The "The Water Aerobics is Getting Easier", edition.

iPod shuffled to "Do I Do"? Stevie Wonder. Nice wake up song and I like it a lot, but I'm still sleepy.  Was hoping this would put some pep in my step.  I dislike dialysis. Yes, I know I'd be dead without it and appreciate it, but I still don't have to like it. And yes, I've progressed from the chest catheter to the fistula, but still. 

Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I go to Outer Drive and Southfield at 6 AM to get needles inserted into me. I am one of the last people to come into the center for first shift.  I'm usually pleasant and smile and greet people, so now I get greeted when I come in. This morning I didn't feel like greeting everyone, but the precedent had been set. *sigh*. I nodded and smiled and waved.  Lol. We're kinda like a family.  You get concerned if a fellow patient is not there.  You get concerned if a tech is absent.   My module has seen me when my blood pressure dropped.  We've seen each other go through other mini-crises. I guess it's the nature of the beast. And that's ok. It personalizes dialysis. Heck, I have an entire crew who know what I'm going through, because they are going through the same thing. 

I'm settling in with fistula.  It's on my left arm. Two needles in. Top needle is venous, bottom needle is arterial.  Each needle is monitored for pressure and flow.  "As", Stevie Wonder.  You'd think the name of the song would be "I'll Be Loving You, Always". Lol. Who's gonna argue with Stevie?   I've had a high venous flow.  That got fixed as the fistula matured.  So when they take the needles out, it's one at at time.  Usually.  Anyway the tech is in protective gear, you know blood and all.  A special lab coat that is disposable, a face protector.  They use the antibacterial foam and then put on the gloves.  The patients also get a glove. 

Now comes the fun part. The machine gives a two minute warning.  Lol. That's music to my ears. :-).  The tech brings over gauze and alcohol pads.  The venous needle is pulled first. Once it's  out, I have to apply pressure to the area.  ( This why we have a glove ).  When I first started, the bleeding stopped pretty quick. If course, I had the smallest needles.  There was that time when I checked to see if I'd stopped bleeding and blood spurted up!!  I wasn't expecting that. Lol.  Anyway, once the bleeding stops, I put on a few band aids.  There is a gauze and tape option for those who don't like or can't use band aids.  But look, for some odd reason, using band aids bring out the kid in me. And can use as many band aids as I like!!!  Whoo hoo. Lol. 

Ahem. Lately, though, when those needles come out, I've been bleeding a lot. Right through the gauze, running down my arm, bleeding.  Lol. The kind where you don't realize it until you feel the warm trickle.  No spurting here, just massive flow.  We'll see how it goes today. "So Fresh, So Clean", Outkast. Lol. Imagine my surprise when I'm I the restroom in the Palms Casino in Las Vegas and Outkast is playing. Rofl.  I take a blood thinner once a day and am given a blood thinner while on dialysis because I was prone to clotting (a whole topic for another day).  It looks like its time to revisit that. 

Photo of needles. Red is smallest, green is medium, and blue is what we strive for.  The size is not the actual needle, but diameter of the tube attached to the needle.  The flow of will increase with the maturity of the fistula. Newbies get red.  Signing off with "Grapevyne", Brownstone. Oh, this will perk me up. I love their voices. <3

Bah ... The photo transfer isn't working. The needles will be on my Facebook status today.