Thursday, August 14, 2014
A Quick Update
Just a quick update to say that CJ is continuing to do well! He's still on the oral antibiotic 3 times a day, and the healing at the incision sites is progressing. His last lab work showed everything staying in normal ranges. We go back to the Infectious Diseases doctor next week. I'll post again after that.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Freedom! And summer finally begins!
CJ had an appointment with his ID doctor today, and we were VERY hopeful that the PICC line would be removed. The lab work showed everything within normal ranges! And since the incisions were closed and not draining, we had every reason to have that hope. CJ was so confident, he actually wore his swim suit to the doctor's office, so I could drop him off at the pool on the way home! Remember, he hasn't been able to swim yet this summer. And he usually practically lives at the pool during the summer.
The doctor came in and talked to us. He asked if there had been any fever or pain. We were pleased to be able to answer no. He then asked both of us if we were comfortable with removing the PICC. We both said yes. Then the doctor said those words we were longing to hear: he was going to pull the PICC!
CJ had been really nervous that the process of pulling the PICC. He was worried it would hurt. That was the only apprehension he was feeling when the nurse came in to pull the line.
When the nurse came in, it took a few minutes for her to get set up and remove the tape & stuff securing the line into the arm. When that was done, she told CJ to take a deep breath. He looked away and took the breath. What he didn't know, was that while he was breathing in, the nurse was pulling the line, wrapping it around her hand like yarn. As CJ let out his breath, the nurse said, "OK. That's it." CJ's eyes got wide, and he was completely surprised that it was already done! I really wish I had a picture of his face; it was priceless. Obviously, it didn't hurt; it was a quick and painless procedure.
Here's a picture of the PICC line:
While CJ held a cotton ball on the hole where the line was, the nurse measured the length of the PICC line. It's important that the length of the line that was pulled out equals the length of the line that was inserted; obviously, no one wants any pieces of the line left in the body. I'm not sure what would happen if the measurement didn't match; thankfully, ours was spot-on.
The doctor prescribed CJ an oral antibiotic that he'll take for another 2 months. It's a hefty dose: 1000mg cephalexin 3 times a day. Unfortunately, we are still on a 6:00AM, 2:00PM, 10:00PM medication schedule, but at least it's just quickly swallowing a couple of pills instead of a 30-minute hook-up.
CJ was so excited about the PICC line being out! Then came the words that completely deflated him. The doctor said he didn't want CJ swimming for another couple of days while to make sure the site for the line was healed.
As we left the doctor's office, CJ's attitude was on a downhill slide. He wanted me to just drop him off at the pool anyway; he'd waited to swim long enough. I was afraid we were about to have a long argument, when a thunderstorm rolled in to the area. Thankfully, this took care of the problem; the storm closed the pool for the rest of the day.
The doctor came in and talked to us. He asked if there had been any fever or pain. We were pleased to be able to answer no. He then asked both of us if we were comfortable with removing the PICC. We both said yes. Then the doctor said those words we were longing to hear: he was going to pull the PICC!
CJ had been really nervous that the process of pulling the PICC. He was worried it would hurt. That was the only apprehension he was feeling when the nurse came in to pull the line.
When the nurse came in, it took a few minutes for her to get set up and remove the tape & stuff securing the line into the arm. When that was done, she told CJ to take a deep breath. He looked away and took the breath. What he didn't know, was that while he was breathing in, the nurse was pulling the line, wrapping it around her hand like yarn. As CJ let out his breath, the nurse said, "OK. That's it." CJ's eyes got wide, and he was completely surprised that it was already done! I really wish I had a picture of his face; it was priceless. Obviously, it didn't hurt; it was a quick and painless procedure.
Here's a picture of the PICC line:
While CJ held a cotton ball on the hole where the line was, the nurse measured the length of the PICC line. It's important that the length of the line that was pulled out equals the length of the line that was inserted; obviously, no one wants any pieces of the line left in the body. I'm not sure what would happen if the measurement didn't match; thankfully, ours was spot-on.
The doctor prescribed CJ an oral antibiotic that he'll take for another 2 months. It's a hefty dose: 1000mg cephalexin 3 times a day. Unfortunately, we are still on a 6:00AM, 2:00PM, 10:00PM medication schedule, but at least it's just quickly swallowing a couple of pills instead of a 30-minute hook-up.
CJ was so excited about the PICC line being out! Then came the words that completely deflated him. The doctor said he didn't want CJ swimming for another couple of days while to make sure the site for the line was healed.
As we left the doctor's office, CJ's attitude was on a downhill slide. He wanted me to just drop him off at the pool anyway; he'd waited to swim long enough. I was afraid we were about to have a long argument, when a thunderstorm rolled in to the area. Thankfully, this took care of the problem; the storm closed the pool for the rest of the day.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Recovery Continues
Got a couple of great reports today!
First, we got a call from Dr. Han with the results of this week's blood work. Everything looks really good! All the inflammatory markers are back within normal range! We're hoping that since his incision finally closed up, the doctor will pull the PICC line next week when we see him.
Secondly, we went for a follow-up visit with our surgeon today. CJ had a couple of x-rays taken, then we saw the doctor. Dr. Dassinger was happy with where CJ is in his recovery, and he was glad to see both incisions had finally closed. The x-rays looked good.
The doctor said that CJ was free to do whatever activities he felt comfortable with, except things like organized football and, of course, no swimming with the PICC line. Normally, he would have us come back in 6 months, but since CJ had the bar infection, he wants us to come back in 3 months.
That's about all for now. Hopefully, next week, I'll be able to report that the PICC line is out, and CJ is able to enjoy the rest of his summer without any limitations!
First, we got a call from Dr. Han with the results of this week's blood work. Everything looks really good! All the inflammatory markers are back within normal range! We're hoping that since his incision finally closed up, the doctor will pull the PICC line next week when we see him.
Secondly, we went for a follow-up visit with our surgeon today. CJ had a couple of x-rays taken, then we saw the doctor. Dr. Dassinger was happy with where CJ is in his recovery, and he was glad to see both incisions had finally closed. The x-rays looked good.
The doctor said that CJ was free to do whatever activities he felt comfortable with, except things like organized football and, of course, no swimming with the PICC line. Normally, he would have us come back in 6 months, but since CJ had the bar infection, he wants us to come back in 3 months.
That's about all for now. Hopefully, next week, I'll be able to report that the PICC line is out, and CJ is able to enjoy the rest of his summer without any limitations!
Friday, July 11, 2014
Quick update with good news
Just wanted to post a quick update. Last night, CJ's right incision finally scabbed over!!! We really are on the road to healing now!
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Post-Camp Report
CJ spent last week at camp and did great! He enjoyed himself, rode his bike, and even went a couple of days without pain medication at all. By the end of the week, he was starting to feel it, though, and decided to come home Friday night instead of Saturday morning. Sleeping on the cot, and more specifically, getting up from it was his chief complaint. He continued his IV infusions all week, never missing a dose.
It only took a couple of good nights' sleep at home to recover, and CJ was regaining his activity level. He's continuing to ride his bike and feel better overall.
On Monday, the home health nurse came by to change out CJ's PICC wrappings & valve and to draw blood for labwork. During the week at camp, CJ's left incision closed up. The nurse took a look at the incisions, and changed out the bandage on the right side.
Today, we went to see the infectious diseases doctor for a check-up & got the results of the labs. CJ's labwork looked good. His inflammatory markers were all normal. Dr. Han said that he probably would've discontinued the IVs and gone to oral antibiotics, but since one of the incisions is still open and draining, he feels we need to continue the IV. We'll see him again in 2 weeks & reevaluate. He was going to email Dr. Dassinger & update him, just in case he wanted to see us before our scheduled appointment next week.
Friday, June 27, 2014
Friday Report
We went to see the Infectious Diseases doctor today for a check-up. He says CJ is doing well, although he's not healing as fast as he'd like.
They did lab work first, so that they would have the results before we left. Dr. Han, the ID doctor, thinks CJ may end up on antibiotics longer than initially expected: 3 months or more. However, after 6 weeks, he may be able to switch to oral antibiotics if the infection in responding well.
The labs came back, and & overall, Dr. Han was pleased. The white blood count, liver & kidney functions were all normal. His sed rate was elevated, as expected, but it was still 10 points lower than when he was in the hospital, so that's good. Another marker that Dr. Han follows is the C-Reactive Protein (CRP). A normal rate for this inflammatory marker is below 10.0. CJ's CRP was 12.1. Unfortunately, we didn't have a previous test to compare this to, but Dr. Han said that most of the time when people have bad infections like CJ's, the CRP is in the 100s. So, he's very pleased with that.
We also talked to Dr. Han about CJ going to camp next week. Since we knew he would be post-op, he isn't signed up for any strenuous activities. CJ's dad will also be there all week, and there is a medical facility where CJ can get his infusions and go inside if he gets overheated. Dr. Han wasn't thrilled about the idea, but since we'd thought things out and had things arranged, he was ok with it. He gave us a permission slip stating that CJ could be there but that he could not participate in strenuous activities or swimming. He also told us to make sure the incision sites were well covered and cleaned daily.
We asked him about the pain that CJ still feels in the lower left side of his chest. The right incision is still draining a lot, but the left incision doesn't drain as much. He said that it's possible the left side is hurting more because there is still more infection on that side due to the lack of drainage. He didn't seem too concerned about it; we'll revisit the subject at our next appointment, and of course, if it gets worse, we will call.
After our meeting with Dr. Han, the nurse came in and changed out CJ's dressings. She sent us home with some extra supplies in case he needs them at camp.
We have a follow-up appointment for the Tuesday after CJ gets back from camp. The home health nurse will come that Monday to draw labs & change his dressings.
The IV supply company came by and dropped off another week's worth of CJ's Ancef AccuFlo balls. We had requested extra, since he will be at camp next week, but apparently the shelf-life of the medicine is only 7 days. Because of this, they couldn't bring us extra. They said they could deliver to the camp, but we know some people going up toward the end of the week and could just take the few he'll need to finish out the week.
CJ is continuing to do really well. He's active and still not having to take a lot of pain medication. Generally, he can go all day but then starts feeling sore towards the end.
Thanks again for the continued prayers!
They did lab work first, so that they would have the results before we left. Dr. Han, the ID doctor, thinks CJ may end up on antibiotics longer than initially expected: 3 months or more. However, after 6 weeks, he may be able to switch to oral antibiotics if the infection in responding well.
The labs came back, and & overall, Dr. Han was pleased. The white blood count, liver & kidney functions were all normal. His sed rate was elevated, as expected, but it was still 10 points lower than when he was in the hospital, so that's good. Another marker that Dr. Han follows is the C-Reactive Protein (CRP). A normal rate for this inflammatory marker is below 10.0. CJ's CRP was 12.1. Unfortunately, we didn't have a previous test to compare this to, but Dr. Han said that most of the time when people have bad infections like CJ's, the CRP is in the 100s. So, he's very pleased with that.
We also talked to Dr. Han about CJ going to camp next week. Since we knew he would be post-op, he isn't signed up for any strenuous activities. CJ's dad will also be there all week, and there is a medical facility where CJ can get his infusions and go inside if he gets overheated. Dr. Han wasn't thrilled about the idea, but since we'd thought things out and had things arranged, he was ok with it. He gave us a permission slip stating that CJ could be there but that he could not participate in strenuous activities or swimming. He also told us to make sure the incision sites were well covered and cleaned daily.
We asked him about the pain that CJ still feels in the lower left side of his chest. The right incision is still draining a lot, but the left incision doesn't drain as much. He said that it's possible the left side is hurting more because there is still more infection on that side due to the lack of drainage. He didn't seem too concerned about it; we'll revisit the subject at our next appointment, and of course, if it gets worse, we will call.
After our meeting with Dr. Han, the nurse came in and changed out CJ's dressings. She sent us home with some extra supplies in case he needs them at camp.
We have a follow-up appointment for the Tuesday after CJ gets back from camp. The home health nurse will come that Monday to draw labs & change his dressings.
The IV supply company came by and dropped off another week's worth of CJ's Ancef AccuFlo balls. We had requested extra, since he will be at camp next week, but apparently the shelf-life of the medicine is only 7 days. Because of this, they couldn't bring us extra. They said they could deliver to the camp, but we know some people going up toward the end of the week and could just take the few he'll need to finish out the week.
CJ is continuing to do really well. He's active and still not having to take a lot of pain medication. Generally, he can go all day but then starts feeling sore towards the end.
Thanks again for the continued prayers!
Thursday, June 26, 2014
On the Mend!
CJ has had a couple of really good days! He's been mostly pain-free & almost back to normal!
Tuesday had a slow start, but CJ ended up spending most of the afternoon at the neighborhood pool hanging out with his friends. Obviously, he couldn't swim; his two incision sites are still open and draining, plus the PICC line prevents it. But he was able to have fun being social.
Later, he went to his Taekwondo class. Again, he didn't actually get to participate, but he was able to reconnect with his classmates & instructors and see what pattern they are currently learning.
We ended the day taking in a family movie. He was starting to wear out by then, but we all figured he'd just be sitting at home, so why not enjoy a movie! We had pain medication with us, but he never needed it.
(On a side note, we had the privilege of seeing an advanced screening of the movie "When the Game Stands Tall," a movie based on the true story of the longest winning streak in sports history...The De La Salle High School football team. It was an AMAZING movie! It's all about perseverance, teamwork, and overcoming adversity...and what's really important. I think of it as "Rudy" meets "Remember the Titans." Anyway, it comes out August 22, 2014...Go see it!)
CJ woke up once during the night needing some pain medication, but other than that, he slept through the night!
Yesterday, he again spent a lot of time hanging out with friends at the pool. He only had some ibuprofen once!
Last night, he slept in his own bed for the first time in almost 2 weeks. All of us were happy to have this small element of "normal" back. He called for some pain medicine around 2:30AM, but other than that, he sleep well...and late! He slept until almost 10:00AM! Yes, things are getting back to normal! LOL!
CJ's antibiotic infusions are going well. Because he's been on so many antibiotics, we've added probiotics to his daily regiment. We are giving him Life 5 probiotics by Young Living. We are big believers in Young Living Essential Oils and the quality of their products. We are also encouraging him to eat yogurt.
We have an appointment with the ID doctor on Friday. CJ is feeling well enough that he's decided to go ahead and go to camp next week. Since we knew he was going to be post-op, he signed up for fairly easy classes, so we don't have to worry about that. My husband will be at camp, too, and he'll be able to monitor CJ and administer the IV antibiotics. Of course, we've cleared this with his doctors!
Thanks for the continued prayers...they're working!
Tuesday had a slow start, but CJ ended up spending most of the afternoon at the neighborhood pool hanging out with his friends. Obviously, he couldn't swim; his two incision sites are still open and draining, plus the PICC line prevents it. But he was able to have fun being social.
Later, he went to his Taekwondo class. Again, he didn't actually get to participate, but he was able to reconnect with his classmates & instructors and see what pattern they are currently learning.
We ended the day taking in a family movie. He was starting to wear out by then, but we all figured he'd just be sitting at home, so why not enjoy a movie! We had pain medication with us, but he never needed it.
(On a side note, we had the privilege of seeing an advanced screening of the movie "When the Game Stands Tall," a movie based on the true story of the longest winning streak in sports history...The De La Salle High School football team. It was an AMAZING movie! It's all about perseverance, teamwork, and overcoming adversity...and what's really important. I think of it as "Rudy" meets "Remember the Titans." Anyway, it comes out August 22, 2014...Go see it!)
CJ woke up once during the night needing some pain medication, but other than that, he slept through the night!
Yesterday, he again spent a lot of time hanging out with friends at the pool. He only had some ibuprofen once!
Last night, he slept in his own bed for the first time in almost 2 weeks. All of us were happy to have this small element of "normal" back. He called for some pain medicine around 2:30AM, but other than that, he sleep well...and late! He slept until almost 10:00AM! Yes, things are getting back to normal! LOL!
CJ's antibiotic infusions are going well. Because he's been on so many antibiotics, we've added probiotics to his daily regiment. We are giving him Life 5 probiotics by Young Living. We are big believers in Young Living Essential Oils and the quality of their products. We are also encouraging him to eat yogurt.
We have an appointment with the ID doctor on Friday. CJ is feeling well enough that he's decided to go ahead and go to camp next week. Since we knew he was going to be post-op, he signed up for fairly easy classes, so we don't have to worry about that. My husband will be at camp, too, and he'll be able to monitor CJ and administer the IV antibiotics. Of course, we've cleared this with his doctors!
Thanks for the continued prayers...they're working!
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