Alright... here it goes. So, the PICC line was put in on Monday and since then I was pretty much free of being sick. It was sore the first 24 hours, but after that I felt like I was adjusting well. On Thursday night, we awoke in the middle of the night to change my fluid bag and realized that the IV was not infusing.... the Zofran pump was still going and not beeping to signify a blockage, so we didn't think too much of it. Jeff just clamped off the fluid line and we went back to sleep to deal with it in the morning. Come Friday, the line flushed and fluid started flowing again, so we had no worries. As the day went on, I started to feel a little discomfort which progressed throughout the day, but I tried to tell myself that, "Heck, you just had the incision done a few days ago. Be tough!" Just FYI: that was the wrong thing to do!
So, before going to bed Friday night, I was using a heating pad to decrease the pain as well as taking Tylenol, but then when it came time to go to bed the IV fluid started to back up again and stopped infusing... once again, the Zofran pump was going, so that struck me as odd. Instead of calling the home health people, we decided to just sleep without the IV and deal with it in the morning when they could possibly send someone out to check on me. Again, probably a mistake, but that's hindsight for ya!
About 3:50 in the morning, I woke up in so much PAIN! I couldn't move my arm and if I even tried to rest it up on a pillow, it made me want to scream! I tried to toss and turn, walk around, and think, but by 5am I was waking up Jeff and calling into the 24hr home health nurses. The pressure in my arm was so tight, feeling like if I could just cut my arm open and release it, it would all be better (but don't worry, I didn't do that!). The nurse on call instructed me to head to the emergency room (thanks again to family for my dad coming over at that hour to be here when Logan woke up!).
So, on to the result... after 4 hours in the ER, the PICC was removed. After an ultrasound, they confirmed that there was not a blood clot present (good news!) but that something must be going wrong inside for my arm to feel the way it did... maybe on a nerve, putting stress on some tissue, who knows... they really had no idea, but keeping it in just wasn't an option... I needed some relief! As the doctor removed the catheter I almost immediately felt relief... still pain, but not the pressure... and I could move my arm freely again which was nice.
Where do we go from here? We are back to oral meds... Zofran tablets and the Phenergan (which knocks me out!). We got home from the hospital at 11:30, I ate some breakfast and slept until 6 pm! The pain is pretty much subsided, though the upper arm is pretty bruised and VERY sensitive to the touch. This is all pretty much a mystery... but I guess we'll all get our collective heads together on Monday and see what we can do next. They can put another one in, try my right arm, but if it's due to an allergy to latex (which would explain all the other prior issues with the IV sites and Zofran port trouble in my leg!) than that won't be an option. For the weekend, I'm thankful to have such a wonderful husband and the Phenergan to let me sleep the days away!
Please continue to pray for this situation... I know the outcome is worth it in the end, but I just don't think having a baby should be this hard on a mother!
So, before going to bed Friday night, I was using a heating pad to decrease the pain as well as taking Tylenol, but then when it came time to go to bed the IV fluid started to back up again and stopped infusing... once again, the Zofran pump was going, so that struck me as odd. Instead of calling the home health people, we decided to just sleep without the IV and deal with it in the morning when they could possibly send someone out to check on me. Again, probably a mistake, but that's hindsight for ya!
About 3:50 in the morning, I woke up in so much PAIN! I couldn't move my arm and if I even tried to rest it up on a pillow, it made me want to scream! I tried to toss and turn, walk around, and think, but by 5am I was waking up Jeff and calling into the 24hr home health nurses. The pressure in my arm was so tight, feeling like if I could just cut my arm open and release it, it would all be better (but don't worry, I didn't do that!). The nurse on call instructed me to head to the emergency room (thanks again to family for my dad coming over at that hour to be here when Logan woke up!).
So, on to the result... after 4 hours in the ER, the PICC was removed. After an ultrasound, they confirmed that there was not a blood clot present (good news!) but that something must be going wrong inside for my arm to feel the way it did... maybe on a nerve, putting stress on some tissue, who knows... they really had no idea, but keeping it in just wasn't an option... I needed some relief! As the doctor removed the catheter I almost immediately felt relief... still pain, but not the pressure... and I could move my arm freely again which was nice.
Where do we go from here? We are back to oral meds... Zofran tablets and the Phenergan (which knocks me out!). We got home from the hospital at 11:30, I ate some breakfast and slept until 6 pm! The pain is pretty much subsided, though the upper arm is pretty bruised and VERY sensitive to the touch. This is all pretty much a mystery... but I guess we'll all get our collective heads together on Monday and see what we can do next. They can put another one in, try my right arm, but if it's due to an allergy to latex (which would explain all the other prior issues with the IV sites and Zofran port trouble in my leg!) than that won't be an option. For the weekend, I'm thankful to have such a wonderful husband and the Phenergan to let me sleep the days away!
Please continue to pray for this situation... I know the outcome is worth it in the end, but I just don't think having a baby should be this hard on a mother!
4 comments:
Oh my... I will keep you in my prayers!
Oh goodness!! Wish I lived closer so I could help you out and be your personal RN! :o)
many prayers!!
Hi, you don't know me we have a mutual friend, Colby. After discovering that I too suffer with HG she asked that I contact you. I am now on my 3rd pregnancy with HG. We have a 2 year old son, the second pg ended in a miscarriage at 13 weeks. I just want to let you know you are not alone and if you need some support from someone who knows what your going through I am here for you. I am 8 weeks along now, so just about to get into the toughest part for me. I am already doing zofran and phenergan at home and if things get too much worse I forsee homehealth in our future as well. In case you didn't know there is a website for HG that is a great resource guide and support system. www.helpher.org if you haven't visited it yet, I strongly recommend it. Please feel free to contact me anytime. I know what it means to have someone who has been there. I will keep you in my prayers. No mother should have to suffer like this.
Sending our prayers,
Jamie Kramer
jlkramertx@yahoo.com
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