask if I was ok, as I was walking kind of wobbly from the ativan. I was like, oh yeah, I'm fine LOL   

I slept in my Mom's car on the way home and was falling asleep on the couch by 9:30 pm lastnight I was that tired. I slept like a baby         

Ativan is a wonderful drug     

Anyways, I got the big bandage off this am at dialysis and have a much smaller one. It's a little sore, but not bad.

I am looking forward to my very first shower catheter free!       

[MooseMom]

Oh Cordelia, I'm glad this particular obstacle is now behind you and that it went OK.  I was with my mom when she had hers out; she had had it for 18 months, and on top of that, she was in her late 70s at the time, and she said it was a breeze.  So, I was pretty confident that you'd be OK, but you just never know when something weird and unexpected may happen.   Anyway, now you can shower and swim to your heart's content!  Yay!

[deniferfer]

I'm glad to hear all went well for you! 

Enjoy that 1st shower, its is going to feel so freeing!!

i want me some Ativan.. JK 

[dialysisadvocate]

Glad all went well -
Someone mentioned - can't remember who - that the staff knows the correct procedures for preventing an infection --
Word of Advice -- Unless YOU, the PATIENT, know what practices are the correct ones, you don't know if staff are implementing correct practices -- simply put!
For instance -- many observe staff putting on gloves and think that this is the right thing to do -- many staff do not fully understand and think it is for their protection -- they don't understand that if they do not wash their hands, prior to putting the gloves on, the germs on their hands are then transmitted to the gloves that touch the access site. Many units use gauze (2x2s) from a paper-wrapped container of sorts --- if they touch the gauze, without washing their hands, the gauze then has all the germs that were on the staff's hands.. This gauze then touches your access site and germs can enter your blood stream. Further, if the gloves have germs (from staff's hands, touching the machine, your chair, your clothes, etc) remember the gloves touch your site then the needle enters the skin and the germs then enter your bloodstream -- this is why you need to know all the correct practices. Just take a look at infection rates at the Propublica site (tracker)
Above Opinions - Roberta Mikles BA RN Dialysis Patient Safety Advocate www.qualitysafepatientcare.com

[Cordelia]

LOL It was complete heaven! I had my first shower yesterday. Granted, I didn't 'fully' get to enjoy it for very long since I was expecting a really important phone call soooo I had to cut it a little short. However, today will be a MUCH longer one!          

If recommend, if anyone is nervous about the procedure, ativan sure helped me, I breezed through it! Not even the needles were that bad!     

[Whamo]

I'm happy for you.  Unfortunately, I got my second catheter on Monday.  I get a new fistula in two new surgeries, one a month after the other, so it will be about four or five months before I lose my new cathe.  Big needles blew out my first fisutla.  Enjoy it while you can!

[Cordelia]

I'm happy for you.  Unfortunately, I got my second catheter on Monday.  I get a new fistula in two new surgeries, one a month after the other, so it will be about four or five months before I lose my new cathe.  Big needles blew out my first fisutla.  Enjoy it while you can!

Whamo                       

I wondered if they used too big of needles in your fistula              I'm so sad to hear this