Logan update PICC

This has been my home away from home lately. Thankfully it's only 5 minutes from my real home.

Yesterday was supposed to be PICC day. It didn't happen. I can't say I was surprised. You learn quickly that things always change and the hospital seems to run on it's own special time table.

They reschedualed for today at 10:00am. I tried to get home last night and did for a while. When I called to tell Logan goodnight he let me know they were going to have to draw blood twice in the middle of the night. He tried to act like it was no big deal but when I asked if he wanted me to come the tears came and so I left.

The first draw was at 2 am and went well. It was quick and he basically slept through it. The 4 am draw was much worse. We've basically blown all his good veins to draw from. We were up until 5. I had to wake back up at 5:30 to drive home so Dustin could go to PT.

I got a couple hours sleep and was back to the hospital about 9am. He was NPO (no food or drink) all morning. At 10am we headed down to IR (interventional radiology) to get his PICC. They weren't ready. It was reschedualed for noon.

Come 12pm we were back at IR waiting for the doctors to assemble. I guess it's a good thing I love all the medical shows and stuff otherwise this room could be very scary. This was the first time an anesthesiologist would be in charge of his sedation. They brought in more high tech equiptment. Slowly more and more people gathered to watch. All asking if I minded them observing wich I thought was nice.

I helped get leads placed and masks on and equiptment placed... I love when they let me get involved. When it was almost "go" time I asked where I could find a lead gown. The Radiologist in charge told me it'd be best if I left cause I might pass out. I kinda laughed and said I'd be fine. "I know how to mind my manners and stay out of your way." I said. I think it's importnant for me to be there. I haven't missed a single one.

Logan's IV was very sore and temermental. They started to push his meds and had to stop. It was causing him lots of pain. You could see the red travel up his vein from the meds through his skin. They switched to general anesthesia and masked and cleared an airway. I thought for sure they'd ask me to leave at this point but they didn't. Infact they kept me more involved. Even one of the very young student Dr's stood at my side and asked ME the questions. I loved it.

It took over an hour to place the line. His poor veins don't like to be invaded and spasm everytime they try to advance the guide wires. Oh... just incase some of you don't know, a PICC looks like an IV but is a central line with the catheter running up his arm and into his heart.



Since general anesthesia was used he had to recover in the PACU before he could go back to his room. Once we got back up to his room it was almost 3pm. Logan started to complain about a bad headache. As the minutes passed he was in more and more pain. These are tears of bravery while he waited for pain meds to come.... for over an hour.



Here are a few more pictures I took today. It amazes me how quickly his room turns into a maze of wires and equiptment.