Don't look if you are gonna be grossed out, but I wanted to show you the new love of my life ~ my PICC Line, the direct line to my life with aplastic anemia and my heart. Literally.
"Ok, she had me up until this picture, and now I'm totally grossed out. Why did she post this picture? What drug is she on? And why is her new favorite word 'literally'...?"
No no no, you don't understand. Give my new man a chance. I love him. He has a face that only a mother could love. But this bionic-looking invention means that instead of getting one thousand needle-sticks by now, I just give blood samples and receive tranfusions and even medications like steroids through this line. The end.
What's my point: If you are scared of getting a PICC Line, please don't be. Odds are, the professionals have suggested it to you for a good reason such as you have crappy, tiny veins like me, and this is the best thing for you to do.
One day, as I was getting a benadryl-dozy platelet tranfusion (I'm a relatively happy, cheap date on benadryl), the PICC Line nurse told me, "You know, we have a patient who refused a PICC Line because he's afraid of the idea. We don't know what to do. He's going to have a hard time. He's thinking about not even taking the treatment." That broke my heart. I immediately asked for the universe to intervene and make this man come to his senses. Modern medical technology is a gift, and for a reason. I wish that American pharmaceutical companies spent more on researching new drugs than giving out free keychains and squeezy balls and logo-emblazoned trinkets and free lunches since there is no such thing as a free lunch, or a free kitten, if you need to know the truth...
Not that I'm saying you need to eat a kitten for lunch...am I ranting? Must be the hormones.
What I'm saying is: If anyone googles to this page looking for information on a PICC Line, scared to death of the whole idea like I was, trust me ~ it only hurts for a little while, you'll get used to it, and it's the best thing you can ever do in this case.
Speaking of necessary pain that only hurts for so long, keep your insurance premiums current and paid. This amazing stuff isn't cheap (thanks to free lunches, passing the savings on to you and the hospital). The cost of the drug ATGam I took in the IV for 4 days alone was $28,000. My point is that the minute you think you don't need insurance, you might as well gamble the deed to your house on the craps table. Or stick your kitty in a slot machine. Me-OW.
Not to scare you, nothing to be frightened of, just get the care you need. And plenty of love. Aww.
~ Happy Valentine's Day, go forth and eat candy! ~
"Gross! She posted another picture of, what, her getting platelets...ewwww. Hey. Dang...steroids went straight to her, uhhh, chest...area. Well then...maybe this PICC Line thing isn't such a bad idea after all."
1 comment:
I know this is an older post so you may not still have your line, but I have a blood disorder too - a rare anemia - and I also got a PICC line. They took it out after the same hospital stay they had put it in for unfortunately.
So I asked for a port in my chest. It was the best thing I ever did for myself. Particularly if you can get them to give you a "Power Port" It is totally covered by you skin, and they just feel these three little bumps and that tells them where the entrance to the line is so they can flush it and draw blood or put an IV in there. The ports last at least a year also, and they're nice because you don't have anything hanging out if you want to go swimming or something (right, like we have the energy for that). But still - it's a pretty cool modality for people like us.
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