IVIGer's......I have a question.......
 

Since getting the infusions my nurse has used the same vein for my infusions. She's mentioned that that vein is starting to get hard so last week she used a vein in the side of my wrist (which hurt!) How often does your nurse change veins? The vein we've always used is the one in front of my elbow.....it's my best vein (which quite a few nurses have told me because they have a hard time getting my blood) Anyway......do I need to worry that we should change veins???

Ok this is off subject......but we've had 6 hummingbirds at our house for the past 6 weeks......and they left yesterday....migrated south. I'm sure they felt the tropical storm in the gulf was upon us and headed out. We've loved having them all summer. I've had 5 feeders out and have LOTS of hummingbird flowers in our yard.......anyway.....it made me sad to see they were gone. :(

Roxie.

They change veins on Alan all the time. Each month she puts it in a different place. The other day she put it in his hand. No problems.

Now about your humming birds.

I know where they went.....over to visit Mrs. Doubtfire.

lol

Melody

HI Mel!
Good to hear from you!
So I guess it IS a good idea to change veins. I guess we need to find some good veins. Mine always roll or collapse when the nurse trys to use them :(

If my hummers went to see Mrs. Doubtfire I sure hope she feeds them as well as I have been the last 6 weeks! lol
Mike and I enjoyed sitting in our front yard watching them dart from the flowers to the feeders and back again. They are very interesting little creatures.

Roxie, one thing
 

One thing you can do to help the vein situation is to drink lots of water the day before. If you are well hydrated it is much easier to get a vein to cooperate. I had a nurse tell me this. She said that when a person isn't well hydrated, the vein is a little "leatherie" and it will roll when the needle hits it.

I always try to do this and my body is short the moisture anyway, but it does help a lot.

Billye

Veins
 

Hi Roxie - I have "skinny rolly" veins - that are very visable but I've been stabbed up to 7 times before to get blood or IV in... I tried to use a different vein every time to avoid scar tissue building up in one area - also, applying a bit of heat like a warm towel to your arm before the infusion will help those veins pop out and be easier to stick, along with, all Billye mentioned, being hydrated.....

Don't you just love it when a nurse bangs your arm to "pop up the vein"???

She was banging Alan's arm and in two seconds, she found the correct vein.

With me, well, when I had my caesarian section 26 years ago, I had 37 iv's. I know because I kept track.

My veins kept collapsing and one day someone said to another nurse "If her veins keep collapsing, we are going to have to put one in her neck"

I had toxemia at the time and I will never forget those magnesium sulfate injections. My god, I was black and blue for 6 months all along my hip area.

I hope they've developed a better method for toxemia in 26 years.

Melody

Roxie, HYDRATE! is the best medicine
 

TO THE MEDICINE? Really, I drink or try to about 1-2 quarts extra the day before a blood draw or infusions...It really helps the veins pop up for attacking? Not to mention, you feel full and slosh w/every step and have to go use 'facililties' 3 times more often than normal?
My IV nurses, hospital, dr's office, now home...ALL try the hand, wrists and forearms to tap into veins rather than that 'elbow'. This is good because you get a little teeny scar with each puncture...Scars make it harder to get into one 'site' at a later date. Folks who have had lots of IVIG for years and years are like cancer patients, they get ports inserted intheir chests...kind of a venous plug-in is the best way of putting it. YOU are a long way from that, I am as well [and I've had the IVIG for 3-1/2 years...and wondering?] IF the home nurse can't do it anywhere but at the elbow...talk to your prescribing doc about that...You need a really good IV trained nurse who CAN do it.

I agree w/Kmeb about the heat...I use a warm cloth heated in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds...My veins 'roll' well too! I had an IV nurse who'd take a surgical glove they wear and fill it w/water [like a water balloon?] nuke it and apply it...Hospitals and some others use break open heat paks...I don't think they're needed.

Really, the key factor I've found that gets that 'line' into me, and keeps side effects at bay has been not only the pre-meds but mostly that WATER issue. Get that stuff into you for preparations! Things go much smoother with it than without it! - j

Also, think of it another way? You will need that elbow vein for 'emergencies'...in such instances, they aren't gonna try and take the time to get it in the hand or wrist....Save it for when it's really needed...tho we all hope that's never the case!

Good Evening J, Mel, Karen, Billye and all........
I always try to hydrate before my IVIG (and yes I feel like I slosh when I walk and run to the girls room a lot!) I didn't know about heating the spot up before the needle goes in.....I'll give that a try!
I talked to the phlebotomist at my dr. office today and she showed me a main vein in my other arm that my nurse should try next week. The phlebotomist said the spot on my other arm that's gotten poked SO much is now like a 'stone bruise' and it'll take up to 6 mo. for it to heal. That vein was blown out a cpl months ago by the Iodine IV for the MRI....so I'm sure that didn't help at all!
I hate my hand or wrist being poked.....that hurts like crazy!
After having the Barrett's procedure on Monday and then my IVIG on Thurs and blood work today at the dr. I feel like a pin cushion! I sure get tired of being poked. I've gotten poked more times since I was diagnosed with Neuropathy than my whole life! I know y'all know what I'm talking about.......people who's never had all these problems have NO idea what it's like! Ok I'm done complaining. I'm just thankful I'm able to get the infusions.