Neck Catheter

[Brightsky69]

  I got a new hemo cathather put in on the 21st. OMG!!  I feel like I have whip lash! Ouch...my neck is so stiff and sore. Will this ever go away?? They gave me some pain meds but I don't like to use them. I'll pop one before i go to bed just so i can sleep. Lordy...this is a pain in the neck (sorry for the pun)   
The actual cathather site is not that sore but it does feel kind of numb. If i stand up straight and relax my shoulders it feels like I have something sitting on my shoulder blade. I just want the neck pain to go away.







EDITED:Fixed title error-kitkatz,Moderator

[G-Ma]

Sorry, both times with mine I had just minor irritation for a day.   

[petey]

My husband Marvin has had 14 perm caths (cath in clavicle -- alternating between right and left sides) over the years.  Some felt a little more "uncomfortable" after first getting them than others, but Marvin said after a day or two, he could hardly tell they were there.

[Patsy]

I am brand new to the list so my advice is very small.  at present I live in the third world country of the Phillippines and a surgeon had to be flow in to the island of Palawan from Manila  to put my catheter in my neck as a temporary and the fistula in my arm for a permanent after 30 days.

I felt one little prick of the sleeping drug and no pain since,  well maybe if I turn my neck to far to the right I can feel a little pull.  Hope your pain goes away quickly and you get use to your cathater.

Cheers
Patsy

[MandaMe1986]

I had one in my neck, diffrent reasons but same catheter.  Slowly try and move it a little.  The more you work it out the less it hurts as you go on. I hope it feels better. 

[Brightsky69]

Thanks guys....it feel a little bit better. I got my BF to massage my neck last night and that seemed to help. I can turn to the right a little bit but turning to the left is still painful. I am sure it will get better eventually.  I hope.

[Rerun]

My first one the same thing happened.  I think I was so freaked out that I just plain did NOT move my neck for the first day and so my neck got stiff!  I always make sure and move my neck when I get one now.

Ask for a mussel relaxer.

[Adam_W]

When I first got a hemo catheter, the pain was almost unbearable. The exit site itself hurt, but it was the tunnel and the incision in my neck that hurt the most. The first week and a half that I had it, I was in the hospital, and for several days after it was put in, I had to to have morphine every three or four hours. After a while it gradually started to ease, and eventually there was no pain at all.

Adam

[monrein]

Mine felt at first as though I had a wire hanger with a medium weight coat hanging from my collar bone.  Have I ever mentioned how much I hate these catheters?

[Bajanne]

My catheter experience was not so bad where the pain was concerned.  Except that the surgeon told me it would be just like a mosquito bite when he was putting it in.  I wondered what the mosquitoes were like where he came from!!  
My first problem was making sure they put it where my students would not be able to see it.  I didn't think they would want to be taught by the bride of Frankenstein.
My second problem was that I could no longer go into the sea, and had to be super careful when bathing.
My third problem was that the slightest movement would make the machine beep.
The upside of a catheter was that the moment the machine finished and they cleaned me up, I could leave.  No waiting 10 - 30 minutes for the bleeding to stop! 

[Brightsky69]

Thanks for the advice. I am almost back to normal as fas as the neck goes.  I did ask the doc on call if i could get a muscle relaxer...like Flexeril. He said "Oh now...your don't need that...you need something for pain."  Whatever.....
He ended up giving me vicodin.

[MandaMe1986]

I don't think doctors understand sometimes that not all people enjoy being high all the time.  And thats all vicodin will do for ya, just makes you happy so you don't care about the pain.  I am sorry he didn't give you flexeril.  But I am happy to hear your neck is feeling better.  Moving your head is pretty important 

[Brightsky69]

Hi all 

My neck is back to normal but now this brand new cathather doesn't work. I've had it for a week and the arterial side is already all clotted up. Wed at dialysis they had to reverse my lines again. Then toward the last 20 minutes of dialysis everything clotted up and they had to take me off the machine.
This cathather is only 9 days old. 
I've had some PD training last week and I'll start training on the cycler machine on Tuesday. My 1st shipment of supplies for PD are due to arrive by Feb 3rd. Not soon enough!  I am sooooo ready to start PD.

[paul.karen]

Sory your going through all this.
Hopefully the PD will go smoothly for you :-)

[MandaMe1986]

Sorry it dosn't work, that sucks.  Is there any way you can get the stuff sooner?   

[coorsbob]

I too had the same problem with my cath clotting up. eventually they sent me back to the surgeon and he fixed the problem. At least it worked after that and I got good flow rates. Since then I'm on PD now and I like it alot better than in center any day. Hope all goes well for you on PD I know it did for me. Let us know how you are doing and post often okay? We are here to help. Take care! Coorsbob

[mikey07840]

Sorry you are having problems with your catheter. I also had problems with mine. About every other dialysis session I would clot up. They would do a special treatment that would clear the clot. I can't remember the name of the stuff they put in. They put it in, then I had to wait an hour and then they drained it out and we did my dialysis. Hope that helps.

[Brightsky69]

Hi mikey,

Yeah they gave me that stuff with my old cathather. I wouldn't doubt they will try and use it again.