Er…“rumours of my demise…” …are only mildly exaggerated !
I got my arterial buttonhole infected…keeled over fast & ended up in hospital. Been 2 weeks+ now. Fistula ‘throttled’ to save patient is the short story. Anyway, looks like I’ll survive.
Will post again when I’m out.
[quote=Bear;11131]Er…“rumours of my demise…” …are only mildly exaggerated !
I got my arterial buttonhole infected…keeled over fast & ended up in hospital. Been 2 weeks+ now. Fistula ‘throttled’ to save patient is the short story. Anyway, looks like I’ll survive.
Will post again when I’m out.[/quote]
Get well soon! Please tell us how long you had the infection…what symptoms and visual signs did you encounter…was there pain on the infected area, discoloration? swollen? Discharge? Was it something that happaned suddenly or did it take time to detect?
That’s the pits! Glad to hear your surviving the ordeal.
Marty
Just thought folks might like to know I spoke to Bear this morning and he really has been very crook. been in hospital for over a fortnight, fistula (buttonhole) badly infected, unable to stop bleeding, got really crook and sick as a dog, they couldn’t save it so he now has permcath and waiting to see when they can build a new fistula in dominant arm.
He is just starting to regain some strength and getting some Welsh spirit back but he could sure use some mojo from all of us.
Get well soon, Bear.
Sorry to hear about you losing your access, Bear. Get well soon! Has anyone else lost an access to an infection? Can an access become infected even if it is cleansed properly?
Yes, my father lost his 1st fistula due to an infection. Although he was lucky in th sense he didn’t get as sick as bear. Yes infections happen with the best of cleaning techniques. I also know other people in our home program have gotten infections in their fistula’s.
Oh no, I hope Bear gets well soon!
This thread is first of its kind on this board that shows us who are currently at home a wake up call. It shows that fistulas are not just the best but also they can get infected as easy. It can happen to any of us and from unknown incidence or rare causes.
Once again, get well soon! I hope they can get you another fistula workinmg…
Bear,
Hope you are feeling better each day so you can be home soon.
Pat & Ralph
G’day crew…well I’m back after being home for a week, on antibiotic drip (home iv. service…thru a picc line. Comes in a “baby’s bottle” with a “condom” full of a.b. inside). But I was too high b.p. coming off dx on Weds, so they wouldn’t let me drive home !! - “stroke on freeway, dx patinet wipes out carloads” - that was the fear. So the stuck me in A&E. So hard to get out once in!!! B-)
Bear, I’m glad to hear that you are on the way back to recovery–and so sorry that you had to go through all that.
I heard Janet Holland, an RN who is an expert in fistulas and buttonholes, give a couple of talks, and she really urged people to use a sterile tweezers (I believe these are plastic and disposable) to remove the scab from the buttonhole sites. She said NOT to use a needle, which could push pieces of the scab (containing bacteria from the skin’s surface) into the vessel. One person was apparently even using a toothpick–which he’d held in his MOUTH–to remove the scabs. He got a very bad infection.
So, as Gus points out, fistulas are less likely to get infected than grafts or catheters–and even LESS likely when buttonholes are used–but it DOES still happen.
Does anyone here use sterile plastic tweezers? If so, where do you purchase them? Patient we know who is doing buttonhole said they were told to use sterile needles or tweezers. He said there is a very small scab to pull off, or sometimes no scab. And he uses the sterile needle to gently open up the entrance skin so he can get the buttonhole needle in, as the skin at the opening of the site is usually sealed together. Of course , he has prorperly cleansed sites before beginning. If this is incorrect technique, how are others doing it?
There’s a technique where you use NeoSporin after each treatment, that helps cure the scab from any bacteria…just a small dash of NeoSporin over buttonholes then you put your bandage on. Also, what’s useful sometimes is to lift the scab up like a cap, but don’t remove it…doing so for sometime helps/serves as an extra sealing barrier and clot times speed up…
Hi Bear,
Sorry to hear you ended up back in hospital! What a bugger! You must really love that place by now. hopefully things will settle down quickly for you from now on.
Take it easy, mate.
…which I think is exactly what happened to me.
Originally I thought the probelm occurred when I was moving supply boxes…but that was just a symptom, as I think the infection occurred on the previous night’s dx!
B-(
…still stuck in here, from WEds, as altho the doc said I could go home Fri., there was no HOme I.V. service avail. then (budget probs - 4 day week). SO I 've had to sleep in o/nite to get p.m/a.m. drips done & go home on a ‘visit’ durign the day.
…anyway, I feel O.K., but the permacath’s not a pretty sight! B-)
well…1st day back @ work since e.o.Oct.
Still on permacath for dx. Plan is to do a new fistula on right fore-arm in Jan. (no date yet), so will be off again for a week or so. Anyway, I might take some of the meagre amount of annual leave I have around that time as well, as it’s the big summer school hols & my wife’s a teacher. She’s already off…
We always have Xmas dinner on Xmas Eve, so I will miss out this year, as it’ll be a dx evening (being as Mon. is Xmas Day). But the Champagne Breakfast we have on Xmas Day is always my favorite, so I’ll be there for that.
Take care everyone !!!
Well thery rang me before lunch, to sya they’ve got me down for surgery for the new fistula on the 8th Jan. About 2 weeks earlier than I thought I’d get it.
SO I celebrated with a glass of N.Z. sauvignon blanc for lunch, with my salad sandwich. Well it’s very refreshing & only 175mL, so ideal for renal people! B-)
[quote=Bear;11649]Well thery rang me before lunch, to sya they’ve got me down for surgery for the new fistula on the 8th Jan. About 2 weeks earlier than I thought I’d get it.
SO I celebrated with a glass of N.Z. sauvignon blanc for lunch, with my salad sandwich. Well it’s very refreshing & only 175mL, so ideal for renal people! B-)[/quote]
Hahaha, very humble indeed. 
Glad your doing fine and celebrating! Just hang in there and of course Happy Very Merry Christmas to you and your family!