bleeding/pain

[ahinchey]

hi-
My father has been doing dialysis for only 6 weeks now, and he is ready to give up.  He is 73 years old, and he is not the most patient man, and this entire process has been painful and he is ready to give up.  When he was there last week, he had to go to the bathroom, so they took the needle out, and when he tried to get it back in, it bruised his entire arm.  So it is really painful each time they stick him, and he bleeds a lot when it is done. They have to wrap his skin with tight gauze and he said when he takes it off the next day, it feel like he is ripping his skin off. 
When he leaves dialysis he is extremely weak too and is starting to give up on it all. 
We have tried the Elma cream, and that doesn't do much...does anyone have any advice?
I would really appreciate it, we are desperate.

[Traveller1947]

Hi, Alison!   I'm so sorry to hear that your father having such a hard time with dialysis.  If he is weak leaving dialysis the most likely reason is that his dry weight needs to be raised a bit.  Talk to his nephrologist about that.  If too much fluid is being removed try to reach a dry weight that is too low, he'll never feel well coming off the machine.

When they remove you from the machine during treatment so that you can use the bathroom, they don't remove the needles.  They put a cap on the short length of tubing that is attached to each needle and tape the tubing to your arm.  The needles stay in place.  If one of the needles fell out and someone tried to re-insert it badly, that would definitely cause bruising and a lot of pain.  Ice can give some relief on the first day and later, warm compresses.  It can take quite a long time to heal injuries of that kind.

The bleeding when they remove the needles is normal, but should stop before he's allowed to go home.

It sounds as though it's the tape they're using that is causing the problem when your father removes the gauze dressing.  Ask the staff to use only paper tape.

If you're using Emla cream, apply it an hour in advance and cover it with a piece of plastic wrap.

I hope these suggestions are of use to you in caring for your father.  All the best to you both.

[smcd23]

If he doesn't like plastic wrap over the cream, we used to use tagaderm patches. You can get them at the local pharmacy. I take it he has a fistula? What size needles are they using? Would a smaller needle be easier for him to take?

[CBennett]

I am 75 years old and have been on dialysis for 3 months.  The first 6 weeks were the worst and I was thinking of giving up. Then I talked to the Dr and got my dry weight adjusted and it hasn't been bad since then. Your Dr needs to change his dry weight. Tell him about every thing you have complaints about.  It does get better.  I was infiltrated twice in the first month, my arm was all purple and bruised.  Iced one day heat the next. Hang in there.

[ahinchey]

Thank you everyone for your comments, I REALLY appreciate it.  I will have him talk to them about adjusting his dry weight.  Also, about the paper tape.

Hopefully it will get easier for him.