Finally happened on Wednesday...

[tiredandthirsty]

my first ever infiltration and boy it hurts!  and the funny thing is it didn't happen while i was being stuck or while i was on the machine.  It happened AFTER the needles were taken out and i was keeping pressure on it.  i was holding onto the gauzes and all of a sudden a big golf ball sized bump appeared between the two needle sticks appeared.  and IT HURT! they gave me ice to put on the bump.  and yesterday i kept warm pressure on it almost all day.  i tied a heating pad on medium heat to my arm.  worked with one hand for an entire day.  pretty interesting. 

but today is the next treatment in line and the bump has gone down a little bit but not all the way and i am afraid today is going to be one painful day.  this sucks donkey butt. 

[Cordelia]

Ouch!

Try ice instead, that's what they tell me to use on my arm when it swells.

[tiredandthirsty]

ice!  they told me to use warm compresses.  i put ice packs on my arm the day after every treatment.  it is needed in my case.  the area where they stick the lower needle hurts quite a bit the next day.  that area is very low on the wrist where there is no muscle, just bones and veins :-(. 

[Whamo]

I sure don't miss those feelings now that I'm back on a cath, but I do miss showers, big time.

[Traveller1947]

How did yesterday's treatment go, t&t?  I've had my share of infiltrations and always use ice the first day and warm after that, the way you would treat a regular bruise.  Those things give some relief, but the only thing that really helps is time.  Glad it's the weekend now with two days to heal.  All the best to you.

[tiredandthirsty]

How did yesterday's treatment go, t&t?  I've had my share of infiltrations and always use ice the first day and warm after that, the way you would treat a regular bruise.  Those things give some relief, but the only thing that really helps is time.  Glad it's the weekend now with two days to heal.  All the best to you.

Hey, sorry for the delayed response.  but i didn't get on the computer on the weekend.  that's a rule i have created so that i can have some sort of life.  i spend so much time on the computer for work, if i didn't do this i'd have nothing but dialysis and work.  that's it.  so unless it is super urgent, i try not to get on the computer on the weekends.  i hang out with my family, go driving, watch movies etc instead. 

so enough digressing.  friday was worse than wednesday.  i put warm compress all day on thursday on the bump and it did go down a bit but it was still hurting when i went in on friday.  so the lady came in and stuck me and started me off on 400.  now i didn't remember ever being put on 400 but i went with it not knowing what the outcome or potential outcomes could be.  bad idea.  it ran ok for 20 minutes and then my lower needle, the one closer to the wrist started vibrating and hurting and the machine went off.  so i called the nurse and she started pushing and pulling it in and out and at one point she pushed it in so far that it kind of sent a pain bolt right through my body and it forced a loud "OWW" from me.  this has never happened, i have never let out a scream of any sorts no matter how much the pain.  even during a bone marrow biopsy (which i think hurts WAY more than these needle pinches) i never said a word.  the nurse immediately let go off the needle and asked the other nurse to try.  so the other nurse starts having a go at the needle, which btw is still stuck in me.  at this point, i was fuming.  my face told the whole story because other nurses that were in the room kept asking me continuously are you ok? i just grunted.  then finally they decided they will take the needle out and re-stick me.  they got a 16 needle and re stuck me and kept me at 200 the rest of the time.  it went smoothly after that but my hand was in pain almost the whole 1:59 minutes i was on the machine.  from elbow to the wrist.

after two days of warm compresses, my left hand still hurts and i have to go in again today with a painful arm.  how much more bad luck do i have written in my destiny?  can i not get one flawless week, where there is no pain, no issues?  how bad must i have been that God has written such a trash life for me?

[MomoMcSleepy]

For muscle aches/spasms, nerve pain, warm compress helps.  For bruises, swelling, fever, sore throat, overheating--cold compress.  If the pain is from blood under skin, bruising, swelling, then I say cold will help you.  If it feels like shooting, electric nerve pain, like they  nicked a nerve or there's pressure on it, warm MIGHT help, but this sounds  like a job for ice to me.

[Traveller1947]

Just got home from dialysis, so not in good shape to write, but I saw your post and wanted to answer right away.  I'm so sorry you have been having such a struggle.  Some days, weeks, months are like that, but it DOES get better.  I know you don't believe that right now, and how can you, when your arm is black and swollen and too painful to go near?  But all the same, THINGS WILL GET BETTER!  Try to hang in there and keep advocating for yourself with the staff, so they'll know you won't tolerate careless treatment.  I like your idea about taking a break from the computer on weekends.  There are sometimes better things to do...

[amanda100wilson]

Yes, the advice should have been ice for the first day and then warm compresses for the next few days, the rationale being that the ice will stop any further bleeding the first day, and the heat will help disperse the collection of blood over subsequent days.

[tiredandthirsty]

Just got home from dialysis, so not in good shape to write, but I saw your post and wanted to answer right away.  I'm so sorry you have been having such a struggle.  Some days, weeks, months are like that, but it DOES get better.  I know you don't believe that right now, and how can you, when your arm is black and swollen and too painful to go near?  But all the same, THINGS WILL GET BETTER!  Try to hang in there and keep advocating for yourself with the staff, so they'll know you won't tolerate careless treatment.  I like your idea about taking a break from the computer on weekends.  There are sometimes better things to do...

Hi Traveller1947, thanks a lot for taking the time to write even though you just returned from dialysis.  i hope it gets better, because for the past week and a half i have been on a ride.  not the fun amusement park ride either.  i try to advocate for myself with the staff, but sometimes i feel bad "ordering them around" (not literally, but when i ask them hey can so and so stick me instead of you kind of thing).  we all have to just hang in there since there is no other option.  so you do the same.  take care of yourself and i hope you never have any problems ever.  be it dialysis or transplant. 

Thanks a lot.

[Traveller1947]

I appreciate the good wishes, t&t.  Had a tough day at dialysis today and your kind words really gave me a lift.  Here's a thing you could try, if you don't want to say directly to someone, "I'd rather have so and so put me on instead of you".  Talk to the charge nurse ahead of time and say, "So and so seems to know my access better than anyone else.  I would prefer to have him/her put me on routinely".  If the charge nurse doesn't give you an ear, talk to the clinical manager.  After all, the proof that something needs to change is there between your elbow and wrist.  All the best to you.

[tiredandthirsty]

hi traveler,

you are absolutely right.  the proof is between my elbow and wrist and i need to get a hold of it.  wednesday's treatment went well and i think the head RN sort of understands that she has the best hands to stick me (she has 16 years of experience) and she really tries.  but they have her loaded with so much administrative work, she rarely has time to get off of the desk.  i feel bad for her because she always says she hates the desk and administrative work. 

i'll have to find another person who can stick the needles on a regular basis.  i have also found another thing that running on 300-350 is all my arm can handle.  Last friday this woman put me on 400 (which was the first time ever for me) and that's when the problems started.  so i need to pay attention to what values they are entering in the machine as well.  i have started doing that since this past wednesday.

Tomorrow is friday.  and fridays are mostly when problems occur for me.  that's the kind of luck i have been having lately.  lousy.  so we will see how tomorrow goes.  obviously there will be a report/rant here if something goes wrong :-).  where else am i going to shout? 

[Traveller1947]

Best of luck to you tomorrow, t&t!

[noahvale]

^