Having had my first chest catheter for 20 months, I understand the dangers and disadvantages compared to a fistula. I was really careful about not showering and keeping the exit site dry. However, there was never any pain while there is constant pain with the fistula. On Tuesday, they went with a larger 16 gauge needle. The second attempt didn’t work so the tech stuck a third needle higher up on the arm.
At least they were able to run the machine at 350 mL/min, the same speed as my chest catheter. On Thursday, he was unable to get a good placement for the arterial needle and it hurt a lot when he tried to push some blood through. He also thought he infiltrated the vein so he pulled out the needle and I basically bled everywhere. Sigh. This is what my arm looks like after 4 months.
The scabs/scars are pretty much permanent. Since my donor was permanently rejected, I guess I’ll need to use the fistula longer than I first thought.
Life with chronic diseases 