PICCture this

My PICC line

Yes, yes I know –I have been absolutely AWFUL at updating this blog, yet again! I hereby vow to post at least once a week!

So just to keep yous all updated on the whole cancer thing… last time I posted, I was getting my PICC line inserted –I had managed to calm myself down, from talking to people on-line, who explained how simple and quick the whole thing is. Here’s how that ‘minor procedure’ went down…

Me and Simon arrived at the hospital for my 9am appointment. After a small wait, I was brought in and the nurses explained the procedure to me. I was feeling ok, considering –a hella lot better than I had been the day before anyways. The nurses were lovely too, which really helped. I lay down and decided to face the other way as the line was being inserted. The whole thing was pretty gross, but not too painful –I think it’s more knowing that a little line is being inserted into your arm up to your chest. After a few minutes it was in, and I was told to go downstairs for an x-ray –make sure the line was in correctly.

Afterwards, I came back upstairs only to be told the line needed to be adjusted. Not a huge deal –The nurses explained this happened sometimes. So again, I went in to the room with the nurses and again, downstairs to x-ray, and again back upstairs to wait for the main nurse.

The second the nurse entered the room, I knew by her face I needed another
adjustment… she seemed a bit shocked and confused at this stage and wasn't sure why this kept happening.

So again, adjustment, downstairs, x-ray, back up and wait. All in all, I had four adjustments. On the fourth attempt, the nurse was completely baffled and so asked me my medical history, mainly if I had any back or shoulder issues. I explained my hip dysplasia/ leg-length discrepancy/ wonky-ness (which has caused a 'slant' in my shoulders, muscle spasm and weakness around the shoulder blade, loss of the curve in my neck and other c-spine issues) and she felt this was affecting the measurements! I had no idea that such a thing would affect how I was measured; otherwise I would have informed them in the first place.

In the end, they got it right but I was extremely traumatised afterwards! Hahaa… a simple procedure for most perhaps –I was just unlucky.

Traumatised as I was (by the pulling feeling of the vein, the blood, the pain… as I said, first attempt wasn't very painful, but I was quite tender after the adjustments!) it was a bit amusing... Even the receptionist down in x-ray was laughing that I was there all day. From 9am to 5pm.

Oh and another thing the nurse told me that caused an issue –They were measuring me as an adult (which of course you would do, I am an adult) but she said the end result was more of child’s measurement –smallest one she has ever done, hahahaa… weird. I don’t even fully understand the measurements, but still, weird. I have one wonky-ass child’s body.

I'm a real adult, I swear! 

The PICC line in action -Tap yokes attached for the different chemo drugs