And Let The Tests And Procedures Begin - March 17 2012

I had an echocardiogram in my room by Steven since they wanted to evaluate my right atrial thrombus (blood clot in the right atrium of my heart) which was initially discovered 2 November 2011 and thought to be from the Trifusion Hickman catheter and Bard Power Port that terminated just above my right atrium. After the blood clot was discovered, they removed both the Trifusion Hickman catheter and Bard Power Port and put me on daily 12,500 units Fragmin injections (blood thinner). I've had monthly echocardiograms since November 2011 and the clot reduced some in size, but persisted and was thought to be "chronic".

 Then, I had a bedside EKG to evaluate the electrical activity in my heart.

Around 5:15 PM, Kendra came from Interventional Radiolgoy to get me for the placement of a PICC Line in my left arm. This is an IV catheter that is inserted 39 centimeters from my arm to the top of my right atrium - that's right --- the same place the blood clot is located. Kendra talked to her attending on the phone and the PICC Line has to terminate at the right atrium and not just in the vessel above the atrium. Pressures are to high and if left in the vessel, the vessel can be damaged and narrow. So, we walked down to the Interventional Radiology for the placement. I was very anxious because I thought it might be torture.

Kendra first put a tourniquet on my upper left arm so tight it HURT!!!!! Then, she deadened the area of insertion in my left inner arm with lidocaine. She got the Bard Power PICC Line right in . The insertion site is TENDER. I'm pretty tired of being poked!

Trifusion Hickman Catheter Placement August 12 2011

Jani and I got up at o'dark thirty and drove the 1 hour 15 minutes to the University of Colorado Hospital for a 7:00 AM check-in at Interventional Radiology. Although, they had a live person sitting at the desk, he was helping another patient and we checked in via a touch screen computer.

Caroline, RN tapped my Bard Power Port in my right chest and sent a blood sample off to the lab pre-procedure for the Trifusion Hickman Catheter to be placed in my left chest this morning. My labs are as good as they have ever been. I'm still anemic, but less so.

Caroline, RN also ran 600 mg of Cleocin (antibiotic) in before the procedure.

A nurse practitioner, Kendra, put my Trifusion Hickman Catheter in this morning in Interventional Radiology at the University of Colorado Hospital. She was very nice and the procedure went well with conscious sedation given by Jenny, RN.

I returned to the pre-procedure area where Jani joined me again. I had the same nurse, Caroline, RN who gave me grape juice and a granola bar to eat.

jm with Interventional Radiology RN, Caroline August 12 2011. After about an hour of recovery, Caroline found a wheelchair for me and Jani wheeled me to my next 2 appointments for the day. Caroline, RN was very nice, calm, and expert at what she does.