Ok, not actually us although I'm about to make breakfast and now I'm thinking it's been forever since we had waffles so maybe I AM making waffles. Anyway by waffles I meant more that the Dr's are all waffling about what to do about the port. It's an ongoing saga!
I got a call yesterday morning from the oncologist office saying that the dr's finally talked directly and the anesthesiologist doesn't think it's a good idea to put David through surgery! They want to do a central line instead. Wow, what a relief. Frustrating that we went through all that "fire drill" as David called it but good that they coordinated and came up with a better plan. So I asked a million questions about a central line, where does it stick out, what is the maintenance on it, does he have to go off coumadin to get it, what about steroids, does it require an incision etc etc etc. The nurse calls back maybe 20 minutes later and says, "We've talked more about it and think a picc line might be better" by that time my brain was fried and the nurse more than knows this. Dave is laying there shaking his head (because my phone is loud and he can hear everything she's saying) and he's throwing his hands up in surrender. They said the interventional radiologist would be the one to install it so they would call and I could ask them specific questions about the difference and why one over the other and make sure that's what is best for David.
Skip ahead to the end of the day and the nurse calls back and I tell her the radiologist hasn't called. She says she just got off the phone with them and here's what we're doing. They want to do the central line (whatever, our minds are so blown by now that we're just going with the flow a little) and I ask her why that and what's the official maintenance schedule and what are the benefits etc. The picc line goes in the upper arm and sticks out and they felt that the central line, which would be in the chest, would be easier to manage with him having to be moved around and laid on one side or the other. So they're going to install that wednesday the 25th and then chemo is the next day.
Theoretically this should be a good choice. The procedure takes about 45 minutes, there isn't really an incision that has to heal, he can stay on the steroids although has to go off coumadin for a couple of days but that's no big deal, the line has to be flushed just once a week which is less than we thought and the dressing has to be changed once a week. I was told only an RN could do those things but the oncologist said the chemo nurses will teach me. That's a mixed blessing, I like knowing I can do it if I need to but it's also nice to have someone else do it and hospice is willing to do that.
When Ariana got home from school we were telling her about the central line and she likened it to a straw. Yeah, kind of. Goes into the chest and sticks out. She looked at him and said, "You're lucky I'm not a vampire" hahahahahahaha That girl! Her sense of humor fits in so well here.
Ooh my phone just rang and I left it on the bed right next to david's head while he was sleeping. Oops... I told him I'm finishing up a post and then I'd make breakfast, how does waffles sound. I got a thumbs up so I guess I better get to it.
Last night Owen gave me a hug and said, "I love you" being totally unprompted. Honestly I was a little suspicious at first, like what did you do... but he just wanted a hug. What a sweet boy. I hope that sweetness carries through all the teen years. Fingers crossed!
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