Early Procedure...

Hey!
    So they are taking me now for my Hickman placement instead of at 11!  Thanks for your many prayers!
Allison

Good Bright & Early Morning! ;)

Good Morning!

     Since "nervous insomnia" (as I not-so-affectionally call it) has set in, I decided I would go ahead and write an update.  So, I heard late last night that my Hickman placement has been scheduled for 11:00 this morning.  The only catch is that the computer didn't automatically pop up NPO (no food or drink) after midnight so that makes me question whether or not it has actually been scheduled properly with anesthesia.  I am following the normal protocol of no blood thinner, formula, or drinks anyways because I do NOT want to end up delaying the procedure.  Then I plan to ask my day nurse to contact radiology as soon as she is on shift to make sure everything is correct and settled for me.  If I don't update again, you will know that it stayed at 11:00am...if I do update again, you'll know otherwise.  I'm just watching the minutes tick by as I wait.  Never fails...anytime I have a major procedure that requires anesthesia, I always end up not sleeping much at all the night before.  I blame it on all the nerves and my brain going into overtime making sure I'm prepared with everything so I don't miss something, causing an issue that could be prevented!  Thats mast cell life! ;)  And of all times my body had to pick this evening to get miserably thirsty.  Thankfully, they are running my potassium fluids now so those are helping a little

Taking Life One Sleepless, Nervous Night at a Time...
                                                                            Allison

Good News!

Isaiah 40:29

 "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."

Hello Friends!
      Well, I have some happy news!  I was able to get through the Hickman removal on Friday.  It was NOT easy and I had to have so much pain medicine that it knocked me for a loop, BUT I got through it without having to delay for anesthesia!!  To give you a little glimpse of what they had to do....  They had to take tweezer type things and put them up in the site where the Hickman goes in to get to the cuff, pull it (like some serious yanking) periodically as they teased and scraped the tissue from the cuff.  It had been in for 2 years so it was really good and stuck!  Usually they numb you up really good before doing it, but I can't have the local anesthetics.  I would NOT have made it through without being medicated for sure!  I ended up breaking out in hives from the trauma and stress of the removal, but other than that and a bit of soreness, it went very well.

     My cultures are clear and it's looking like there is a big possibility I will get my new Hickman either tomorrow or Tuesday!  They're working towards getting it tomorrow.  It will depend on scheduling because they not only have to find a slot for the procedure but have to get anesthesia scheduled as well.  And then, once things are lined up, I will, Lord willing get to go HOME.....and have our delayed Thanksgiving day! ;)  The infectious disease doctor said as long as things remain clear, I should get to go home within 24hrs of the new Hickman placement so we're probably looking at getting home no earlier than Tuesday...but hopefully no later either! ;)

     I am feeling SO much better than when I got here!  The fevers, sweats, abdominal pain and hardness, and the rash are gone and I enjoyed a warm, relaxing shower this morning between church services (I watch our church's livestream).  The infectious disease doctor said that the bacteria that I had is found a lot in the gut as well and she wonders if I had a little at my J tube along with the line because my abdomen is much softer where it had been quite hard about 2" around the tube.  I actually thought maybe I was developing some weird scar tissue type stuff because it was so hard.  She also said the bacteria I had isn't usually associated with a rash and it was probably actually my body's reaction to the infection rather than the infection itself causing it....which totally makes sense with mast cell disease!

Well, I will leave you with some comic relief.... I very vaguely remember taking the drowsy picture right after my Hickman removal...I don't remember taking the loopy (to say the least) picture that I found on my phone that was taken sometime Friday evening! :)

What can I say?
Selfies are my nature and some meds can knock
me plumb looney so put the two together and
this is what you get! :)

Very groggy selfie after the Hickman removal.

I love this song!  It is a good reminder that no matter what I may go through, the Lord is still right here with me and gives me strength for whatever mountains I will need to climb in life!