I just want to thank everyone who answered my facebook plea for prayers at the last minute yesterday. I had a minor freak out at the hospital and it sure helped knowing you were there for me J I figured an explanation was due, so here it is:

Saturday night, as Matt was flushing my PICC line to begin my evening IV, the line malfunctioned and suddenly my arm, and the bedding beneath it, was soaked! We couldn’t figure out what had happened until I noticed saline under what was supposed to be an airtight bandage; the line had burst in some way-- how and where was beyond us!  We called our Neighbour Friends and they came rushing over (almost) to our rescue.  As everyone sat on the floor around my bed, we decided to forgo the Emerg at 10:00pm (based off of previous experience, they wouldn’t know what to do besides remove the line—and we wanted to stay as far away from that option as possible!) I still had one working port to administer to; so, we drained the saline from the bandage and taped my arm to mummy proportions while I prayed for it to remain sterile until at least Monday.

Sunday night I was feeling awful: loopy (from my pain meds? Still not sure about that one); a weak pulse; dizzy; weak; difficulty breathing. I was deliriously tired but could not win the fight with my OCD as I stayed up until 2am. Once I went to bed for the night, I lay there, unable to sleep until 5am. Four short hours later I was up to head out to a doctor’s appointment, and then the hospital to get my line assessed.

Once again, my doctor was very pleased with how I have been reacting to the medication (she was expecting, based off of my symptoms and her experience, for my Herx to be much more severe.) This time, we were given hope that if things continue this way we would get to come home “sooner rather than later.” (Wonderful news, but oh how I wish there was a number that translated into!)

We headed over to the hospital after, and before we got there I noticed the saline had eaten away at the glue holding the plastic dressing down over my PICC. Instead of being airtight, there was a clear pathway of air all the way up to my incision. The nurses inspected, tried flushing it for themselves, and then left to call the surgeon to get orders on how to proceed. JUST before our lovely nurse came back, another poked her head around the privacy curtain and said, “so, you’re getting your line out today, eh?” All I could say was “...I don’t know, that’s why they are on the phone with the surgeon!” As soon as she left, I promptly started to cry. I knew what it felt like to have a PICC line going in—I couldn’t imagine what it felt like to have the plastic “vein” removed! 

As it turned out, it did have to be removed. It was scary for a few reasons. First, the two lines weren’t locked where we thought they were, meaning it had been open to infection for two days. Second, as soon as the old dressing came off, I was to have the line removed (which I felt entirely unprepared for!) I asked if there would be any freezing, but the nurse kindly told me that it wouldn’t feel as bad on the way out, as it had already cleared itself a pathway on the way in. So, I said a Hail Mary, held Matt’s hand, and was told to, “take deep breaths in... and out,” until finally, it was done. I barely felt a thing!  We looked at the line and sure enough, on the underbelly of it was a 4mm break in the tubing. Yikes! Part of the line that was near my heart was collected to have a bacterial culture done to make sure that I don’t have an infection that needs to be treated before we proceed with getting another line put in.

So, while I wait for the results and the new appointment to follow, a temporary line put has been put in my hand (kind of like the ones they poke you with at the hospital, only with a tube leading out so we can hook it up for IV’s at home). It’s funny... after a month of getting used to my PICC line slowly becoming a part of me, I honestly feel like something is missing now! Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to get the surgery set—I have no intentions of getting used to this pain in my hand!

Matt is home for the next two weeks, and our nanny went home to Edmonton for Easter weekend/her week off.  Jack is so happy to have his Daddy back; every time he heard an airplane overhead he would say, “Plane. Daddy? Work?” It was adorable and heart wrenching at the same time. We’re both glad to have him home! The last (and only other time) I was away from home for Easter was when I was honeymooning in Venice, 3 years ago...getting bitten by a tick. I missed my family then, and I sure do miss them now!

Praying for you this Holy Week; that you will experience Christ in a new way, and open your hearts up to Him as He did for us!

Blessings and love,

Kate

“I waited patiently for the LORD; 

   he turned to me and heard my cry. 

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, 

   out of the mud and mire; 

he set my feet on a rock 

   and gave me a firm place to stand. 

 He put a new song in my mouth, 

   a hymn of praise to our God. 

Many will see and fear the LORD 

   and put their trust in him.

 Blessed is the one 

   who trusts in the LORD, 

who does not look to the proud...”

“Many, LORD my God, 

   are the wonders you have done, 

   the things you planned for us. 

None can compare with you; 

   were I to speak and tell of your deeds, 

   they would be too many to declare.”

~Psalm 40:1-5