Thursday, June 28, 2007

Not-So-Much a Spa Night


This past Monday I woke up with what I thought was a "plugged duct". I knew by my fever/flu-like feeling that it was actually mastitis by mid-afternoon, so I called my Ob/Gyn and got a prescription for an antibiotic. Things didn't get better by Wednesday and my doctor decided she needed to see me. I left the house saying "I will be back by 3:30 so we can all go to swim lessons" (it was the all-important diving board day!) My doctor discovered a golfball sized abscess and immediately admitted me to the hospital for IV antibiotics. I was feeling really discouraged at having to be away from Adaryll and the kids, so I asked her if she could just put in a line and send me home. She agreed that I could do the antibiotic through a PICC line at home after one night in the hospital if all went well.
So, I decided I should have a better perspective, trust that God was in control, and try to go with the flow. I told the nurses on my floor that I was going to take a nice shower before the PICC team came and that I was just going to pretend that I was having a night at the spa. Afterall, I have been home alone with 2 children for 11 days while my husband was in Europe, so I deserve a night at a spa, right?
My room had a super-comfy bed, a laptop computer to get on the internet, a flat screen TV, hardwood floors, etc. All the things you would expect to have at your spa! After a nice hot shower and some lovely heated blankets the nurses brought, I thought, "See, this isn't going to be that bad!". Then the PICC team showed up.
Putting in the PICC was not like anything I would ever hope to experience at a spa! They dug around in one arm for several minutes before moving on to see what my other arm looked like. I got super itchy when they started the vancomycin (it was running too fast). And then I was woken up about once an hour all night to take this medicine or that medicine or check my fever, etc. In the morning I finally said "This is NOT how they do it at a spa!"
We got homecare set up and I came home Thursday afternoon with all my IV bags, tubing, pump, etc. When Elias saw the line in my arm he said "Mommy- are you having another baby?" For the record, in case anyone sees me walking around carrying a bag pumping meds into my arm (AGAIN)- I am NOT pregnant! :) And, in case you were wondering, Clarian North is NOT a spa!

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