Hi Everyone, someone spotting a fistula h... - Dialysis Support
Hi Everyone, someone spotting a fistula have they said your a drug addict, has this happened to you,
Hi, I didn't get this with the fistula but when I was a teenager and the insulin injections where the old syringe type we went to a famous holiday resort for the day we went into the restaurant for a meal, when I went to do my injection the manager came over and asked us to leave as they don't want that sort of thing in their restaurant. However when we explained he went very red in the face and couldn't stop apologizing, and we ended up with a free meal, I used to go swimming a lot and when people saw the needle marks on my arms you could see by their faces what they where thinking, I was contemplating getting a tattoo saying "I am diabetic not a drug addict" on my forehead, needless to say I didn't go ahead with it! But yes it does make you mad when people judge you without even knowing you or what you are going through.
Pretty common 'playground' behavior, also common is 'what happened to your arm.
I've got scarring from a Tracheotomy, and was very surprised when at a friends party someone came up and said, oh I've had one of them too!
All confirms that further edu and awareness of the general joe blogs public is needed.
A story sticks in my mind from a few years back of a couple that were stabbed, just because they were into an alternative lifestyle and wore goth clothing as their norm....
Everyone asks my husband if he's had an accident!
I went for a breast cancer screening appointment. When the nurse saw my PD catheter, she said, "WHAT IS THAT?..... You'll have to come back when it's taken off!" When I explained that "it" wasn't going to be taken off in the immediate future, she reluctantly said she would try doing the mammogram (which was no problem).
Yes I was accused of being a junkie by a guy I went on a date with when he saw my arm. Needless to say there was not a second date! My fistula is much older and uglier now so i very rarely go out with bare arms because i don't like to discuss my kidneys with people i don't know.
Yep, and people stare, one 'friend' suggested I cover my arms as they were ugly, the fistula and scarring from needles on dialysis.
But I wear what I want, see it as their problem, not mine. Lost contact with that friend, she was only thinking of herself. People just see something different, I try not to but I probably stare at others. Don't think most people mean any harm, like a child who asked what happened to my arm, told her and off she went satisfied.
Hi
Oh yep even after almost 25 years since I was on dialysis I still have the scarring from the fistula and the needles. Most of my friends have accepted it as I've told them dialysis saved my life; I do have a relative who hates to see my arm uncovered. If I know I'm going to see this relative and I'm wearing short shelves I do tend to use fake tan to cover the marks and this helps me.
