Warning: Some of the images in this post are graphic and might be disturbing for some viewers
I mentioned in my last post that in my road to recovery, I hit a great big hole in the road. In addition to the surgery that I had to remove the infected bone, I also had a PICC line put in.
My supplies
My fanny pack/medicine bag
Getting PICC’d
A PICC line is an IV tube that goes deep inside your vein. They have to use an xray machine to find the vein that’s how deep it goes. Mine went into my left arm just above my elbow and the IV extended all the way to my heart. This way the antibiotics could work faster and better because it was pumped directly into the blood stream. I was then placed on a heavy dose of antibiotics to kill off any traces of infection that were left in my body after the infected bone had come out.
I had the PICC line in for six weeks. I had to carry a fanny pack around with me 24 hours a day which carried the dispenser that tracked the dose, and the IV bag. A home care nurse would come in once a day every day to hook up the new bag. Once a week she would clean around the insertion point. I also had to go and get blood taken every week to monitor the levels of Vancomycin to make sure that the does was appropriate for me.
This is me with the bone out.
I was weak before this but I was definitely weaker after this surgery! Plus the antibiotics (Vancomycin) would make me really tired. For the first time in my life, I fainted (a few times) due to the intensity of the antibiotics plus the weakened state of having my bone flap out. I was lucky, because I required 24 care, my mom was always with me. On days when I was sick (and there were many) she was always by my side helping me in and out of the bathroom or holding the barf bucket for me. Sometimes, I would get so sick that I would faint. This has never happened to me before but now I know exactly when I am going to faint. The first time it happened, I was sick in the bathroom. I remember telling my mom that I really didn’t feel good and the next thing I know, she is slapping me in the face and calling my name. There is a very short window where I can be helped into a lying down position to get my head low enough to prevent myself from fainting. Normally, you can stick your head between your legs, but with your bone flap out you can’t bend that low. I had to lie down at a thirty degree angle and my head always had to be above my heart.
I needed help to get dressed and in and out of bed because I couldn’t use the arm with the PICC line in because it was always sore. I also had to be careful with the bag and the tube. While I also needed help walking around, I still managed to get out of the house whenever I could. I wasn’t going to let this stop me from living my life in the small ways that I could. I would go on short trips – I hated being in the car because of all the bumps in the road – mainly to the grocery store. I would sometimes get stares from people. Always adults. I wore a hat to protect my incision line from the sun, so most of the looks were related to the PICC line. I couldn’t put a sleeve over it and it was July and August, so I was in tank tops or t-shirts all the time. I understand that maybe you wonder what someone else is going through, but I would have appreciated people asking me questions instead of staring. One older woman approached me and told me that I would get through it soon and to stay strong – that was nice of her!
After six weeks, the PICC line came out. I was never so happy to go back to the hospital! The site where it was in was itchy and sometimes sore because there would be dried blood under the surface. It is a simple procedure to get it taken out – a nurse basically pulls, and pulls, and pulls. This thing is massive!!
my new scar
Now that the PICC line was out, I had to wait six weeks for a follow up appointment to check my blood work as well as to have another CT scans to monitor for signs of infection. After that I would be loosely monitored as we waited for my prosthesis to be made and to schedule my fourth surgery. I was told that everything should be ready to go by Christmas 2013. If only.
Charlene xoxo
To read this story from the start click here