The PICC process.

I really need to blog about all the events of last week, but right now I just don't have the energy to do it. Instead, I will skip ahead to how life works for us right now. A big part surrounding Owen's PICC line. Let's just say that I am very hopeful that we will only have to do this for 7 days and I am very grateful that they finally found something that is working to make Owen feel better. I will do whatever it takes.

The PICC line isn't really a difficult process..but it is one that makes me nervous for sure. I am the type of person who checks a recipe four times before I actually put the ingredients in, or check my pocket fifty times for my keys before shutting my car door just to be sure that I'm not messing up. So when it comes to putting medicine, and saline and heparin directly into my childs blood stream (through a catheter that comes out directly above his heart)...lets just say I get a little stressed. The problem is, that while this process is great for getting his medicine to his body the most efficient way, it can also do the opposite. There is potential for letting bacteria straight in that same way. The steps taken to prevent this are many...and trust me, I am VERY diligent when it comes to this part.

It all starts here
This is the 2pm ingredients:) Two different antibiotics..lots of alcohol rubs and sodium chloride and heparin:) The antibiotics have to be refrigerated, but they can't be administered cold, so they have to sit out for 6 to 8 hours (and up to 24 at most) beforehand. So, basically for me it means that after every "infusion" I take out the next dose and set it out like this so its all ready for the next dose.


There aren't any "sharps" really, but they still want the syringes sent back in this handy little jug thing. This end of the dining room table is owned by Owen's medicine at for this week:)


These are the crazy little medicine balls:) No idea how it works, but somehow just by unclamping the clamp, this little ball of medicine ends up in Owen's veins. Its a sweet system really. I thought I was coming home with an IV pump and pole.


The following pics provided by Jessalyn:)
First I wash..scrub, scrub, scrub...my hands. Then wash his port with an alcohol rub.


Then you have to get the syringe ready by pulling back and pushing all the air out..and you have to do this with a crazy look in your eye because that is how it is always done in the movies.


This is just to flush the line and make sure it isn't plugged and that the meds will go in ok.
Flush away.


Then wash the port again with alcohol.


Then take the cap off the medicine and hook him up....after obsessively checking to make sure you are hooking up the right one because one of them he gets three times a day and the other is just once a day.


Then the important part of unclamping the clamp to be sure the meds go in.


Then stick the ball in his "fanny bag" and he goes on with his normal crazy life.


..like watching your brothers play the sweet Nintendo DS that came in the mail for them from some wicked awesome friends:)


Then I go about my business as well until the medicine is all gone.

I scrub my hands again and finish by removing his medicine...
Then washing with alcohol again...


Then make crazy faces while getting the syringe ready.

A sodium Chloride flush

..and the faces get crazier and crazier as we move on the the heparin. At the very end he gets a few (3mls) of Heparin to keep his blood from clotting up in the little tiny catheter that lives in his vein right now.


Then clamp his line and tuck the port up into the 'sock' that is covering the wrap that is covering the sterile tape that is covering the actual spot where the catheter is inserted. Like I said, keeping bacteria OUT is crucial.


This is an empty antibiotic.

Then we throw the "sharps" (that aren't actually sharp) in the sharps container.

and reorganize for the next infusion by pulling out a new antibiotic from the fridge to warm...

..and getting the sodium chloride and heparin and, of course, alcohol wipes ready!



An early sign of an infection caused by his PICC line is a fever. I'm supposed to take his temp once a day just to be sure. I might do that more than once a day...like twice...or 50..or 100. Because this whole deal just might have made me a little crazy. I'm not sure:)