VERY IMPORTANT! NEED RESPONSE IF YOU HAVE IT

[lokizmom]

hello everyone. i am in a bind. my dad is coming home on tuesday during the day, and we (as a family) will need to be able to put his antibiotics into the picc that he has inserted into his heart. if ANYONE here has ever heard of this process or done it, i NEED to know what information you can give me. we are SERIOUSLY nervous about this because the medication needs to be injected 3 times a day (7am, 3pm and 11pm). we do NOT want to kill our dad. we want to be sure that what we are going to need to do is not going to harm him if we do it wrong.

IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFORMATION PLEASE LET ME KNOW. if you have my cell phone number CALL ME. if you dont have my cell number, you can text me from my profile page direct to my cell phone and give me your number so i can call you back. i dont care where i have to call to be reassured that what we need to do isn't going to harm our dad.

thanks for listening.

Comments

[hitferret.livejournal.com]

I know this is going to sound glib, but it really isn't intended that way: talk to the hospital staff when they discharge him, make sure they show you the procedure, make sure you understand it.

Aside from a handful of people here who might be in the medical profession, you won't get any instruction more valuable than that you get from his medical caretakers.

[johno.livejournal.com]

And if they can't explain it well enough, then they damn well better send a home care nurse to take care of him for you.

[lokiz-mom.livejournal.com]

see but that's the thing. they claimed that they were going to send a home nurse to the house to show us and to help out during the day. my mom has 4 more days of work before she can *actually* leave, and the only other person who's home is my sister. but if something happens, we can't be there to help out!

really its not about *not* being willing to do it...it's about the lack of help from the hospital. we've ASKED for help, and the only time they're willing to give it is when it's convenient for them. mom went to the lack of care facility last night and waited an hour and a half for them to show her how to do it...and then they DIDN"T EVEN HAVE the 'script to get it done!

and i'll end this rant with FUCKING KAISER

[jobethfun67.livejournal.com]

Dear, if you would like to, I am sure my mom, who is a nurse could tell you anything you want to know about it. I could give you her number if you'd like it. Let me know, k?

***HUGS***

[lokiz-mom.livejournal.com]

it's more about being able to say "am i doing this right" when we're putting the perscriptions into the line. i understand the need to clean and make sure there's (a) no bacteria, and (b) no air in the lines, but there's the uncertainty that we're going to do something wrong. **sigh** would your mom be willing to come over one day and see if my mom is doing it right?

[jobethfun67.livejournal.com]

Well, I am sure she would, if she lived here. I am from SD, so she lives there.

I am sure you'll have no problems, I am sure you'll be fine, he'll be fine...

[moriyah.livejournal.com]

The Nurse Practitioner or Doctor -should- show you how to perform the injections before you leave the hospital. This is standard procedure for patients that have IV meds to take at home. If someone does not show you, request that a Doctor, NP or RN show you how it's done. Normally they don't send you home without this information. A friend of mine had cellulitis and he had to do the same thing.... I even gave him is injection once!

And a little FYI: it takes at least 10 cc's of air in the blood stream to kill a person. I learned this from said friend.

You all will be fine. Just breathe deep and try not to stress it too much -- it's during the times where you're freaking out that you'll most likely make a stupid mistake, but you will Most Certainly NOT kill him.

EDIT: Just saw that you have had issues with Kaiser for the instructions. You can request that a doctor show you, but you will have to wait. Regardless of Kaiser being all inclusive they are still an HMO and act as one. Sorry you have to deal with the stupidity. I swear that everyone is transferring to the new South Bay facility or in to private care. Ugh.