Ping Pong
Apparently, they keep moving Chris from room to room. I’d like to say that it’s in the hopes of finding the perfect Feng Shui for him, but somehow I don’t think so.
Bad sister that I am, I’ve not yet had time to go and visit him. Planning on it this week.
So if someone’s been to see him, can you update on how your visit went…….I’ve talked to him…actually the kids and I talked to him on speaker phone but he and mom were on her cellphone on speaker phone and me and the 4 kids were on our home phone on speaker phone and well….it was an absolute zoo. A fun few minutes depending on how you look at it….kinda like if you stand on one foot and tilt your head all the way over the left and then cross your eyes and stick out your tongue while swinging your arms around and around in a circle while chewing on tuna….that sounds like fun doesn’t it? I know that I enjoyed every last second of that 4 minute phone call……..not.
See, I was hoping to bring a moment of pure sunshine into Chris’s day with our thoughtful phone call, but “the moment” probably came when I hung up the phone and it was pure silence in his room….I’d say that was the “pure sunshine moment” but hey…however it happens, I’m just happy to be apart of it.
So…….any takers……have you had a visit with Chris recently and how did it go?
February 25th, 2008 @ 10:03 pm
I saw Chris briefly on Saturday night in one wing and then Sunday, Denver and I went to see him and his room was completely empty. A nurse happened to be walking by, asked if we were looking for Chris Kennedy, and then showed us his room in the other wing. We played a super quick card game of THE LADY (I killed them both, by the way.) and just hung out and talked. And apparently, they had to re – jab his IV. They should have got “The Expert” to come back in, Right Chris!
Cheryl (my Mom-in-law) showed up just in time for that, so Chris was able to help her get all squeemish.
Apparently, I missed the caramel machiatto coffee train this morning (Monday) by 5 minutes. Aunty Sherry, you must have left just before I got there. Next time let’s coordinate so I can get hooked up with a coffee too.
Oh Back to Sunday, A nurse that Chris remembered from the burn unit, came by to see Chris and say hi. We had gone looking for her Saturday night, but she had just left on shift change. So it was great to see her.
Oh and Chris should be getting a picc- line in soon.
A little on;line definition for you.
PICC lines are used when intravenous access is required over a prolonged period of time, as in the case of long chemotherapy regimens, extended antibiotic therapy, or total parenteral nutrition.
The PICC line is inserted into a peripheral vein using the Seldinger technique under ultrasound guidance, usually in the arm, and then carefully advanced upward until the catheter is in the superior vena cava or the right atrium. This is usually done by feel and estimation; an X-ray then verifies that the tip is in the right place.
A PICC may have two parallel compartments, each with its own external connector (double-lumen), or a single tube and connector (single-lumen). From the outside, a single-lumen PICC resembles a peripheral IV, except that the tubing is slightly wider.
The insertion site must be covered by a larger sterile dressing than would be required for a peripheral IV, due to the higher risk of infection if bacteria travel up the catheter. However, a PICC poses less of a systemic infection risk than other central IVs, because bacteria would have to travel up the entire length of the narrow catheter before spreading through the bloodstream.
The chief advantage of a PICC over other types of central lines is that it is easy to insert, poses a relatively low risk of bleeding, is externally unobtrusive, and can be left in place for months to years for patients who require extended treatment. The chief disadvantage is that it must travel through a relatively small peripheral vein and is therefore limited in diameter, and also somewhat vulnerable to occlusion or damage from movement or squeezing of the arm.
Well if you actually read this far. Good on ya. I have no idea if this info is actually acurate, so if you know otherwise, feel free to say.
Love and Shalom,
Debbie