Started IV treatment- Questions

January 2, 2000

Hi everyone and Happy New Year,

Just wanted to follow up and ask a few questions. And again, thank you all

for the wonderful information and support I have received here.

Last Wednesday I went in for a picc line. The Doctors at the hospital said

it should only take 15 minutes and that I didn't need any tranquilizers, pain

meds, or anesthesia. Well, the procedure took over 2 hours. They had to

" shave down " my veins, inject me with dye, hook up another IV in my wrist,

trying to jam the picc line in and not in the vein, then when they got the

picc line in my veins were spasming, etc.... Then after it all- I have

about 10 sutures in my arm, 4 in the catheter site and I am in so much pain.

One shot of novacaine when they were suturing- the rest of the time I was

imagining I was on a singles cruise in the Carribean with a frozen

Marguarita! Thank God for meditation!

The whole site is bruised- all the way up my arm, to my shoulder and across

my chest. Can't move my arm. Swelling in the arm and arm pit. God, it's

awful!

The nurse came to the house to do the Rocephin and change the dressing Thurs.

She couldn't believe how bad I looked and said it would probably take about

3 weeks to get better.

I am just wondering if this is at all normal? What were your experiences

with this procedure? I have to work (Own a business in the petcare field)

and can't imagine functioning like this. Let me also say, as all of us know-

living with Lyme for all this time- I have a high tolerance for pain- as we

all do having to handle it on a daily basis. So, when I say it's bad, it's

BAD! Haven't slept since Tuesday etc....

Well, I think I have rambled enough- especially since I am typing this with

one hand!

Please let me know and again thanks!

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