I have been amazed at how casual some of the nurses have been about issues with the picc line. I am exaggerating a little bit, but honestly not as much as you might think. It has gone something like this. "Hi I'm nurse so and so and I am going to put the picc line in now. Excuse me while I totally rearrange your room and set up a sterile area here so I can put it in". "Sorry that the line is almost at the bend of your elbow and it hurts when you bend it. I had trouble getting it in and that was easiest for me". "Oh yeah, these do bleed sometimes after they are put in. Hmm, that is a little too much blood, I think we should take care of that". "Yes, I'm not surprised that stings a bit. This is 100% alcohol I am cleaning the incision with as I change the dressing. It will probably hurt like that next time too. Some Tylenol ought to take care of it."
I obsessively look at the picc line to make sure it is OK. Last night it was covered with blood under the dressing. Blood is a term that seems to get an immediate reaction from the Medical Society. After consultation with the infusion nurse we decided it wasn't an emergency since it wasn't all bright red. I went in first thing this morning and she cleaned it up and redressed it. She changed the angle she taped down the line and it is a lot more comfortable.
After all that actually giving myself the IV antibiotic is pretty slick and anticlimatic. The antibiotic is in this vacuum ball. After proper cleaning of both ends I screw the ball into the picc line and when I unclamp it the medicine just flows until the ball is empty. No muss, no fuss. This will go on once a day for two weeks.
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