Dear fellow renal readers,
For my treatment I use (blue) I believe 15 guage dialysis needles. I have always used these type of needles right from the start when I was 18 years old. Here is Canada when I first got my fistula put in my arm the nurse's had always use the (blue) 15 guage needles posed to the smaller (red) one's. I have had never had a choice to chose between the two nor was givin a choice.
That being said I must say I have never gotten use of these needles since I have been on the machine. They have always hurt like a son of a bitch but I have come up with some things that really help me while they put these very large needles into my fistula.(how maybe they will help some one else) also please remember I'm a professional and it took years to get to this level.
My fistula first of all is in my left arm when the Doctor asked me what arm I wanted my fistula in I told him my left arm. I thought what the hell if some thing goes wrong I don't use that arm anyway. (this is your first step) because I'm right handed.
Now before the nurse put's in my dialysis needles here in what I do to perpare myself. Number one I grind my teeth. Than with my right hand I make a fist and I blow very hard into it (The fist needle goes in ) I say very loudy in a deep and heavy voice threw my right hand while in a fist and still blowing threw it "I'M O.K., I'M O.K., I'M O.K." thinking two my self the first part is done and over with.
Now as the 2nd needle goes in it is pretty well the same as the first but there is a little difference my voice when I say "I'M O.K., I'M O.K. " gets a little deeper and a littler louder. Now I have been on dialysis a long time and the nurse's are use to this special routine I have came up with so when you try it don't be surprised if the nurse is a little jummpy.
Now I have tryed to deal with these needles as the best I could and its very depressing just thinking about them.
A good friend of mine from my dialysis Clarance he is 76 years old told me just sit in the chair and bear with it because there is nothing you can do about in anyways. Believe it or not he had told that to me over 2 years ago and it has really helped me to get threw the needle part of dialysis. Sure they hurt the only thing I can compare it to is getting a bee sting twice on your arm and for me the pain goes away in about a half hour.
Now honestly for me this is 100% the worse part about dialysis is the needle work and none of my so called normal friends what to talk or even here about it so thing must be kept in untill now.
Until next time keep your needles sharp and your blood pressure down.....Jamie-G
(
www.jamiegmagic.com)
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