Catheter excgange!

[lulu836]

My 3 yo. Catheter stopped working today even with another cath wash.  Anybody had one of these exchanges done?

[Cowdog]

You'll be fine. I laid there a talked to the guy while he changed mine out. Mine was changed due to infection.

[lulu836]

Thanks,  Cowdog but that is hardly an apt description!  I received so many responses it took me no time at all to read through them.  I had scar tissue holding mine in and it was PAINFUL for a grown and hefty man to push on my collar bone and twist and turn the old catheter until it finally gave up and came out.  Good luck to anyone who needs a catheter exchange in the future.  Not to mention the Lidocaine shots in my chest.

[Paul]

I think you were unlucky, my experience was more similar to Cowdog's.

[kristina]

Thanks,  Cowdog but that is hardly an apt description!  I received so many responses it took me no time at all to read through them.  I had scar tissue holding mine in and it was PAINFUL for a grown and hefty man to push on my collar bone and twist and turn the old catheter until it finally gave up and came out.  Good luck to anyone who needs a catheter exchange in the future.  Not to mention the Lidocaine shots in my chest.

Gosh, what an awful experience lulu and I feel very sorry, that you had to go through this !
Best wishes from Kristina.

[cassandra]

How are yo doing Lulu836?


  Love, Cas

[KatieV]

It depends on your scar tissue.  My body grows lots of scar tissue very quickly, so I always request to have conscious sedation when they are removing a catheter.  It's not very comforting to be told, in the middle of the procedure, while under lots of pain, that "you were right about the scar tissue"!

[lulu836]

How are yo doing Lulu836?


  Love, Cas

Dialysis today..........ouch!  My nurse was extra careful not to put unnecessary pressure on the site but even Tegederm pressure is very noticeable.  Whenever any of us has a particularly painful dialysis procedure they are all very solicitous and take good care.  That's probably why I don't mind treatments as much as some do.








EDITED:Fixed quote tag error-kitkatz,Admin

[SweetyPie]

Believe it or not mine was done yesterday. I guess im weak because they kept me awake and inserted thr cath. It was painful. They gave me a small dose of sedation because of my size. I had a blood clot. Still having problems during treatment tho

[cassandra]

              

[laniepoo7]

Thanks,  Cowdog but that is hardly an apt description!  I received so many responses it took me no time at all to read through them.  I had scar tissue holding mine in and it was PAINFUL for a grown and hefty man to push on my collar bone and twist and turn the old catheter until it finally gave up and came out.  Good luck to anyone who needs a catheter exchange in the future.  Not to mention the Lidocaine shots in my chest.

That was my experience too.  The PA was gentle taking it out, but it was still painful and required several shots of lidocaine to get through it.  I had it removed because I went on PD instead.

[lulu836]

@laniepoo7  I had an already scheduled appt with my regular doc two days after the exchange.  This doc is phenomenal in that he has a nephrology fellowship and does consults in nephrology, cardio and neurology.  I described my experience and he was genuinely horrified.  The "cuff" on my catheter is made from a velcro-like material designed to encourage scar tissue growth.  Removing it is done not by mashing on it with brute force but rather by "encouraging" it away from the tissue with forceps and a small cut.  Next time I will go to a different hospital

[Simon Dog]

My catheter removal was pretty painless.  The vascular surgeon who put it did the pull, and it was mostly poking around the edges and wiggling until it came out.    I did ask for a second of lidocaine and he obliged.

To those of you complaining about the pain - just wait until a few weeks after your transplant and it's time to remove your bladder/urethra/kidney stent through your peepee.

[lulu836]

My catheter removal was pretty painless.  The vascular surgeon who put it did the pull, and it was mostly poking around the edges and wiggling until it came out.    I did ask for a second of lidocaine and he obliged.

To those of you complaining about the pain - just wait until a few weeks after your transplant and it's time to remove your bladder/urethra/kidney stent through your peepee.

Transplant associated pain is not something I will ever experience.   Firstly I'm not eligible anymore and secondly I have never, ever desired to have one. 

[kickingandscreaming]

I too have never had an interest in a TX.  I'm also not eligible so it's a good thing Ie don't want one.  In my way of thinking it's just trading in bondage to a machine for bondage to awful drugs.  The surgery itself is the least of my worries.

[lulu836]

Yep........well said!

[GA_DAWG]

My catheter was removed in the office by a resident and I did not feel anything, other than the shot for a local.

[UkrainianTracksuit]

Late to this party, as usual..

I had a cath in for an extended period of time and the removal was pretty painless. A lot of tugging, a little bit of scar tissue and minimal bleeding. The worst part was the big Lidocaine needles.

As for Simon Dog and the tx bladder stents, that was painless too! The urologist pulled it out in under 2 minutes! It was just odd being so exposed and chit chatting like nothing going on. But, the chit chatting was the distraction. Mind you, I hear that procedure is worse for men...

[Simon Dog]

Mind you, I hear that procedure is worse for men...

My discomfort was not related to the tube going through my junk, but a quick sharp intense pain at the end.  The pain lasted for less than a second.  The MD who was watching while a PD did the actual work said "that was the tube going through your sphincter".  Right after that the PA said "I'm in" and a second later she was holding up a green stent with a curly que on each end.

[Cupcake]

Not looking forward to the stent removal next week. I am now 3 weeks post transplant, my creatinine is 1.1 and I am very happy.

Still having abdominal wall pain and the incision looks nasty. As soon as all the scabs are gone I'll start some silicone patches hoping to smooth it out.

But I am up and out every day. Today went to the mall and bought a new winter coat--I didn't bring a down coat as I planned to be home before Christmas but its already snowed here in St. Louis twice.

My transplant coordinator didn't sugar coat the stent removal but promises it will be brief. My sister is coming to take me-not sure that's necessary but at least we can go out and celebrate.

[kristina]

Not looking forward to the stent removal next week. I am now 3 weeks post transplant, my creatinine is 1.1 and I am very happy.

Still having abdominal wall pain and the incision looks nasty. As soon as all the scabs are gone I'll start some silicone patches hoping to smooth it out.

But I am up and out every day. Today went to the mall and bought a new winter coat--I didn't bring a down coat as I planned to be home before Christmas but its already snowed here in St. Louis twice.

My transplant coordinator didn't sugar coat the stent removal but promises it will be brief. My sister is coming to take me-not sure that's necessary but at least we can go out and celebrate.

Many thanks Cupcake for this uplifting up-date ! I am very happy for you and do hope your good luck continues for a long time to come ...
I am so glad that you are already up and out every day and I wish you happy celebrations ! I also wish you good luck with the stent removal and all the best wishes from Kristina.

[iolaire]

Still having abdominal wall pain and the incision looks nasty. As soon as all the scabs are gone I'll start some silicone patches hoping to smooth it out.

After my parathyroid gland removal they told me to put Vaseline on the scar twice per day for six months to help keep it soft and then to massage it as well twice per day (because it protruded about 1/4 of an inch).  With time about three months the scar became fairly minimal and I stopped the Vaseline.  I think I received those instructors because its on my neck and visible, where I did not receive any instructions for the transplant scar.  You might ask if there is something you could do to minimize the transplant scar along those lines.

My transplant scar has minimized itself a good bit and is not bumpy but its there and I'm sure if I were not a hairy belly man it would be fairly visible.  Now a year and a half out I generally do not feel the transplant area unless I wear tight pants that push on it or I fondle the scar area - in that case I can notice the numbness.

[Rerun]

My first cath they ripped out while I was awake.  NEVER again.  I insisted sedation after that.  I've had 3 caths.  Now I have button holes on my fistula and it is going well. fingers x. 

[cassandra]

Now I have button holes on my fistula and it is going well. fingers x. 

I'm glad to read it worked out for you Rerun


Love, Cas

[GA_DAWG]

just thinking that a lidocaine shot in that area is not going to be so pleasant either. A friend had kidney stones and had a catheter inserted. He said when it was time to remove it, they put him in something akin to a hot tub and had him soaking. The Dr removed it while he was in the hot tub and he never felt it.