Life wifh a PICC in the arm

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

I guess I am sick.  I guess I am really sick.  Not the kind of sick where tea and a hot bath will help. 

I have a massive kidney infection (which I do not feel sick from oddly enough).  But the bacteria causing it is resistant to everything with the exception of 2 antibiotics- I had never heard of them until now.  Both of these antibiotics are IV only. 

So yesterday I had a PICC line placed.  A PICC line is a peripherally inserted central catheter.  It is inserted in the upper arm in a deep vein and threaded through to my superior vena cava. 

The PICC is inserted using ultrasound guidance, and despite numbing medicine is not a pleasant experience. 

After I had the PICC placed an xray was taken to verify the positioning of the line.

Having this procedure was kinda scary, there are risks that are exacerbated for me- particularly the danger of a clot- so I was put on anticoagulants- but I am having surgery Friday.  It is all a delicate balance.

The home health nurse came last night and taught my husband and I how to work the pump and how to care for my PICC line. 

Today, it is ok. The pulling and tugging feeling has stopped.  The challenges as I foresee them will be not forgetting my very fashionable fanny pack, not having a kid yank on it, not having LittleDude chew a hole in the tubing.

Having a nurse who's name tag says "Hospice" care in the house helping me learn the pump was very disconcerting and not all helping my case of nerves for my surgery. 

I will have a good attitude though.  If I have crappy one, everyone will suffer. There are worse things.

4 comments:

Be-Quoted.com said...

As a healthcare clinician I say PICC line and had to stop by. Please disregard the "hospice tag line" and just think of your nurse as a home health educator...lol. You'll be fine. Andrea @ be-quoted.com visiting from SITS.

Melissa said...

I hope you feel better soon! Thanks for visiting http://fitnwellmommy.com today!

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