Well, not quite.
For now I have a periphery IV, but the goal is to have a PICC line placed sometime early next week. At least the iv is in my left forearm, so I can still do things (you don't realize how many things require moving your elbows or wrists until you can't move use them at all). And my writing hand remains free - no pass on school work. Bummer. Kidding. I am a nerd. I love school.
We aren't really sure why I keep having issues (read: new small sores opened on shin at the start of the week). Theoretically speaking, I am on so much antibiotics that the infection shouldn't be doing anything at all. But here we are, anyways. It is quite frustrating. After becoming progressively more and more tired, yet sleeping as much as 15 hours yesterday and not feeling any better, I said enough is enough. No more toughing things out.
Long story, which I won't tell tonight because I am fried: I ended up in the emergency room. My infectious disease specialist and the E.R. doctor spoke over the phone. And I am not the proud owner of a periphery iv that got to come home with me, and nasty bruise forming around it, and bruise int he other arm from when the nurse had to re-do my blood work because what she got wasn't enough (she was really kind and did her best! not her fault my veins are shoddy after so many pokes over the years).
I will likely be on IV vancomycin until surgery on August 26. It might be switched up after that, depending on if the samples sent to the lab grow anything or not (lets all keep our fingers crossed that those little bacteria calls grow... but not in me; in a petri dish!).
I am not waiting for the pharmacy to deliver my iv pump, iv pole, medication, and other paraphernalia. Tomorrow I have my first appointment with CCAC. It is not until 11am, so at least I can get a lot of sleep tonight.
I have lots to write, but I am crashing hard, and that is saying something, because I was already like a zombie when I woke up this morning.
Here are some pictures from today. They are crappy, taken with my phone, but they show how horrible I felt.
 |
| At home this morning, after I saw sent home from clinical |
 |
| In the emergency room, waiting to be seen. My eyes where burning at this point. That is how tired I was... |
 |
| My lovely new fashion accessory. I don't like it, but it might make me feel better... or at least the stuff pumped through it. |
 |
| Infusing. Only took an hour, and after that I was done and free to go! |
Oh man that sucks. Sorry to hear you have to get one after all :/
ReplyDeleteBut hey, Vancomycin will kill the crap out of whatever is in there, if anything can. And at least it's something. No more toughing it out is right - it's not worth it. You have an infection, and that is fact unfortunately. Doing things the hard and stoic way seems to be the way a lot of people feel (myself included) but in the end, is it worth it? Not really... you end up sleeping 15 hours a day and in pain. I personally am doing something dumb myself right now and trying to remove myself from all my painkillers. It's stupid and then I have to practically double up later. Urg... I should really learn to take my own advice!
Anyway, I'm glad something is being done, even though having a PICC line sucks. But you'll get used to it again, and hopefully your surgery will finally eradicate this once and for all. And maybe something will grow, so they can target it appropriately. Vanco is a pretty good start...
I don't know enough about this, but can they culture the blisters on your leg? Is that the infection trying to pop its way out?
Also, sorry if this pops up as like seven hundred different comments, Google is NOT being nice to me.
I really hope the vancomycin can tide me over until surgery. I only have 5 weeks of the semester left... I will do my absolute best ti finish it. The positive side is that I have worked so hard that I can;t really fail any of my courses. My drops could drop/be lower then I like, but it will be hard, if not impossible, to fail anything.
ReplyDeleteYou are right; being brave and stoic is not worth it. I am not saying have a massive pity party instead (although occasionally it is warranted), but saying you are coping when you really aren't is only asking for disaster.
Please stay on your pain meds! Once you are behind, it is really really hard to get on to of the pain again.
My doctors could try to culture the blisters if I was able to have an appointment the day the blisters formed. Unfortunatly, this is quite difficult to do. Often, by the time I get in, the blisters are healing. Also, even if samples were taken, it is not likely anything would grow. The last time I grew anything was in 2008 I think. Infectious disease said that sometimes something is in the body for so long that it just dies really fast when it is removed, so nothing will grow for a culture. The infection in the leg is trying to get out, but the body tried to suppress it. Sometimes small bits to manage to get out, moving through the skin, causing sinus tracts, which are what end up opening on the skin and draining/forming blister like things. If it wasn't so horrible to have, I would say it is really fascinating.
No worries - this only showed up once =)
Hope your healing is going int he right direction!
my grade could drop*
ReplyDeletePoor spelling when I am tired...