no more PICC line for me!

I had my picc line pulled yesterday, and i must say.... it feels pretty darn good to finally be able to raise my arm completely over my head and straighten it out all the way!
I was so excited to have it taken out, that i called my nurse and kept pestering her until she came to take it out. :)
I also had my home health discontinued yesterday as well. Vanderbilt called me yesterday, to tell me that the CT scan looked good, and the blood work is stable, not to change any meds, and to come back in a month for blood work. If everything is still stable then i can start decreasing the prednisone. Ill have another CT in 6 months. have to go back to clinic in 3 months, I believe i have an endoscopy coming up in the next month or to also.
I called and scheduled an appointment to get counseling today, and to be honest, im not to thrilled about it either.


also, it was a year ago today, that i last saw my mom alive. So I have been in a funk all day. She will be gone a year on the 23rd of this month, and I miss her alot.

nut hut

Today I went to Vanderbilt for a check up, and a CT Scan...Oh yeah, and the "norm" too...bloodwork.
We overslept a little this morning, but still made it on time. After my CT Scan was done we had a little time to spare in between, so we stopped for some breakfast. So far my livers working good...YIPPEE!!
I didnt get the PICC line out today, because my antibiotics were not finished, I still have maybe another hour or so, then IM DONE!
BUT..I do get it out tomorrow. He sent me home with the orders for my home health nurse to pull it out. One thing he was concerned about was the weight loss. Im not allowed to lose anymore weight,(besides, its not like im doing it on purpose.) Seems to be all the stress and illness ive had going on. I dont eat when im stressed, so he seems to think thats the way I deal with my stress. He's making me see a psychiatrist about all my problems. He told me if I was to make a list of everything that I've been through, and hand it to someone else and tell them to go through what ive been through, that most people would have already went nuts, and its a wonder im still standing... so im gonna try this list....

1. living with AIH/PBC.
2. my mom passing away.
3. having a preemie.
4. having to be away from my husband for 4 1/2 months.
5. constantly having to send corbin to grandparents because im in the hospital.
6. not getting to see him weeks at a time.
7. physically drained all the time
8. taking care of a 2 year old.
9. mommy and son having to be resuscitated at birth.
10.finding out grandmother has cancer a few weeks after my moms death.
11.being put on the ventilator due to pneumonia.
12.a week stay in the hospital because of meningitis.
13.three days later back in the hospital due to picc line infection and pseudomonas bacteria.
14.two weeks of continuous IV antibiotics and home health.
15.different emotions...mainly sad, because of selling my moms house.
16.days of NO sleep 
17.last but not least, knowing that one day, ill have a life saving organ transplant.

Nothing else comes to mind right now, but im sure theres more! Now you try walking in my shoes. Do you think you could do it?

I thinks its time to see a pychiatrist, before I go insane!

sleepless in Decherd!

This mama is EXHAUSTED! The antibiotics are kicking my tail. One of the side effects of Zosyn is not sleeping, and thats exactly what im not doing (sleeping). I have probably had 5 hours of sleep since Monday. Another side effect I have would be a nasty one (diahrrea)YUCK! I have it so bad that I have lost 10 pounds this week alone. Now my doctors are concerned I have C.Diff. They are wanting me to give them a stool sample, Yummy! they get to play in my poo..... more power to ya! On another note, I have to go to Vanderbilt Tuesday for a CT scan, see Dr. Perri, and hopefully get this picc line taken out! so keep your fingers crossed and pray with me that im done with all this mess and can go back to my normal life!

until then,
Erin

RELAXING THE DAY AWAY!

TODAY, MY NURSE COMES....
YESTERDAY, WAS AN EVENTFUL DAY! ALONG WITH THE DAY BEFORE!

AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, I HAVE THIS LITTLE ATTACHMENT THAT I HAVE TO TOTE EVERYWHERE WITH ME. WEDNESDAY, I DROPPED MY BOTTLE OF ANTIBIOTICS AND THE EXTENTIONS WERE NOT LONG ENOUGHT TO HIT THE FLOOR, AND IT JERKED MY ARM, AND NOW I HAVE A CONSTANT PAIN IN MY ARM! HA OH WELL.....

I THOUGHT EVERTHING WAS OK, UNTILL I LAID DOWN TO GO TO BED, AND MY HEART STARTED FEELING FUNNY, AS IN IT WAS FLUTTERING AND IT FELT LIKE I HAD A BUBBLE OR A BURP STUCK IN MY CHEST THAT I COULDNT GET OUT.

I CALLED THE DOCS AT VANDY, AND THEY SAID IT WASNT NORMAL AND I NEEDED TO COME UP THERE AND HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. SO NASHVILLE BOUND WE WERE!
THE PICC LINE IS STILL IN IT RIGHT PLACE, BUT NOW MY HEART IS PUMPING AN EXTRA PUMP? PVC (PREMATURE VENTRICULAR CONTRACTIONS). I WAS TOLD IF IT GETS WORSE TO COME BACK UP THERE, THAT IT IS OK FOR NOW.

THE NURSE JUST LEFT, SHE SAYS EVERYTHING IS A-OK SO FAR.  SHE'LL BE BACK MONDAY, TO CHANGE THE DRESSING ON MY PICC, AND TO DO BLOODWORK.

BUSY DAY MONDAY HUH?
IN THE MEAN TIME ALL I HEAR IS "YOU NEED TO REST, GO LAY DOWN, ILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING!" SOUNDS NICE TO HEAR THAT FROM ALLEN, BUT IM SO BORED RELAXING.

I WANNA RUN AROUND AND CHASE CORBIN AGAIN!

hahaha

GUESS WHAT HAS 2 THUMBS AND IS GOING HOME TONIGHT!

PICC # 5

SO THIS MAKES MY 5TH PICC LINE SINCE 2005. ALL OF THEM HAVE GOTTEN INFECTED, BUT THE 3RD AND THIS LAST ONE. THE DOCTORS CAME IN THIS MORNING AND ONCE AGAIN INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE THE PICC PLACED TODAY, AND WILL PROBABLY BE HERE A FEW MORE DAYS, TO MAKE SURE ITS WORKING WELL, THEN I'LL GET TO GO HOME.

WELL THIS PICC WANTED TO BE STUBBORN AND PICKY. (NO PUN INTENDED.) SHE FIRST STARTED ON MY RIGHT ARM, BUT DECIDED IT WAS BEST TO GIVE THAT ARM A BREAK, CONSIDERING I JUST HAD ONE PULLED AND MY VEINS ARE T-iny TO BEGIN WITH. SO THE LEFT ARM IT IS! THE FIRST TRY WAS A FAILURE, THE SECOND WAS A BLOODY SUCCESS.

AFTER A WHILE OF PRESSURE ( HARD PRESSURE) ON THE "INSERTION SITE", IT FINALLY QUIT BLEEDING. THAT IS UNTIL I GOT BACK TO MY ROOM, I GOT BACK IN MY BED GOT MY MEDS IN ME, TURNED THE TV BACK ON,LOOKED DOWN, AND ITS BLEEDING LIKE A STUCK PIG. LUCKILY I TOOK A PICTURE TO SHOW YOU BEFORE IT GOT BAD :).

THEY TOOK ME BACK TO RADIOLOGY WHERE I HAD IT DONE, AND THE NICE LADY FIXED ME RIGHT UP. SHE CLEANED THE MESS, PUT SOME STUFF THAT LOOKS LIKE DIRT ON IT, CALLED BIOSEAL. IT ADHEARS TO THE PROTEINS AND FORMS A SCAB, REALLY NEAT STUFF!

NOT AGAIN!

THE LIVER DR'S CAME IN TODAY AND SAID I WAS DOING GOOD, BUT THEY WERE GONNA CALL IN THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE TEAM AGAIN, TO SEE WHAT KIND OF BACTERIA I HAVE AND WHAT MEDICATIONS WILL STOP IT DEAD IN ITS TRACKS.

THE INFECTIOUS DISEASE DR'S JUST LEFT MY ROOM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE BACTERIA I HAVE IS IN MY BLOOD STREAM AND ITS CALLED PSERDOMONAS. A VERY SERIOUS BACTERIA THAT CAN CAUSE LOTS OF PROBLEMS. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO BE ON IV ANTIBIOTICS 24-7. FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

MY FIRST THOUGHTS WERE "GREAT 2 MORE WEEKS HERE, MY SON IS GOING TO BE COMPLETELY GROWN UP BEFORE I GET TO SEE HIM AGAIN." UNTIL SHE INFORMED ME I WOULD BE GOING HOME WITH YET ANOTHER PICC LINE, AND ILL BE ON ZOSYN FOR TWO WEEKS AT HOME CONTINUOUSLY.

I ALSO HAVE TO BATTLE GETTING SOMEONE LOCALLY TO TAKE IT OUT FOR ME. BUT THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER STORY. SO INSTEAD I'M MOVING MY APPOINTMENT WITH DR. PERRI BACK FROM AUGUST 8TH TO THE 15TH.