Installation of a PICC Line

Well, today is Sunday, June 22nd 2008. On Friday, the 20th, I had a PIC line installed in my right arm - a PIC line stands for (I think) a personal intravenous catheter - it's the "P" part I'm not sure about. Anyways, it wasn't too bad, it just took f - o - r - e -v - e - r! I got there at 8:30ish in the a.m. and was expecting to get the line installed around 9ish...Welllll - that is so not what happened.



I show up at the outpatient center of the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital (ahem! On time) and am really a little surprised that where I am is basically where folks go to get their chemotherapy. This was a little shocking. I mean, I know people who have had cancer (and survived) but I've never really realized the process. There was a woman there (I didn't ask what her cancer was - I mean, I am not exactly trained on the protocols and stuff in regard to when people have cancer - I thought it might be kind of rude - "Hey! So, what ya got? Breast cancer? non-hodgkin's lymphoma? - I mean, it just sounded kind of rude in my head so I didn't say anything) working on her computer and she was wanting to get out before noon because she had an afternoon meeting. I thought that her attitude was right on. Everyone knew that I was there because of my lyme's because Marsha, the nurse, kind of announced it by saying "Oh - you're one of Dr. J's patients! We call him the 'King of Lyme' because he sends us one of y'all at least once a week." Well - now that everyone knows that I have lyme disease, everyone starts asking me about what my symptoms were, etc...Meanwhile, I'm just sitting there and Cheryl, the other nurse is trying really hard to get in touch with IVTreatment to get my PIC line installed.



Around 11 a.m. (keep in mind, I've been here since 8:30 a.m.) they take me back to IV treatment for my PIC line installation. I am really happy that I brought my latest novel with me. I love to read - the smuttier or more paranormal the better. The book I was reading on Friday was by J.R. Ward "Lover Enshrined". This series is AWESOME! Anyways, I wasn't too upset by having to sit in a recliner, with a pillow and an afghan and read my new book. So, anyways, at 11 a.m. I go back. I meet the nurse who will install my line and it takes all of 30 minutes. The cool thing about a PIC line is that it goes from the inside of whatever arm you choose (we chose my right, despite being right handed, I tend to do more lifting with my left - purse, tote bag, etc. so right side it was) - around the bicep area and the catheter goes through the big vein all the way to the superior vena cava (a big vein right near the heart)...tool cool for school. Anyways, after a shot of lidocaine, and a small incision, it went right in. I got to wear a mask on my face and a cute little paper hat (the fashion was truly rockin' let me tell you) and I didn't even have to watch...despite the factor that there was a mirror RIGHT THERE!



So, by 11:30 I was back in the outpatient center and being hooked up to my first dose of IV Rocephin. The purpose of getting a PIC line and starting on Rocephin is due to the fact that my short term memory is going "buh bye!" So, the Rocephin went in, I ate hospital food for lunch (I had the vegetable soup - it sucked - beef stew with brown rice - Not Too Shabby - and an apple - I brought it home with me - I was stuffed), I read another chapter of my book and then 30 minutes later, I was done. I called my happy hubby where he was at work, and he came and picked me up and brought me home. However, I didn't get home until almost 2:30...It seems to me that I don't recall why this is...OH YEAH! I didn't finish the IV until almost 1 p.m. and happy hubby picked me up at 1:30. With traffic, it took some time and so I went home, called work told them I wasn't going to be in due to the time (by this time it was after 3 p.m.) and took a nap.



Naps - well, I don't succeed too often anymore with naps. I've read that sometimes people with Lyme Disease have trouble sleeping - you're exhausted and all you want to do is sleep, but once you lay down your eye balls pop open and your brain starts spinning and well, sleep doesn't happen. This is what happened Friday afternoon.



So, I got up and plopped my rear end on the sofa and finished my novel. This is not an unusual occurrence for me. I usually read close to two to three novels in a weekend and still manage to participate in family activities, house work, etc. I am easily capable of reading 400 pages in about 3 hours. Don't ask me how this is possible, but it is - I kind of lose myself in books.



Hubby picked up the child (who is 8 going on 40) from summer day camp and he went upstairs and took a nap - hubby gets migraines...I do too - but mine have stemmed from what we ultimately think is the Lyme. What hasn't stemmed from the lyme???



So around 9 p.m. hubby and child went to a softball game and I found another novel to start.



The PIC line is fine. Sleep finally happened with a little help from Tylenol PM - the usual assistance provider.



Saturday a.m. got up EARLY (7:30 a.m.) to do house repairs...The HOA for which I am the President has an ACC Chairman (the hubby - always recruit family members so that they can share in your pain :) ) who did home inspections - OK, WE did the home inspections - the ACC will do the rechecks...Anyways, we had violations as well, and we had to fix 'em. Also, our nurse was coming todaythat morning to show us how to infuse the IV antibiotic. He showed up late (he got up late) and despite our conversation on Friday (he sounded like a fun person) he was NOT a fun person. He may be all cheerful, etc. until you want to ask questions and do something entirely different than what he wants you to do. He was NOT a person that I want to be in my everyday circle of friends...Anyway, he came, he taught, he was NOT friendly or really, all that helpful - we figured it out, and I got my second dose of Rocephin. From here on out - we'll call him Nurse Ratchet :)



Then...after Nurse Ratchet left, Hubby and I had to complete home repiars - including painting the stairwell going up to our front door - We have black wrought iron stair railing that was, to be blunt, rusting and needed some help. Hubby prepped and scraped and then I painted. It looks GREAT...although it was hotter than hell by the time Nurse Ratchet left.

Nurse Ratchet has control freak issues - hope he doesn't find and read my blog (!!)

So hubby finished fixing Garage trim (caulking, preparation and painting) and we got some of the stair railing done before it got too hot...But too much heat makes me feel like serious poop so I went inside, wrapped the PIC line in saran wrap and took a shower. THEN a nap was in serious need, so our dog Luna and I slept for about two hours.



Then after napping, dinner was cooked for hubby and myself and child and we went to Brewster's for ice cream. Now, due to the Lyme, I cannot have dairy (this sucks in a serious way and is a story for another time)...however, they have HOMEMADE ice cream, ITALIAN ICES with NO DAIRY and are so incredibly awesome. I got the Grape. Hubby got something called a Home Run (which he says is now his most favorite thing EVER!) and child got a double scoop of chocolate and mint chocolate chip (I got a mint chocolate chip kiss from child). However, my Grape WAS AWESOME! I have a thing for sweets - not chocolate like most females, oh no, I like junk candy - Skittles, StarBurst, Sweet Tarts, Now & Laters, Nerds - you get my point. The grape italian ice was like a GRAPE JOLLY RANCHER!!! Can we say (all together now) YUMMMMMMMYYYYYY.



OK - then we drove home (and child did not wear ice cream home - a first!) put child to bed, and then it was time to watch the MMA - It was the finale for UFC Ultimate Fighter. It was an excellent fight - all of 'em, although I was a little disappointed with one of them as it was more standup than down on the ground. I can't recall which fight it was, but it was OK. The finale fight was excellent as the guy whose been rather funny all season and pretty humble and unassuming won the event. Hubby was pleased, and opponent was not - said he didn't tap out, but dude? You tapped...there on camera.



Finale was Evan Tanner against another dude - Tanner is older and has pretty much been through hell and back. He lost the fight, but he took some serious hits and stayed standing. Awesome fight! I love MMA - I wind up squeezing myself as far back into the sofa as is possible and I have a tendency to fidget during the fight, but it's awesome. Basically, I think I put myself in their positions and try to back away from feeling the fists, elbows, knees, etc. from hitting me.



Went to bed and didn't get to sleep in again! Hubby is a mean, mean man...Got up at 8 a.m. to finish painting iron stairrail. It's done - but I wound up wearing most of the enamel paint...I think that I may be the messiest painter ever...I get it all over myself, despite the fact that I'm NOT a novice painter. I think it's the artist in me...Just gotta be loose, ya know? So, after we finished painting the railing, we met some new neighbors, hooked up our boys to hang together, and then hubby and I finished the inspections throughout the neighborhood...OK - he finished them, I accompanied him on some, but not all. It was just too hot.



So - hubby did the IV treatment tonight...He wouldn't even let me help! MEAN, I tell you. I think he enjoys being "Large and In Charge". Not only that, I think it helps him with remember what it was he went through when he had guillian barre syndrome - another story for another time.



So - that was my day today, other than the fact that I did find myself some time to do some grocery shopping as well as getting a mani/pedi as well as removing the facial hair from the upper lip and brow...the things we do to maintain our looks - humpf!



Until later!



Blymey

Introduction

My name is "Blymey" but I'm also known by other names - mostly in regard to my religious practice which is Wiccan. I am also a member of the Washington and Baltimore Area Pagan Clergy network - I do spell work, counseling, handfasting (marriage), deaths, births and readings (tarot, palm, aural, mediumship). You can find me through that website as Morgana Terpsicore or as Morgana Dark Witch on Witchvox.com.



I have been a "medium" all my life (yes, I see dead people) - but that is not what this blog is about...It is about the challenges of misdiagnosis over 20 years and my doctor who diagnosed me with Lyme Disease in April of 2008.



I started dancing when I was 5 after seeing the Nutcracker with a friend and my family. I continued on learning, dancing and finally going semi-professional dancer starting at the age of 15. I quit school (OK - I flunked out), moved to Orlando and slowly made my way into the "Entertainment" division of Disney accomplishing my dream of being a professional dancer. This all ended in a fall when I was 21 where I shattered both knee caps, damaged both ACLs and had, as a result, quite a few arthroscopic surgeries on both knees. My doctors advised me to quit dancing and I followed their orders - moved back home to my parents (they had to pay off all of my credit cards!!), met my future and current hubby, moved in with him, went back to school - he graduated, we got married and moved to the Washington, DC area. Whew! We've been here since 1993...



So all the aches and pains, knees, ankles, feet, lower back, neck, etc. I had attributed to being a dancer and post-no dancing - gaining great quantities of weight. Most doctors said I would be much better once I lost the weight. Yet, things kept happening...diagnosed with PMDD (pre-menstrual issues - you've seen the commercials), then Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, then Poly-Cystic Ovarian Disease/Syndrome, hormonal issues, thyroid problems, constant bladder and kidney infections - it was literally one thing after another until this past April when I met a Dr. in my current home-town and he requested that I get a physical...

Now the first thing I noticed about Dr. J is that when I had my physical he actually asked me to get undressed and wear one of those lovely paper robe things. I hate those, don't you? So undignified - especially when you're fat - as I am slowly working towards not being...Next, he actually touched me in a doctor patient way (You guys are SICK!). Now, of course he's testing me for neural issues and other problems and I'm thinking - "My Gawd - I didn't shave my legs and BOY are they hairy!"...I asked him to forgive me for not taking care of that and he said he didn't care...But as for the physical itself, I haven't been physically examined by anyone since I left my pediatrician at the age of 22 when he retired! And I'll tell you that I am now 39 although when my physical occurred, I was still 38 with a week to go until I turned my current age.



So, this physical goes on, he's asking questions (lots of questions) and I'm mentioning every ache and pain that I've ever had, all of the diseases as a child, the balance problems that I put off as clumsyness, the short-term memory issues that I was recently experiencing as just having "other things on my mind", etc. and I realize how I'm rambling on and on and say, "Well, now you're surely going to think I am a hypochondriac, just as my last doctor did." He looked directly at me - blinked and said "I don't think you're a hypochondriac - I actually think that there is a physical reason for all of these problems and I want to run a few tests." Well the tests ended up being 15 (!!!) vials of blood that supported the symptomology of lyme disease or the bacterial infection from Borreliosis Bergdorferi.



Well - he then requested that I get tested by a lab called IGenIX that specializes in testing for this bacteria - it came back as positive for Lyme and referenced the fact that it was widespread and that I'd had it for a very long time.



So, after two months of antibiotics, tomorrow I get installed in my body a PIC line (or a catheter) to make available an intravenous (IV) antibiotic. I am VERY nervous and broke down in tears when I was speaking to my hubby on my cell phone after the doctor told me that even in the month since he had seen me last he could tell that my neuropathy was getting worse as well as my cognitive function...How scary is that???



So - to explain cognitive function and what Lyme can do to you - you know your short term memory? Well, mine is not all there. For example, last week we traveled to Texas to visit my parents - we flew into Houston Hobby and rented a car. By Monday I could not recall driving from the airport rental office to my parents home in another destination. How scary is that? Pretty damn scary! There are conversations I don't recall having, questions I'll ask over and over driving people nutso (you know when you're child is 2 and asks "Why?" about everything? Try being an adult and getting that response and you have no idea you've already asked that question about 5 times prior, gotten answers, and it was about 45 minutes ago...)



So the doctor did some reflex checks and other stuff and spoke with me about my symptomology and determined that since we now have a full and complete AFFIRMATIVE for Lyme Disease we're going to treat aggressively...Cognitive issues first. That's fine, but it still scares the crap out of me...I don't like needles, and I'm trying to lose weight and well - other than having a catheter in my arm or wherever this is going - is really going to be a major pain in the ass!



So - I'll let you know what happens tomorrow...Friday, June 20th - the first day of Summer also known as the Summer Solstice.



Until then...