Tomorrow is the day!

[kristina]

Hello again, woodsman,

I am so pleased your first D-session went reasonably well

and I do hope everything will go well in the future.

Best wishes from Kristina. 

[paris]

Good news        I'm keeping you in my thoughts.

[Bajanne]

Very glad it went well for you.  It should get even better (and the needles will get bigger).  In my unit they use the smallest needles for abot 3 sessions, then the bigger ones for the same and then the biggest ones.  I had lidocaine in the early days, but since that used to give me a sting anyway, I stopped that.
When is your next session? Don't forget your blanket!!

[boswife]

hehe...willowtreewren, it freeked HUBBY out when i said i was ready to give it a go without it..hehe (we were doing the 'shot' and as i hate needles anyway, i figure two less of them would be good for me too )   After all, he "said" he was doing it for 'MY' benifit so after about 5 sticks, i was ok with it but now he was thinken he liked them..... I won, and it was fine from there without anything  

[woodsman]

I just wanted to report back after my first day and getting some much needed sleep.
aftyer day one, i got up today after sleeping almost 6 hrs and i feel so MUCH better i have some energy and i am not tired, short of breath and i actually feel younger if i amy say, is this possible??

[MooseMom]

I just wanted to report back after my first day and getting some much needed sleep.
aftyer day one, i got up today after sleeping almost 6 hrs and i feel so MUCH better i have some energy and i am not tired, short of breath and i actually feel younger if i amy say, is this possible??

Well, that's the general idea.  For all the inherent crappiness of dialysis, I guess the point is to make you feel BETTER!  I often tell myself that if the only way I will be able to feel better is to have D, then I'll do it.  Otherwise, there's no point.

Keep reporting back to us, OK?  I'm hanging on your every word.  I am so very happy that you are feeling younger!  You've got that new grandpunkin to look after, ya know.

[noahvale]

*

[MooseMom]

Thanks very much for that, noahvale.  It all sounds so complicated, but I guess as with most things, it will become second nature after a while.  And that's when you have to make sure you don't get too complacent!

My fistula is now over a year old but so far has not been needed.  Once I do need to start D, does the fact that it is not "new" give me any sort of itty bitty advantage at all?  Will that make it easier to cannulate?  Can I start preparing buttonholes immediately?

Again, thanks so much for the info.  I appreciate you taking the time to post this.

[willowtreewren]

Woodsman, after Carl's first week of dialysis, he said that he felt 10 years younger! 

He was very fortunate during his whole dialysis experience, no crashing, few food or fluid restrictions, and he felt GREAT!

There was that time inconvenience thing, though. 

Aleta

[noahvale]

*

[MooseMom]

Yep, my fistula is in fab shape according to everyone I've shown it to! 

And yep, I know that when to start dialysis is the $64,000 question.  I see my neph every 2 months for complete labs, and so far I am pootling along.  I have no edema and I am not anemic (which my neph simply can't explain).  My neph has not recommended I start dialysis just yet.  But you're right, noahvale, that it's not wise to let yourself morph into an emergency.

And good for you, woodsman, for giving yourself the chance to start D in a controlled fashion and not as an ER patient.  It must have been tempting to just keep on slogging through for as long as possible.  Keep us posted!  I'm particularly interested on how you decide to spend your time on D.  Do you think you'll spend most of the time watching something, listening to something or reading something?  If you can keep your mind entertained, I imagine the whole experience is much more bearable.  Do you intend staying in-clinic, or do you think you will ever try home hemo?

 

[woodsman]

Well after a fine 1st time treatment the walls came crashing down this morning at my 2nd time. My nurse infiltrated me and my forearm is now the size of popeyes. It appears she went in and back out and caused the bleeding inside my arm. I began to get a bit nervous when i seen my arm swelling up fast. She then removed on needle because nothing was flowing right and reinserted under the other needle that was already in.
 I so wanted to bail and just keep running but i held my ground and while she apologized many times and said i was the 1st infiltration in over a year with her (yeah me). They did say that with my fistula being so new it takes time for it to thicken up. So here i am at work with only 2 hours of sleep and i'm here till midnight.....  Now i know i will be black,blue green and some others but will this effect my sat D session

[MooseMom]

Well, there's a surprise.   You know, we've heard so many infiltration stories here on IHD.  Is there ANYONE here who has never been infiltrated?

I am so sorry to hear this.  You must be in pain AND exhausted.  I hope your nurse gave you instructions on at-home care for your arm to limit the pain and damage.  What do you think will happen on Saturday?  How does this affect that session?

[boswife]

Doggone it!!  and i dont know a bunch about infultration (hubby had only mild and i was upset about that but ..) and am wondering if you got to do your treatment??? When hubby got his, i cant even remember if they just went back to his cath for that treatment or what.  It hasnt been that long (bout 2 years) so at least one thing, mabie this will fade from your memory soon as well.  Im sure sorry that you had to go through this and hope you still got a treatment so at least you may feel better.  Also, only one tech/he was a nurse actually, was aloud to canulate new patients for their first few months at our center and i thought that was very professional of them.  He was great with patients too, and it was only once he was turned loose to the others that he got infultrated..  Well, i surly hope for better on sat... And wish you could get out of work for the eve!!

[natnnnat]

I shudder at the thought of infiltration, it always sounds revolting.  Here's a requote of the interesting gear Noahvale supplied earlier this thread, suddenly got more relevant:

[...]
ONLY INCREASE BF RATES IF NO EVIDENCE OF INFILTRATION OR OTHER PROBLEMS NOTED.
[...]

Infiltration instructions
If the fistula infiltrates, let it “rest” for one week and then go back to smaller gauge needles.

If the fistula infiltrates a second time, wait another two weeks and then go back to smaller gauge needles.

If the fistula infiltrates a third time, notify surgeon.
[...]

http://www.nwrenalnetwork.org/fist1st/oncoursewithcannulationbookletversion.pdf

Hope your arm isn't too colourful today and hope that's it for infiltrations: if everyone infiltrates, well, you've done yours now, had your infiltration. 

[malaka]

I'm not there yet as nephro is weighing whether to send me to vascular surgeon.  I'm willing to go, and hearing these stories, I'd rather have a healed fistula in place for if and when I need dialysis.  But looking at the bright side of infiltration, at least its not chemotherapy infiltration which gets really, really ugly.

Since swelling is getting worse w/o diet or liquid intake changes, and despite increasing Lasix to 120 mg/day from 40, I can see needles in my future, too. Creatinine and GFR not quite bad enough yet to require dialysis, and I can't wait (hahahaha) to have to recalibrate all the drugs I'm taking. 

BTW, I had inflitration once during a blood donation.  Loved the blue, indiigo, greenish and purple tints it gave me. 

[woodsman]

No discolor yet but i know its coming, It is very sore today and i just wonder if i should allow them to try dialysis in the am, what if they do it again then what happens??.. Now i this to fear each time i visit.................. can this ruin my fistula???  my arm is rock hard today... and i just don't like it..

[MooseMom]

No discolor yet but i know its coming, It is very sore today and i just wonder if i should allow them to try dialysis in the am, what if they do it again then what happens??.. Now i this to fear each time i visit.................. can this ruin my fistula???  my arm is rock hard today... and i just don't like it..

Just in case you missed it, noahvale posted some information on page two of this thread.

I'll be thinking of you tomorrow AM and will be watching for a post from you about what happened at your session.  Do you think you have enough renal function that you could skip a session for more "healing time" if necessary without endangering your health?

[woodsman]

No discolor yet but i know its coming, It is very sore today and i just wonder if i should allow them to try dialysis in the am, what if they do it again then what happens??.. Now i this to fear each time i visit.................. can this ruin my fistula???  my arm is rock hard today... and i just don't like it..

Just in case you missed it, noahvale posted some information on page two of this thread.

I'll be thinking of you tomorrow AM and will be watching for a post from you about what happened at your session.  Do you think you have enough renal function that you could skip a session for more "healing time" if necessary without endangering your health?

Yes MM i know i could do that i still P alot so something is still happening there. I just can't fathom the thought that they would miss again in the morning i don't think my arm could take the extra blood again. I was so happy after the first session and now this...  dam them all... lol,,,  Thank MM i will keep you posted....

[boswife]

I was curious woodsman if they had the 'head' nurse canulate you?  I know centers are different, but they had one specified to do 'virgin' fistulas at our center.  I personally think thats extreamly important and!!! that even though your not starting button holes 'yet' (dont know if thats even a plan for you) the same "nurse" was to canulate for the first two months.  NO one else got to touch bo's (hubbys) until then.  What sucked is the second tech that did 'get' to have a go at it,  did infultrate but it i believe was soooooooooo much less than if it had been in the beginning.  Dang it anyway woodsman, to have such a good start made us all so happy, and you dont deserve now to wonder whats up next.  Thinken you might talk to your neph real quic (before the weekend?) and see if ya ought do give it this weekend break (as already suggested    ) ?  Sending best wishes for you..  Keep intouch.. 

[woodsman]

He said they will check it before they try dialysis in the am and if its found to be a problem then no dialysis....

[tyefly]

I was infiltrated the second time too...  When I started everything ran fine for the 2hours I was on...   second time infiltrated ....  Fourth time infiltrated....  My arm was so black and blue it was hard as a rock and hurt really bad...   I had to quit going for a week to let it rest.... they didn't like that but  hey its my arm...and since I just started it not like I had to been there...  when I got back I ran fine but then I infiltrated just sitting there.... I had to be stuck roughly about 10 times before I quit infiltrating..   after two weeks we started button holes and after a couple of months with no infiltrations I started Nxstage training and started cannulating my self..... I have never infiltrated my self....  amazing....  I was told by many that new fistulas infiltrate....  and until they get toughen up  that's the way things are....  But I had the same person develop my buttonholes which is a plus...she even came in on her days off just to stick me.....  I love her....    I think that way its important not to start too late but start early so that if and when you are infiltrated you can rest and not do dialysis for a while.... the clinic doesn't like it cause they only get paid if you are in the chair.... I was threaten that I would loose my chair if I was not back in a week.....  boy.... its all about the money....

[woodsman]

Oaky sat was another adventure in pain. They needed 3 nurses and 5 needles to get the 2nd needle in and working. They lifted me out of my chair 4 xs dong so. Arm was way sore and it continues today, tuesday will be another adventure... I hope they get it right the first time...

[lmunchkin]

GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY!!!!!   You had 3 nurses trying to stick you?  What did your neph tell you about not doing D since you still P?  This is awful.  I think they infiltrated my husband about 3 times while in-center. But he was not there very long before we came home with NxStage.  I infiltrated him once the very first time!  Now he is tough and says it was ok, but I think had I gone a littler farther, he might have experienced some discomfort.

You really need the head nurse or charge nurse to do you awhile, till your fistula gets better!  Then once you get comfy with it oh say a month or so, check into this Nxstage at home.  That is if you have a partner to help you!

Wishing better stickings in the future, gheeesee I certainly hope so!

lmunchkin       

[MooseMom]

Woodsman, I have been thinking about you all weekend, and I am so so so sorry this has happened.  You sounded so upbeat after your first session that I was hoping that you wouldn't have these screw-ups.  What ended up happening on Saturday?  Did you get a full session in, or did they just stop?

How is your arm doing right now?  And how are you feeling overall (other than the obvious arm pain)?