Four months....and done!!

Last night I wrote that when Walter went to do Liz's PICC line care, he was unable to get any blood return when he tried to aspirate her line. I tried for well over a minute to get blood to flow up out of the line and into the attached empty syringe....and nothing. Finally a small bit of blood came, and I was hopeful that there wasn't an issue with the line. When I went to flush it (I attach a syringe filled with sterile saline and push the saline through the line nightly as part of line care) though, I had total resistance....her line was occluded. I just knew there was a blood clot. Rather than take her to the ER and go through the process of trying to rid the line of the clot, I decided to wait until this morning's planned visit from her home health nurse and a chance to speak to her doctor.

Remember, her doc said that the PICC would be coming out before our trip to Maine, so I have been thinking that at Friday's appointment he would call for the removal of the line next Monday. I saw no point in going to the hospital and putting her through the process of de-clotting, if there was a chance the doctor would say to just pull the line instead.

A nurse who happens to be a nurse at Liz's hospital, (who I totally trust and like very much) Jenilee,happened to be the home nurse who came today. She confirmed the clot and we got a hold of the doctor's office, and they authorized pulling out the PICC!! 

After four months, the PICC is gone!
 

This is part of her PICC line. The line feeds into a large, major blood vessel close to the heart.
I have a love-hate relationship with this thing! I LOVE that it was essential in helping carry the nutrients (TPN and Lipids) that allowed Liz to gain weight. It also was a saftey net for us, in case Liz needed antibiotics- the medication could be given through the line rather than orally, which reduces risk of Liz's CDiff flaring.
I cared for this baby each day and I am totally grateful for it and for the technology that allows its use.
BUT- a PICC carries risk of infection and blood clots, and each day I would thank God Liz hadn't developed either in this line (remember, her first PICC had to be pulled and replaced due to issues). I felt it was a ticking clock and I have just wanted it out. Goodbye wonderful, risky PICC!!! Thank you for helping our Liz grow and be treated medically from home rather than hooked to an IV in the hospital for four months.

This is Liz's face after hearing the line was going to come out!!!
I don't have a photo of minutes after this, when she realized the nurse would pull it out right at that point, and not while sedated. Oh man, she kind of lost her mind and wailed for 20 minutes. Poor thing, it was just such a scary thought to have someone pull it out of her.

She did great though, and later said how it didn't hurt at all to have the line pulled.
Bring on showers, pools, the ocean and water balloons....she can get wet again!
I think this brave little girl willed the darn blood clot, as she didn't want to have it in for Wednesday's 5th grade promotion ceremony. She got her way (even if in a scary way), and now she will look just like the other kids at school.... nothing different about her. Well, except that she is the bravest of the bunch!