What's that thing on your chest???

Hi all! Sorry for the long time between posts..there really shouldn't be any excuse but I plan to sit down and write something and then get sidetracked. I will try to do better.

Anyway back to 2010. When I came home from the hospital in February, I still had the PICC line in my arm for TPN & medication infusions. A PICC is a peripherally inserted central catheter which means it's a line that's inserted through a vein in your arm and then threaded through to your heart with the tip resting on your superior vena cava. 

In May 2010, I went in for outpatient surgery to have a port-a-cath placed. A port is similar to a PICC but more permanent. One end has a septum which is surgically placed below the collar bone under the skin and again the the line is threaded through a vein into your heart. A needle is inserted into the septum, the other side has the end caps on which to hook TPN, chemo, take blood draws or other meds. When you remove the needle, all you see is a bump on the under the skin. I liked having the idea of a port so I could swim with the boys or shower without covering it up. 

Not long after I had the port inserted, Mike began taking care of accessing the cleaning, changing and accessing the port since my home health care was going to stop and I didn't want to go an infusion center to have them care for it. It took me 2 years before I finally got up the courage to learn how to access myself. I handle all of my line care now but make Mike refresh his memory every once in awhile. I do not use it for blood draws nor do I let anyone else handle it. Following sterile protocol, I have had only 1 infection in 4 years (fingers crossed).  

Infections can be hard to treat or deadly so it's important to watch for signs of fever, redness or if the line gets pulled out. There is no wrong type of line to choose for what works best for you.

So if you ever see my port sticking out of my shirt, you now all about the lifeline that keeps me living, loving and laughing!

Also, ThriveRx is having a webinar on Central Venous Line Care and Practice this Thursday May 29th at 1pm est. You can register through the website at www.thriverx.net . Even if you can't make it, register and a link will be sent to you to watch at your convenience.

Here's my port when it's unaccessed.

Here's what you see peaking out!