Fear of Staple Removal Pain

[SadMad]

The vascular doctor tried to make a AV fistyla in my arm during the second part surgery but ended up having to do an AV graph. I now have staples going from elbow to arm pit which will be taken out on Wednesday. I am anxious because nurses at dialysis center said I would not be given numbing meds before staples are taken out. Arm really hurts most of the time; mostly nerve pain for which I put aloe with lidocaine on to dull the pain. Has anyone had staples. I am so looking forward to arm being used for access and getting this chest access out so I can shower and get in the pool at the Y to lose weight. I have been approved for disability which starts in February 2021. Still on leave of absense and officially retireing from work 12/26/2020 after 29.5 years. Has been more than a year doing evaluation for transplant list. Now have to have a heart catherization as CT Angio showed some coronary artery disease. Just want to swim!!!

[Hidden]

About 13 months ago I underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove my gallbladder and they closed up four incisions with staples. When the staples were removed, without numbing cream, there was zero pain. The first one removed felt like a pinch, and while I was waiting for the next one, he announced that he had all of them out, and I was done. Please don't confuse surgical staples with the ones you use to hold a few sheets of paper together. Completely different things.

[SadMad in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. My arm's nerves just hurt so bad especially near staple site. I will try to stay positive. Staples out and then dialysis at center. Going to be a rough day.

[Hidden]

I had my staples removed after four weeks out from a transplant. They do, the staples that is, looked rather ominous. However, their removal was nearly painless and removed in about a minute. Good luck and i will send positive vibes your way.

On a side note, when I was looking into dialysis access, I was initially hoping to do a fistula. However, the surgeon said, my veins were quite small. I ended up getting a PD catheter instead. I was on dialysis before I received a living donor transplant for about five weeks. Though, the occurrence of a transplant from a living donor was, hit-or-miss, until about two or three weeks before the surgery. My wife was, pre-diabtes. Through exercise and diet she was able to get her A1C back to normal.

In any case — dialysis or transplant — push through and realize both are life saving treatments. I am grateful for both