TE TROUBLE
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If you have a slow expander leak, some PS will just keep adding fills weekly to try to keep the expander as inflated as possible and then exchange on schedule. Usually if the leak starts close to exchange there is no need to swap out the expander.
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I would try this for holding the extensions for the PICC line - with a clean, new sock. Maybe put the extensions into a clean ziplock bag first, then put into the sock holder you made out of your awesome sock?
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AZ5048 and SpecialK - thanks to you both! It's easy to second guess myself and worry that I'm overreacting, but it's definitely smaller than it was and not at all hard like the other side. I will try to call first thing tomorrow.
I think it's been leaking for a while and suspect that's why he had to fill only that side last time. Part of me hopes if it is a leak he will fill it up a little more and move me sooner than May 13 for the exchange. I guess I'll see what he says...
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how long have y'all been on vanc? What determines length you're on it? Does it make you feel flushed after getting it? I'm keeping a headache, not sure where it's coming from?
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Lissab...tell the RN's...just to be sure it isn't some type of reaction...they may be able to give you something for it.
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SpecialK ....that looks like the perfect solution. With potential for lots of options if I have to live with this for a period of time!!!
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Good Luck Lisa! Hope doc can help you.
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how long do you stay on vanco? He told me today if be here most of week but he thinks he sees a glimmer of hope that we will be Able to save my right expander now. However the culture will be determing factor there. It should be in Tuesday. Does the picc line get less tender as time goes on? It's so tender & in awkward spot so hard to get that arm comfy.
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Lissab....try putting a pillow long ways next to you with PICC arm on it. I slept with one on each side long ways to rest my arms on and one for my head. It cocoons you in and keeps your arms more level with your body. I had bmx so really didn't like having my arms lower than my torso.
Hope that helps...
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Lisa, you won't even feel the PICC soon. There is a little soreness the first day because of the two sutures needed to keep it in place, but it goes away quickly. The dressing covers the sutures so it's not like a drain suture that can be pulled on and irritated. With a PICC, you don't get the kind of problems that cause a regular IV to get irritated and need to come out. You can keep a PICC line a year. The nurses should give you a white mesh sleeve to cover it. You can buy patterned fancy sleeves if you have it for chemo.
My skin is very sensitive so each week when they change the dressing, they move it around to give the skin some breathing time. There is a clear film they can "paint" on your skin that forms a barrier so the adhesive in the dressing doesn't bother your skin. Ask for it. It's commonly used for burn patients but the PICC nurses should be able to get it for you. I get red around the edges of the dressing.
I've had IV Vanc a minimum of 10 days (this surgery - #4) and a maximum of 31 days beginning on day 3 of the infection after surgery #1 and continuing for 11 days until surgery #2 to remove the dead tissue, then 20 more days after. It doesn't cause any flushed feeling or headache, but with an infection, those things can happen. Tell your nurse. I find that IV Tylenol works really well in the hospital. It's better than tablets at home. I would have had Vanc longer than 31 days - the plan was one more week - but my blood levels jumped from 9-10 to 34 and I had to come off of it at 31 days. I haven't had a similar problem since then when I've been on it.
I was in the hospital for 7 days, then sent home for 7 days with IV Vanc before returning for the second surgery. Stayed 4 days after that surgery.
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Well my antibiotic was DAPTOMYACIN because I am allergic to vanco. It came in regular syringes prefilled to keep in the refrigerator. (That ball is kinda cute! LOL) I infused it into my pic line over 5 minutes at about the same time for 3 weeks. They shipped it to my house at the beginning of each week. I flushed it with saline syringe first. Then timed the abx. Then another saline syringe and finally the heparin syringe. The heparin and saline did not need refrigeration. And that little butterfly clip? It's there for a reason. If you have to do it yourself I'll tell you how stupid I was.... LOL When I had my 2nd infection they used my port. I had to go in every week for them to access it with a fresh needle. Then they taped it up good for a week. After that I was on oral abx for 3 weeks. Man The things we learn.
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other 2 meds are diflucan & I'm trying to find out other. Got 85 ccs yesterday so that's more hav I've been getting but it's looking a little lighter. Has some bright red blood stringy in it now that wasn't there before. I haven't seen dr yet this morning so I'm anxious to hear what they say. Thank y'all for your info.
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Lissa i don't know what the stringy things are called but i got them as i was healing. You have to strip the tubes to make sure they don't clog them. Also later on i got a white sticky kind of clog that came out in the shape of the tube. Gross but normal. Much love
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yeah my 1st 2 drains was all blood and some stringy stuff, this drain this time is different. I strip it often to help with clogging. I'm for whatever reason getting more fluid now than I was before. Maybe that's a good sign infection is getting out. Idk. Learning as I go lol.
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As one of my doctors said, better out than in....LOL
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I still have hives !!! I saw PCP today. While there he called ID MD while I was in the room. We stopped cefazolin until I see ID MD tomorrow. Also got oral meds for next 24 hours. Also saw PS, as there was swelling. Rt TE with 240cc looked bigger than left that has 360 cc. (I am a little paranoid since infection!). He says the tissue on both is pissed off by the hives, but no indication of infection.
I'm wondering if the Hibiclens they want me to use due PICC is causing the hives. I DINT have them anywhere else...
Sandra4611or Moonflwr , have either of you had this issue?
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Lissab...agreed!! Out is better than in!!! Hang in there, how are the "spa services"?
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lol spa services....I think I can become a nurse now. He said Wednesday if culture comes back ok he will let me go home & have home health come administer the meds until I can learn how. No fever since I started on these meds so we feel like they're working. Don't want to take any chances. Not sure how long I will have to be on the meds but for now I'm just praying culture is good.
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Lake,
My skin is ultra sensitive, so it is quick to complain about EVERYthing it doesn't like. I never had hives but I think Moon had more reactions than I did so she'll chime in soon. I was not required to use Hibiclense except for the night before surgery and had no side effects then. The only skin issues I've had has been around the PICC. My skin does not like medical adhesive and it itches like crazy. It's not the PICC itself - there is no redness around it, but you can see the outline of the rectangular sterile dressing on my skin and it has to be moved to another location to prevent more skin breakdown.
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Yep I popped back in. I do have issues with abx AND adhesive. There is a barricade cream they can put under the tape if that is a problem. I itched so much I almost ripped off the skin under the tape. It (barricade cream) worked pretty well. Ask your PS or nurse if you can use salt and water to clean instead of the hibiclens. Salt water is abx on its own and when I scratch the skin where it itches I use hot water and salt to prevent infection. With my diabetes I have to be careful and sometimes I just can't stop scratching the itch. LOL but salt water can't cause any reaction but it really works for me. And yes my feet swell up when I scratch them bloody. I know I know STOP DOING THAT LOL! But that's what probably is happening your body is pissed off! But if it's your arm you do want to be aware of lymphedema. Just keep an eye on that. But most of my problems come from the abx. I can use cephalexin. Daptomyacin. Ciproflaxen. And probably anything newer. But not vanco or ethromaycin.orother myacins, penicillin and illins. And not tetracycline and cyclines. Oh and no Bactrim because it's a sulfa drug. My ID MD knows when she sees me we've got trouble. I think specialk and fluff also have reactions. Some Dr's have refused to operate with those restrictions. It's one reason I won't mess with ops I don't really need. And I did need reconstruction because I'm trying to convince my ortho to give me new knees. He's one that won't do it unless I prove I can hold an implant. LOL sorry to talking too much.
Much love.
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My allergic reactions have involved mostly antibiotics - IV, oral and topical, anything with adhesive. I have used Atarax (hydroxizine) and steroids, oral and topical, to deal with it.
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I SEE THE ID tomorrow,...it is the weirdest thing. The hives are only on the breast mounds. One line of thinking is that the combo of the hibiclens, the compression from the ace wrap and potential for latex in ace is what may be causing the issue.
Wouldn't you think if it were abx, hives would be all over???
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It is hard to say - my topical (bacitracin irrigant) was at the incisions, which also had tape. The antibiotic ones start on my torso and spread upward and downward. I also had problems where my skin contacted the bed linens in the hospital - I'm allergic to the detergent - so that was contact dermatitis.
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My hives start on skin over joints. Over knuckles elbows knees. So you are probably right about the abx. The last time i gad it really bad I had to get cortisone shots.
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I am to the point where they just need to get my boobs to stop itching!!!! SEREIOUSLY?!?!?
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ice ice baby. But SET A TIMER! You don't want frostbite! Ice will help with the itching.
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I got my PICC out this afternoon at 10 days post-op. It was in the nick of time...really starting to sting around the edges of the sterile dressing this morning. Tonight it stings a bunch. I just can't do medical adhesive. The irritation is coming faster with each surgery. I tried some Bacitracin on the stinging red raised skin (not on the healing PICC opening or little holes from the sutures holding it in). Not helping. Don't want to do much more because I have to keep the opening covered until it closes tomorrow and I don't want to get too close to it. It had a square of sterile gauze held down by three strips of tape placed by the PICC nurse, but the tape has just made the situation worse in the last few hours, so it had to go. I'm down to a little piece of gauze, held in place by the stretchy mesh "sleeve." I'm a little afraid of getting an infection via the PICC opening since I've messed with the little bandage.
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Oh Sandra. That looks positively painful. And yes we can see where the tape was. Ouch..gonna suggest ice for you too. Just don't keep it on long. Hugs. Careful hugs.....
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For those of you who haven't checked out the 'adhesive thread', the only 'tape' I can use is Medipore of Hypafix - both pricey & most docs don't have them. I am unable to have even paper tape on my skin for more than an hour but I've used both of the skin protectants below and they seem to work for me. The nurse or person placing the bandage simply opens the wipe & wipes the skin around the wound (or port) where the 'tape' will go and the center stays sterile or covered w/gauze. Later when it's time to remove - no redness & no skin lost. You should always insist on a skin protectant before bandaging.
Aplicare Skin Protectant Pads, which my chemo center uses for placing the clear 'port cover' once the port is accessed, and 3M Cavilon Barrier Film, which the hospital ER uses for the same purpose. I have been unable to purchase Aplicare directly but there seem to be several places that sell the Cavilon.
Disclaimer - Nothing works the same for any of us as - like all BC stuff. I have a friend who wanted to use Cavilon around her husband's feeding tube entry, since he has to have that bandaged 24/7 but the food & fluids still degrade his skin. Anyway - nothing ventured nothing gained.
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Sandra, that looks really painful! I hope it heals quickly.
I must say it's about time we had the ability to post photos on the threads. Helps a great deal, especially for those experiencing skin/healing issues. THANKS, BCO!
{{{hugs}}} to continued healing and clearing of infection for everyone.
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