Yes, my implant failed. It didn't get done. I'm sitting here still so steamed I'm on the edge of tears. I probably shouldn't be writing about this in my blog because after all, I started this thing to keep my sunny disposition alive and well instead of living in a world of anger and disappointment. HOWEVER, this is also where I can come to vent, to let it all hang out, to put it to paper and lay it to rest or put it to paper so I have all events recorded for my own reference.
Let me start at the beginning. If you have been following the blog you know I have short bowel syndrom and must give myself an IV every weekend. You also know my PICC lines have failed me over and over the past year. I had my last PICC put in early January and lost it exactly 2 weeks later due to my adhesive allergy. I called my Gastro Dr. (the man who ordered the PICC) to give him the news and tell him "No More". I'm not having another PICC, end of conversation. "Well Julie, I don't know what your other options would be, you have to have this magnesium or you will die". I told him I wanted at Port-A-Cath, that it had been recommended to me by several of my nurse friends as well as my home health care, Option Care. "Well now Julie, there are problems with Ports you know. You can get an infection, they're not easy to access, blah, blah, standard blah. I would recommend a Hickman catheter instead". Bull shit. I know better. A Hickman is no more than a PICC line stuck in my chest instead of my arm, I would be back at square one, unable to keep it in, getting a new one every 4 - 6 weeks. Just NOT acceptable! I'm now convinced he's stuck in the 'yester year' of treatment. So, with that he recommended a surgeon and the nightmare began. I called the surgeon's office to make an appt and left message after message after message for his admin. She finally called me back 2 weeks later to make the appointment, apologies, voice mail got lost, she had the flu, on and on. We made the appointment for Feb 8, I communicated it to my manager (who hasn't been the most supportive) and what do you know? Scheduling called back 1 1/2 hr later to reschedule the appointment because the Dr/surgeon was not going to be in the office. I had a small fit and an appointment was made for February 15 with Dr. Baker. I arrived, checked in and SURPRISE! an entirely different Dr. appears (a partner, not Dr. Baker) to give me a quick once over, talk to me, get my med history and send me on my way. As I left I was told scheduling would call to arrange for a surgery date. That was Monday. I heard nothing all week and finally called them. Oh, no one has called you yet?? Gosh! We thought you were going to call us! Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!
Okay. You know something? This is just making me madder and madder as I write this. Forget the history other than NOBODY TALKED TO ANYBODY PRIOR TO SURGERY! I get there, thank you Susan, and as the multitudes of nurses come in and out prepping me for the procedure every single one of them got a funny look on their face when they checked my orders. Finally one nurse slipped and said, "Wow, we NEVER get Port implants up here". I looked at her and said "What"? She repeated herself "We NEVER get Port implants up here". I asked her where do they do the implants and she told me down in Interventional Radiology. I asked her why in the hell was I here then? The look on her face was amazing. She blanched and said "Well, sometimes we get a Port implant if there is some sort of physical reason why they can't do the procedure in IR". "Like what?" says I. "Like I don't know." says she, slowly backing out of the room. "Get back in here!" says I! By then they had already started the pre-twilight sedation and I wasn't altogether with it but not far enough out of it to not know what was going on or to ask questions. The Dr. came in to talk to me (first time I had met him EVER) to discuss the procedure and see if he could one more time talk me into a Hickman. I know now he wanted the Hickman because he truly had never had any luck putting in a PAC. And ladies and gentlemen, would you like to know why he's never had any luck? (drum roll) Because they don't have the equipment in OR to do the procedure confidently and correctly!! What that AH (for those of you who don't know me well that would be Ass Hole) should have done was tell me they don't do PAC implants up there very often, he hasn't had much luck putting them in and ask me why I was there. Why wasn't I having this done in IR. I don't know why I was there honestly, other than my Gastro Doc told me to have it surgically implanted and refered me to Dr. Fryer. I'm not a Doctor. I didn't know first hand nor had ever heard that PACs are normally implanted in IR. SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING TO ME. Now, here I am, an incision in my right juglar and an incision in my right chest because when he couldn't get it in he just gave up. Gave up!!! He had told me if they couldn't get it in on that side, they would go to the other side and he didn't even try! Maybe that was a good thing, I don't know. One thing for sure, I would have liked to talk to him afterward but he wasn't man enough to talk to me, he sent his intern. Even Susan let him have it, quite professionaly I might add, right between the eyes and he looked as though he had been soundly spanked when he finally edged his way out of my little curtain draped world. Long story short, I have an appointment with Interventional Radiology for Monday IF my INR levels (blood thinner levels) come back okay that morning.
So. Everyone. Cross your fingers, cross your eyes. Throw salt over your shoulder. Keep me in your thoughts that this gets done Monday and I come home a happy camper. If it doesn't, well... I promise you beloved friends, I'll stay away from the dog park until I can be civil again. At least it will be warmer by June.
J
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