Fistula surgery completed

[Alex C.]

Now, it's just a matter of time until I'll need to start using it. Any suggestions as to what I should do in the months remaining before I get tied down to regular dialysis appointments?

[mamagemini]

as too???

Well run freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Make more memories! I did as much as I could and went to where every I could go because of no schedule! When you start D, you are locked in....if you go somewhere then you have to prep and make plans for all of your Dialysis stuffage.

[Jill Marie Evans]

 Crap...I hadn't thought much about that. But you could vacation if there is a dialysis center and you make arrangements, there, right? That would have limitations, but it's something.

[MightyMike]

Squeeze a stress ball to pump up that fistula so it gets nice and big and ready for dialysis.  Also take a nice vacation because it's a lot easier before you start dialysis.  Best wishes.

[MommyChick]

Crap...I hadn't thought much about that. But you could vacation if there is a dialysis center and you make arrangements, there, right? That would have limitations, but it's something.

You can vacation all you want on dialysis you just need to plan ahead a little. I just got back from a week vacation at the beach & it was the best week ever, sure its a lot easier when you don't have dialysis, but 7 yrs of this & I haven't let it stop me yet!! I go on a vacation every year & my social worker is awesome at planing it all for me as soon as i say where I'm going & staying.

ps: Alex please do enjoy yourself while your still free of the mach. & don't forget to use the stress ball like MM said.
Good Luck
Marna

[Alex C.]

Just met with my surgeon, 2 weeks after the surgery. "Only partially successful", he says. Now I need to go in for vein mapping, and another procedure. This sucks.

[Sue]

same thing for me Alex, i have to have a fistulagram and balloon procedure to fix a stenosis. I am pre dialysis, i had my fistula since april. You're right tho it sucks!

[Whamo]

Vein mapping?  That's what they did for my first fistula.  It wound up failing after a month of use when they tried to use the big needles.  My second fistula works fine, but I'm going to CAPD because I HATE NEEDLES, among other things. 
If you're not on dialysis, you can avoid it by going on Dr. Walzer's low-protein diet.  The book is cheap.  The amino acid supplements are not.  I did it for 4 years, but I got really weak and didn't watch my potassium (drank a lot of carrot juice), which caused my kidneys to fail.  I actually live better on dialysis than before, when I was on the low protein diet.  Although I didn't have to endure the unpleasant aspects of dialysis, which is a lot to take.