TE TROUBLE
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Lisa, I only had the TE on one side. At the BMX the permanent implants were placed. After the infection, I lost the left one and got the TE instead. The original implant on the right was happy from day one. When the TE side was fully filled, I went back to surgery for the exchange back to an implant. Because the TE side could not handle the same size implant as it had before, a smaller one was put in. The original happy right implant was changed out too at the same time so it would match.
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Moon, don't cha just love a trip down memory lane? Nice party you had there!
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Moon, I know it wasn't a great birthday for you, but that sure is a WONDERFUL picture!
I think it epitomizes your tagline of 'much love' perfectly! 0 -
Lissa, my troubles were on my "good" side !!!
Another thing, watch that IV site...the vanco is hard on your veins.
I hope your "spa" food is better than mine was!!!
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Ok, hives??? Seriously!!! Turns out the ace wrap has latex..who knew??? Gotta love Benadryl!!!
Went to the dark side for a moment...called PS @ 6:30am...advised to remove and go latex free...
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my white blood count is down, waiting on cultures to grow to see what this shows. Mine was yeast last week which he says was probably picked up quickly during or right after surgery in hospital as well. Keeping me on these 3 meds til culture comes back. My ps says we're doing whatever we can to try to save my right side expander. If anyone's lost it does it mean I will be flat on that side or what? I meant to ask him & forgot.
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yeah. LISSA that's what it means. I was flat on one side for 2 years on and off. Wore my Amoena camisole with the puff foobs one with a little poly fill to add to my half filled right TE. Then a wholly filled puff on my left. I looked even in clothes and because I was going through chemo I didn't even care. I was yoo tired to go out so not many people saw it anyway. And besides my lack of hair drew attention away from my chest! LOL. The pic above was taken when they took out my left TE the 2nd time. I don't think I waited long enough after chemo and I wasn't strong enough. My 3rd try was last Aug. And here I am with my squishies in doing fine so far! So if it has to come out it's a pain but it only slows things down. It doesn't stop it.
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Lisa, yes you would be flat for awhile. My PS took out the implant and put in an empty TE. I was completely flat on that side with odd looking wrinkled skin. Once the infection was gone, we started fills.
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Lakegirl and Lissab - I'm so very sorry for what you're both going through - but you're getting good advice from Sandra and Moon. They would know - they've both been right where you are now. Helplessly, all I can do is send you big hugs and keep you both in my thoughts and prayers... Hoping that they can stay in control of Lissa's infection. And hives, Lakegirl? Really? Yes, Benadryl is cheap and effective for numerous ailments. It's been a staple in my house for years (just in case). I kind of like the idea that you got to wake your PS up at 6:30AM, Lakegirl.. Seems only fair that if you're suffering, they should suffer a little too...
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AZ, I love your sense of humor!
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Lake girl I agree with AZ! I'm glad you woke him up! LOL. P'S are a bit on the , um, arrogant side! They really need to be. My P'S was much more approachable after everything we've been through. I told him i guess I was his excitement for the day and he told me that he preferred boredom to excitement of that kind. LOL
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lissa - I was flat on the left for seven months after the TE was removed. I went through chemo and then had the TE replaced about 6 weeks later. It was not difficult to disguise - wore padding, ruffles and scarves.
Appropriately for this thread my PS usually peeks his head in the exam room and says "hello trouble..."
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My PS and I are on awesome terms...explicit instructions to call ASAP with any changes. He is total Type A, as is my sister. He calls her Triple A!!! We all appreciate the banter and humur throughout all of this... That is what keeps all of us sane and PS on his toes!
You are right though, there was some satisfaction at calling that early!!!We figured out it is the latex in the ace bandage!!! Basically only have hives where it touched skin around the foobs!!!
Now, white t-shirt then ace wrap....finding latex free on Saturday am is a challenge. Giving up and ordering from Amazon!!!
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I'm going in to get a pick line tonight. I blew my IV & they retried 6 times with no luck. Praying this is easier. I feel like a human pin cushion. So my good antibiotics haven't got to be done today yet. I've had 65 ccs drain today of that dark cloudy yellow with stuff in it.
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Lissab....I'm in there with you as they do the PICC !! I won't lie, it is not fun, BUT...NO MORE MULTI STICKS!!! I got mine last Friday ...no more human pin cushion.
Big hugs and prayers!!!!
Janice
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I'll be most insistent about the type of adhesives used in the future. PS doesn't think I reacted to it it but most definitely I did and he'd not seen it to know.. Friend was with me when we took the first ones off with showering. It was almost like the stuff took some skin layer off...quite red underneath. Thankfully, no hives! Nope, that's if the don't wash off the betadine well before putting on dressings.
Hopefully not having a fill for a week or two will sort things out. Righty has gotten to only 260cc, deciding that it quite tight. Enough so that a bit almost had to be taken back out. We'll see how it plays out about any fill for next week. Lefty is doing fine at 280cc and not tight.
I work very hard at being optimistic through all this. Positive thoughts to all!
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PICC lines rock! I have one now. They give you a couple of shots of lidocaine when they put it in which can sure sting. BUT if they "buffer" the lidocaine with saline, you don't feel much. By tomorrow you won't even notice it's there anymore. I got my first one seven months ago after 25 unproductive sticks, even in my feet. (Now THAT hurts.) Kept that one a month. I get them before every surgery and keep them a couple weeks after for IV antibiotics to prevent another infection. You can keep it for a year or more if you need to. They will give you a shower sleeve so it doesn't get wet when you shower (wrap it in Glad Press N Seal...easier) and use a hand held shower head. No problem. Awkward at first but you get used to it quickly. So glad you are getting good care. Go get that infection, girl. Stomp on it, kill it, and kick it to the curb.
For those who don't know what a PICC Line is - it's a central line, completely sterile, done in a minor surgery and placed on the inside of your upper arm. It goes into the brachial vein and over to your heart. Here's mine. One edge of the stat lock piece is coming up. The dressing will get changed Monday morning.
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Sandra, I'm telling you - you need to write a book! The stuff you know never ceases to amaze me!
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pic done. Not too bad & WAY BETTER than my multi sticks. Bc of the v word antibiotic I will be here 1 week they said bc my blood level has to be checked dAily. That's ok with me as long as my infection clears. Just ready to get over this hump. Thanks everyone for your words & prayers.
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V is Vancomycin.
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PICC lines are so much easier than IVs sticks. Do you still have your port from chemo? Or didn't you get one? I had to get a PICC be a use I didn't have my port yet after my first infection. That's when I found out I was sensitive to the adhesive. It pulled off a layer if skin when they changed it the first time. After I had my port and need abx, they accessed my port and left the needle in 3 weeks changing it out every week. That was not fun. But you can make it. I learned how to do my own abx iv.
SASH = Saline; Antibiotic; Saline; Heperine. That's the order the syringes go into the iv tube. LOL.
The first time I had a home nurse come in the first werk. After that I gave it to myself and she came in and did blood pressure 2x a week and I'd go to my cancer center to have my needle swapped for a clean one. It took about 15 min a day to do it. PM me if you get stuck doing that. Much love
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Lissab,...you rocked it!!! Get some rest and let them take care of you so you can heal!!!
On another note, I did see the Kind tape at Walmart tonight, by nexcare. I was on a mission for latex free ace bandage!!! Found one, hope it works...these hives will drive me BONKO!!!
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Sandra 4611... Do you administer your own meds or does someone do it for you.? They put 2 extenders on so I could do it myself, if necessary. My husband travels a lot for work, on rather short notice. I just have trouble keeping them out of the way! Any suggestions??
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Lissab
I also had vancomyacin in the hospital for a week. It was funny, I was the healthiest person who ended up in the hospital longer than anyone else. I kept walking the hallways!!!! I wish I would have had the PICC line. My arm and my veins were sore for a month afterwards. Each day they had to find a new vein! That was the worst of it.
Good healing,
Babsa
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You rock, Lissa!
Just wanted to make an important correction. There are many learned sisters on this thread -- sandra and my friend SpecialK among them -- but wanted to make sure everyone knows that V actually stands for 'valium.' At least in my book.
**tension-breaking muscle-relaxant humor**
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Hi all,
I am scheduled for my exchange on May 13 but yesterday noticed that my right side looks like it did before my last fill and the skin is flappy towards the bottom of the tissue expander (something like that - not sure how to explain it).
The right side was the only one my PS put saline in about a month ago because it wasn't symmetrical in size to the other one. So he filled that side and scheduled me for the exchange - way out in May as he was scheduled out that far.
But now the right side is back to looking smaller again and my left side hasn't changed. So, now I'm wondering - have I had a slow leak for a while? Has anyone else had a leaking tissue expander?
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I'm doing tamoxafin. No chemo. I finally slept Most of the night too. I hAve trouble sleeping at night every since initial surgery. I drained out quite a bit overnight in my Jp, hoping that is a good sign. about 25 ccs more than I normally do. Thank you All. It's great to have people to chAt with that understand.
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Lake,
That extender is going to be really convenient. My husband does all my infusions because my lumens are less than three inches from the stat-lock. (That white butterfly looking thing that keep the lumen tubing from flopping around.) The Vancomycin comes in a ball with a clear tubing line attached that fits into to your PICC lumen. The Vanc has to be refrigerated. We take it out to warm up a bit before he hooks me up, but I don't notice it if it's cold or room temp. As the Vanc infuses over two hours, the ball deflates until just the center column remains. You don't have to "unplug" right away. Depending on the schedule I was on, I would start the infusion and just go to bed. I unplugged in the morning. Flushes before and after are easy. They come pre-filled in sterile plastic. You will get so good at it that you can tap it sharply on the bottom to break the plastic, then take the top off with one hand, squirting the first little bit of saline into the trash, then attaching it to the lumen. You've probably noticed already that you can tell when your line gets flushed. I smell alcohol in the back of my throat. Some people get a peculiar taste in their mouth.
I never needed Heparin. (That's a med to prevent clots.) Sometimes the lumen where the blood draws are done can get hard to flush. Just push in a percussive way - sharp, firm pushes, and it will clear. Make sure your visiting nurse does one 10cc flush before the blood draw and two 10cc flushes after. One time I got an occlusion in the lumen but I went to the hospital and the PICC nurse put in TPA, a clot buster. (You don't feel it.) An hour later I came back and it flushed right away. That's only happened once in all the times I've had a PICC.
This time we changed home health care companies and they deal with a different pharmacy so the Vanc balls look a little different on the top and bottom. But they work the same. The ball is easy to toss in my purse when I go out, so I'm totally portable!
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TechLady - Yes, it sounds as though you may have a slow leak in the TE. (It happens once in a great while.) Please call your PS in the morning and see what he has to say, but tell him this is what you suspect. Good luck to you!
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I wish I had those vanco balls. The one I get comes in a regular IV bag, doing this every 8 hours is getting old.
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