Life with a PICC

I am now a good week into living with an IV bag tethered to my waist. It's a new life style that is going to be with me for a while. 

To recap. I have had a PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line implanted in my right arm. The PICC line is attached to a pump which delivers a continual dosage of a drug called Milrinone. My doctor calls it Rocket Fuel for the Heart.

One bag lasts about 50 hours. We have gotten in the habit of changing it every two days at noon. Today is a bag change day. In about an hour. As I check the pump, it says I have 4 hours and 43 minutes before my bag is drained.

I have gotten used to wearing it around my waist like a fanny pack. I generally keep it in front of me. If it's off to the side, it gets in the way when I sit. It also wants to pull my pants down.

It's a little odd in the shower as I have to wear this long plastic glove over my hand and arm. The PICC line must be kept clean and dry at all times to avoid infection. They are crazy obsessive about infection. And so, I must be as well.

Sleeping has not been a big change. I have plenty of line from the pump to allow me to toss and turn. In fact, I think I've been sleeping better since I got the PICC.

As far a s the comfort of the PICC line, it's okay. Sometimes it gets itchy and sometimes there is a slight burning at the site of the line. But for the most part, it something I'm aware of. There is a slight pressure on my arm and if I were to concentrate on it, I could see it being annoying. 

But this is my life now and I'm going to make the best of it and go with the flow.

    

Going Home

It is now Wednesday, Day Five of my semi-involuntary incarceration. I am getting out and let me tell you, life is going to be different from here on out.

I’m not there yet, but I’m close to being considered to get on the heart transplant list. There are still people to meet and more tests to take but it seems we will be hearing a decision in about a month.

In the meantime, I am going home with a pump and an IV bag strapped to my waist. I do not know how long I will be tethered to this but I think it will be awhile.

Susan and I have been going through training on how to change the bag every two days and how to keep everything clean to prevent infection.

We are waiting now for the infusion team to show up and watch us change from the pump in the hospital to my new portable pump I will carry. After that, I believe I am being discharged.

I say that because they have let me get dressed and they have brought me most of my discharge papers.

So here I am in my final moments in Room 630, Bed 1.

Incarceration

I am currently in my third day of semi-involuntary incarceration at Sacred Heart Medical Center.

I had a scheduled right heart cath on Friday morning. It's a procedure to measure pressure levels in various parts of my heart. I've had at least one about a year ago and I think this is part of the process to find out if I'm a viable candidate for a heart transplant.

Dr. Mooney was not happy with the numbers that came back so she decided to put me on a new drug called Melrinone. It's supposed to make my heart pump harder, more vigorously.

The reason I'm in the hospital is because this drug must be administered by I.V. That means they have to have me here to figure out the dosage, insert a pik line, which is a more permanent I.V. line and train me on the use of the pump. So they say I'm here until at least Wednesday.

The bummer of all this news is my swimming days are over. The pump is not waterproof and the pik line is prone to infection if not kept clean and dry. I love swimming. It's one of the best things about Summer. Plus, I'm a Pisces!

So I feel absolutely fine but I'm stuck here in Room 630 with not much to do. I've been using the time to learn how to operate a new digital sign we have at church, thoroughly read the newspaper, do a little drawing and take endless walks around the halls of the sixth floor.   

May BP