The "I'm Moving Forward in Dialysis", edition.

iPod shuffled to The Temptations, "Runaway Child, Running Wild". Junior high.  Lunch time. Entire lunch room singing. Lol. Something new with my vascular fistula.  When it was mature enough, I started getting stuck (cannulated).  The sticks were moved up the veins each treatment. Well, a few weeks ago, a nurse said it was time for button holes. Ok, what are button holes?  The tech creates a holes that she cannulate the same hole over and over.

My tech uses the same site, at the same depth at the same angle each and every cannulation creating a tunnel track like an earring hole. Some of the benefits are the cannulation is less painful.  That's fine. The sticks don't  really hurt now AND I'm given a numbing cream to apply before I go to treatment. And the cream is covered by the clinic. I think it's a Medicare thing.  One day I'll go over my medical coverage. Ok ok more benefits the button hole is fewer missed sticks ( hasn't happened...yet?), fewer infections, fewer infiltrations and hematomas. The technique is also less time consuming. "Why Leave Us Alone", Five Special. I told you I grew up with the bass player. I started quizzing him on the arrangement and production of the song. He invited me to a studio to go over the questions. :-). Unfortunealty I was deep in the throes of kidney failure. I'm gonna hold him to the invitation eventually.  The most impressive benefit of buttonholes is that moves me closer to self cannulation. 

Self cannulation. Wow. That gives me more control over my body and treatment. It also scares the crap out of me.   But I see a handful of folks doing it in my center. And diabetics inject themselves. People who have severe allergies may have to inject themselves with adrenalin.  So I'm not that special     More than one of the staff here would like me to able to self cannulate when I travel.  I like the idea so a stranger is not sticking me.  The staff here want it to be known that they teach and support their patients. "Our center is better than yours....neener, neener". Lol 

Most of the issues that buttonhole fixes I haven't experienced, with the exception of the hematoma.  My hematoma was created after the surgery in March, rather from dialysis. My arm was numbed for over 12 hours requiring an overnight stay in the hospital.  A nurse checked on me around 11 PM. I was asleep until she woke me.  A hematoma ( big ole bubble of blood under the skin) had formed on the surgical site and burst or something.  I was swimming in a pool of blood in the bed, but since my arm was numb, I didn't have a clue.  The hematoma from dialysis is from the blood glowing threw the man made fistula.  And no, I don't a hematoma or an infiltration, but I can see something going on on my arm. The mutilation has begun!!!!.  I'll post my arm another day and a photo a photo of a fistula during the surgery.  The photo app is having a tantrum today. *sigh*. 

So my buttonhole is coming along just fine and I'm good. ;-)  Signing of with the Whispers, "My Heart, Your Heart".  I also created my "I'm begging for a kidney", Facebook page, but it's not ready for prime time. Lol.