I Hate The Needles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kevno]

Just wondering how you  feel about the needles on Haemo?

Just can not get the bad memories from when I was a child on Haemo.  The Bad experiences with the needles, being held down, given drugs to try to quiet me down.

I know it was in the 70's and things have changed a bit but not that much!

I have seen two doctors and now I am seeing a prof about my needle phobia.

I have been given a few ways to try to calm down before I go on the Machine,  going fo a walk, watch tv, music. to try to keep my anxiety down.

Sometimes it works,  but I still sometime drop my Blood Pressure, when the Nurse misses with the first attemps.


I suppose after being back on Haemo now for over 5 years I whould get used to it,  but it is there, the hate of the needles.  Even have nightmares the night before.

I have attach a doc which I have given to all of the nurses  on the Unit.  I do not know if it as helped me or not.  The nurses just comes into the room and puts me on realy quickly, so i now have no time to panic.

Now for the question.

How do you cope with the needles, if you are on haemo.


your hoping for a reply


KEVNO

[LifeOnHold]

That was thoughtful of you to write... what has the reaction been to it?


I had a terrible needle phobia because of childhood vaccinations-- I used to try to run away and was held down, too.  Kids in the waiting room could hear me screaming!  My parents would always lie that we were going to the park or zoo-- not smart, because after that I never trusted them, and associated the words 'park' and 'zoo' with needles!   

Anyway, here is what I did to get over my fear of the needles:  Before the nurse comes over to put the needles in, I pick up each needle, look at it, and 'invite' it into my arm... I pretend that the needles are alive, and I ask them to go into my arm quickly and correctly.  This doesn't help with the pain, but it stops the panic! 

[LifeOnHold]

If you do it that way, then it doesn't matter who is hooking you up-- if you have already made a 'deal' with the needles that they will go in properly, the worst nurse in the building could hook you up and you won't panic.  This way, you transfer the 'responsibility' to the needles, and don't end up hating the nurse.

[Jamie]

I'm not sure if I know of anyone who love's getting those needle's and if they are out there I would like to meet them.....Jamie-G

[Bajanne]

They have been telling me that after a while it is not going to hurt.  But it still does.  I had started taking lidocaine, but after my experience in Barbados where the lidocaine needle hurt so bad, I have been taking the needle without lidocaine.
I do hope I get used to the needle.  I also fear when they place it badly and it goes to the other side of my graft
It usually does not hurt after it is well placed, but once I had pain for the entire 4 hours.

[LifeOnHold]

They told me that BS, too, when I started dialysis... well, I've been on it for 10 years and let me tell you, it still hurts when those needles go in!  So don't feel bad that you're not 'getting used to it' quicker-- I don't think you can ever really get 'used to' huge hunks of metal being jammed through your skin!   You can get 'used to' the idea that you have to do it, maybe that's what they're talking about.

[Epoman]

I of course hate the needles as well. I in fact even stick my own needles. I never miss or infiltrate and I control the pain. I use the same spots over and over so unless I hit a new spot there is very little pain. Or maybe I am just use to it by now. I have been on for 12+ years straight no transplant. So every other day for 12+ years I get 2 damn needles stuck in my arm. For me it's more emotional pain than physical pain.

[tamara]

Hi, i needle myself and we are told in australia not to keep using the same spots, does this increase your chance of infection?

[Sara]

Are you able to use some sort of Anbesol or other mouth number on the needle site to help numb it for just the few minutes before sticking?

[Rerun]

I'm going to have to start using needles this month.  I'm not going to use the ELM or EML (whatever) cream because it sounds like a hassle.  I'm going to use a numbing shot (lidocain) and take about 16 Diazepam! 

But, yes there is a cream that you can put on the site an hour before but then you have to make sure and wash it off really well before cannulation.

[Rerun]

I'm going to use ONE needle on Tuesday.  I think I can do ONE.   

[kevno]

How did you do with the needle on Tuesday, hope everything went OK for you!

I had a little mishap on tuesday, the needle came out while I was asleep, Blood everywhere.

Yours

Kevno

[Rerun]

Tomorrow is Tuesday in California~   

[kevno]

  Got the days mixed up. when you have been on heamo for some time, the days just seem to roll into one. HEAMO DAY! 

Kevno

[LifeOnHold]

Seems my life is one big TueThurSat!   

[kevno]

  I think today was tuesday?  Thought about you today, this morning RERUN. while I was being needled, everything went OK today. How was your first day for an needle? Hope it was not as bad as you thought.

Kevno

[Bajanne]

Seems my life is one big TueThurSat!   

This is weird!  I told my daughter just a day or so ago that my life seems to revolve around my dialysis.  Weekends in my mind are now 2 days without dialysis.   Tuesdays and Thursdays are now the days before dialysis.
DIALYSIS HAS TAKEN OVER MY LIFE!!!

[LifeOnHold]

Yep... now your life revolves around other people-- your techs, nurses and doctors!

I'd dearly love to see how many hours of our lives are wasted waiting: In the waiting room before treatment, in the unit waiting to be taped up, waiting to see the doctor, and waiting to be picked up after treatment-- it's no surprise that some patients lose it and become violent!


Of course dialysis is taking over your life-- it's built to do that!  Now that you are on it, apparently your time means nothing and can be wasted with no apologies necessary-- after all, you're being kept alive and should be 'grateful!'        Hmm... wonder if that's why there's such a high DEATH RATE among patients-- only so much of this BS you can take!

[Bajanne]

You really struck a note with that WAITING!!
It does not matter what you do to get on at a certain time.  When you come early, you still end up going on at the same time as if you came late.
I miss my catheter days when they just put on the cap and you left.  Now there is all this waiting for the bleeding to stop.  I need to make another post about this bleeding after dialysis problem.
I was in a car accident on Dec 27 and will not have my new vehicle until about 6 weeks, so it means I have to depend on someone for a ride after dialysis. Bummer!

[Rerun]

The nurse stuck me with the Lidocane needle and that stung.  Then he inserted the needle and (I was not watching) then I heard him say "Oh Oh".  It puffed up and he had to take the needle out.  He said it wasn't ready yet.  It is 6 months old!  He said to squeeze the stupid BALL and we would try it again in two weeks.  I admit I haven't been squeezing the ball!!!  But, my fistula is in my upper arm and I don't see how that will work.   

[kevno]

Waiting!   wish I had a penny for every hour. Now I am a bit sneaky . Get to the Unit for about 7.30am get everything ready, i.e Do BP,WT Get the table ready and the chair,  then clear off to the cafe and have coffee. Get back for about 8am usually on for 8.15am.   Some of the patients have been on the unit from 6.45am, not for me anymore hanging around waiting for the needles. just want to sit down and get on the Machine.  Not to wait to get on the machine.  I know if every patient did what I do it whould be chaos!

Sometimes get a bit of a moan off one of the Nurses "Where have you been, we've been waiting"
unfortunately, I do not care anymore, I have done my time waiting. Now I can be waited for.

Kevno

[kevno]

Sorry to hear you had a neelde blow, I have had quite a lot of them. Have they given you a cream to get the bruising out. It seemed to work for me. About the BALL.  Yes it does work squeezing it, don't ask me how it just does.  Many patients have not used the ball and the fistula will not develop as quick. As I found out, squeezed the dam ball for about 15mins a day after a couple weeks you could see that the fistula had got bigger.

So at least give it a go Rerun, let me know how you get on.

Kevno

[kevno]

It was a nightmare day for me today.  Three attempts to get one needle in! OUCH!  Then the Nurse decided after she had got the needle in. My line was very slow, stop and start Venus pressure 300+. So I was taken off the machine after the Nurse had tried for ten minutes to get the line to work.  A TPA lock was put into the line it is a lot stronger than heparin.  So it should unblock the line, after I waited 20Min's for it to work. When she tried the needle it had clotted. So that had to come out too.   Then she pulled two needles out, in my normal way I said "No Chance, Just One Needle".  She seemed to get the needle in OK, but that needle clotted to. So that had to come out. " Third time lucky" Ha! AS IF!!  ::)Then I got out of the chair and cleared off for a coffee at the cafe.  After about 15Min's later I come back, got a bit of a moan by the nurses. A different nurse had a go to put me on, she got the needle no trouble.  She then pulled the TPA lock out, that seemed to have done its job.  Venus pressure 120+. I knew it was going to be a bad day today On Saturday I smashed my DVD player.  Nothing on the TV.  Then just to finish the day of the bloody patients in the other room started to sing!!  Well they call it singing, it sounded more like they were in pain!


On for 9am usually 7.45am

Kevno
( Do I hate thoses Needles!!!!!!!!  )

[Rerun]

Is it supposed to HURT when they take out the needles.  They push down really hard and then pull the needle out.  It doesn't leave a hole it leaves a cut.  SHIT!  There is one tech that can get them out without hurting.  Plus, I don't think that would be very good for the vein.     The arterial needle puffed up when they put it in today.  So, they left it in and put in another one.  So, I had 3 in me today.  Then it hurt while she scraped them out of my arm and I was trying to hold 3 spots.  Obviously not very well because when I was done, I stood up and the bottom one started spewing blood.  I hope my fistula is not clotting.  I do not need access problems. 

[Epoman]

Is it supposed to HURT when they take out the needles.  They push down really hard and then pull the needle out.  It doesn't leave a hole it leaves a cut.  SHIT!  There is one tech that can get them out without hurting.  Plus, I don't think that would be very good for the vein.     The arterial needle puffed up when they put it in today.  So, they left it in and put in another one.  So, I had 3 in me today.  Then it hurt while she scraped them out of my arm and I was trying to hold 3 spots.  Obviously not very well because when I was done, I stood up and the bottom one started spewing blood.  I hope my fistula is not clotting.  I do not need access problems. 

You need to do what I do, tell them to NOT push down until the needle is all the way out. Have them place the gauze on top of the site, then have them pull the needle out but do not apply pressure until it is totally out. If they are causing you pain when they are removing the needle they are not removing the needle properly. Plus it is bad for your fistula and will cause more scar tissue over time. Bottomline is make them pull the needles out by YOUR RULES PERIOD.

- Epoman