@kamama94 My surgery was done as an outpatient. It was done 3 1/2 years ago. I don't remember having to change any dressings. I went back to see the surgeon 4 months after my surgery. At that time, he told me I had to continue "exercising" the fistula, but it really didn't grow much after that. Mine is in the upper left arm. I was told that the first choice is in the lower arm, but the veins in both of my lower arms were shot from all the chemo I received. Most of the time, it doesn't bother me. Once in a while, it feels like it is pressing on the muscles in my arm. The one thing I didn't expect was that in order to protect the fistula, I cannot wear my watch on my left arm and you are never supposed to draw blood or take your blood pressure using that arm. Because the fistula is in my left arm, I am not supposed to lay on my left side when I sleep at night.You are supposed to check it every day to make sure there is a thrill or a pulse. With mine, I can look at it and see it pulsing. But when you put your hand on it, you can easily feel the thrill. (I have no idea why it is called a thrill, but I like to say that dialysis nurses get a thrill out of feeling my arm.)

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