Adventures in Home Infusions

Home infusions can be an adventure.

Some days are even a tad exciting.

I opened a long handled sterile swab and it flew out of my hand; it seemed like it did a double loop in the air hit the fridge and then the floor…not so sterile anymore. There is no five second rule with sterile “stuff.”  Well that is why they make alcohol preps and I had lots of them.  

Did ya know that a product called skin barrier…which helps protect your skin from the adhesive also sticks to your sterile gloves?

If you have the needle pointed at the port target a bit too much at an angle it won’t go in…stops just like that…I had heard this could happen… OH Lordy…I eased off the needle just a bit and pointed it downward…in like flynn.

We are clamp stupid…both of us.  Yesterday we tried to start the IV and it just sat there…clamps…there are two of them….we are idiots sometimes. Far Guy was just about ready to start cussing.  We did the same thing when it came time to push the saline…clamps won’t let you push in even a drop. Clamp on..clamp off.

I am training Far Guy how to mix the medication…it takes about an hour. Then it takes us about 45 minutes to do the infusion itself.  We don’t answer the phone when we are in the infusion process. There are enough distractions to deal with…making sure we follow sterile procedures as much as possible.

If you know of anyone struggling with chronic bronchitis or early onset emphysema they should be tested for Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency.  If Far Guys deficiency had been caught earlier he wouldn’t have so much lung damage.  The blood test is free…I had it done…our daughter Trica and our granddaughters are awaiting their results.

Far Guy gets real tired after the infusion.  He got an injection of Kenalog which helps with the shortness of breath.  That injection can last up to three months…BUT the Shot Nurse in the local Clinic didn’t know where to administer the injection…so she gave it to him in his arm…instead of his buttocks…where there is more muscle and the shot lasts longer.  Go figure you would think a Shot Nurse would know a thing or two or three. I was D.I.S.C.O U.R.A.G.E.D.

We are trying to do the best we can…and don’t need inept help…we are inept enough on our own.