Squeamish?

I realised after a comment from Vivienne yesterday that I hadn't really explained what a fistula is. Rather than let you all wander off to google it and scare yourselves to death with images of all kinds of fistula I will explain a little better. I really DO NOT recommend googling even for dialysis fistula, I did and duly upset myself with what I found. I wish they could just put in another Hickman line. Oh well, back to the intended procedure.

The vascular surgeon operates under a local anesthetic. He  makes a series of small holes in an artery in the arm and cuts a small hole into a vein. The arterial blood is then pumped into the vein by the heart, enlarging the vein so that after 3 months it is large enough to use for the needle and pressure of the dialysis machine. 

The dialysis machine that we hope Mike will use if he needs to is a newish invention called "NxStage System One" . If you have ever seen the type of dialysis machines used in hospital you will see how much more compact it is and unlike the hospital machines it doesn't have to be plumbed in (washing machines in more ways than one!)

I think I am having a bad day, reading the long list of prospective DO NOTs from the amount of fluid allowed to the low phosphorous, low potassium, low salt, the lists are endless and you can bet all Mike's favourites are banned and it will be me having to be the big bad wife if the time comes. 

I need cake.