I have a line to PICC with you

Getting the PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) line started was a bit of an ordeal.  The nurse who placed it travels around to different hospitals starting these central lines, so we had to wait for her to get here.  We pre-medicated Vicki with some Valium but she was still quite agitated when they were trying to place it.  The nurse said she had great veins and could get the line in, but with Vicki's high muscle tone she could shut the vein right down so she could not thread the IV up her arm.  I could not distract her enough to settle down.  We decided to stop and pull out "the big guns".  We gave her a little more Valium AND called Dad and the brothers.  She was very calm while she listened to her brothers tell stories of what they had done that day.  Then they had to take an x-ray to see if the tip of the line was in the right place.  It had curled back on itself, so the nurse pulled it back a bit.  Another x-ray.  Still curled.  Pulled back some more.  One more x-ray, still curled so she pulled it back further, now making it a mid-line IV, but fine for the medications they wanted to give her.  They started her on wide spectrum antibiotics until we got more specifics on what bacteria grew from the spinal fluid culture.  They found out the general type of organism and changed the antibiotics today while still waiting for the exact organism and it's sensitivities to antibiotics.

Vicki's sleep has been fitful.  She awakens crying loudly.  It is hard to know if she is in pain or just agitated from the start of the withdrawal.  So far we have turned the pump down twice, 10% each time.  We are trying to keep her on a consistent dose of Tylenol and Ibuprofen with occasional Valium for now.  We will add more muscle relaxants as we keep cutting back the Baclofen.

Vicki's back incision keeps leaking fluid.  It makes me wonder if she will keep leaking fluid after the pump is removed.  That could keep her in the hospital longer.

Tomorrow, Sunday, we will switch places again.  Scott will return to the hospital after having had a couple of days at home and a chance to watch Tim and Andrew in their first hockey scrimmage of the year.  I will host a family birthday party for Tim and Matt.  I have asked for help to make it happen because I don't know when a better time will be.