Well it's been a week since my allergic reaction to either the adhesives or antiseptic cleaner around my PICC line. I'm still visiting the Cancer hospital daily to get dry dressing on the still open sores. When you're on chemo, things heal at a snails pace. The affected area looks better but no great.
While I was at Daycare, I asked the nurse to look at my CVC hole ... I call it a hole because that is what it is. When the catheter was removed a month ago, the hole left behind never competely healed, closed up, grew over or what ever it is supposed to do. It still looks pretty bad.
Anyways, I asked the nurse to look at it. I told her I think there is a bit of puss that comes out during the night when I lay on that side ... if forms a crust that falls off during the day. It is still a bit tender and red and sore. I am thinking it's gotten a bit worse in the last week or so.
The nurse looked at it and called the charge nurse over to look at it. They both though it didn't look good and that a doctor should look at it. They called my oncologist down to examine it and she said it wasn't too bad ... just get some Polysporin for it. She said to watch my temperature closely ... for signs of infection.
Well here we go again, it was the Easter long weekend I ended up in the hospital with an infection and this weekend is the Victoria long weekend ... what are the odds?
While I was at Daycare, I asked the nurse to look at my CVC hole ... I call it a hole because that is what it is. When the catheter was removed a month ago, the hole left behind never competely healed, closed up, grew over or what ever it is supposed to do. It still looks pretty bad.
Anyways, I asked the nurse to look at it. I told her I think there is a bit of puss that comes out during the night when I lay on that side ... if forms a crust that falls off during the day. It is still a bit tender and red and sore. I am thinking it's gotten a bit worse in the last week or so.
The nurse looked at it and called the charge nurse over to look at it. They both though it didn't look good and that a doctor should look at it. They called my oncologist down to examine it and she said it wasn't too bad ... just get some Polysporin for it. She said to watch my temperature closely ... for signs of infection.
Well here we go again, it was the Easter long weekend I ended up in the hospital with an infection and this weekend is the Victoria long weekend ... what are the odds?
12 comments:
Darn it. Enough for my dear friend Daria. No more infections or trouble.
Love Renee xoxo
I hope your healing fairy makes it all better soon...You deserve that!
Keep the faith, think positive, have a good long weekend
Breeze
I had a slight infection, too, for several weeks before the plastic surgeon took out the implant, which burst through the scab on the open skin wound last August. It's not fun. It's too bad that they didn't put you on antibiotics. Also, I wonder if your doctor should refer you to a wound care specialist on that open wound. I had an open cavity after they took out the implant and I ended up having a wound pump, which helped to close the wound and also to keep it from getting infected. How big is it?
Hi Dee,
A month ago, I ended up in the hospital for 3 days with the CVC infection ... antibiotics and all.
We postponed chemo one week until I finished the oral antibiotics.
The size of the hole is about the size of my baby finger nail.
Daria
Hi Daria,
Thanks for letting me know you saw my question.
I think you should definitely ask your doc to refer you to a wound care specialist. I saw the wound care nurse for about 9 months, after my skin met turned into a skin wound - looks like the top layers of skin had peeled off. They have all sorts of dressings to use that can help heal open holes like that. There are collagen dressings and foam that dissolves in the wound. I used a collagen dressing that also had silver in it that keps things from getting infected. I think it's spendy, but my insurance covered it. I think it helped it to heal quicker than it would've post-radiation. The tissue there had been radiated twice and so it was very hard to heal. She also gave instruction on how to change the dressings. I saw her maybe once a week (more with the wound pump) and then later, once every two or three weeks. It was reassuring to see her so that she could assess whether or not it was infected and the rate of healing. Good luck! (See my "labels" for posts on open skin wound, and vacuum wound pump.)
dman- poor you daria, you are having a rough couple of months- sending love, wishing i could so more xx
Oh no! Not again Daria! Hopefully the onc is right, but keep an eye on it. Get lots of rest, etc. I'm sorry I didn't see you at the institute today. I thought about you - I was sent to the lab TWICE - my skin reacted to the tape! YIKES!
Hi Daria...
Thank you for visiting my blog... I hope you are healed speedily...
Think positively my dear and have the happy thoughts always...
am praying for you.
hugs.
My experience of nurses and oncologists is similar to yours, in that the nurses often took my difficulties with breathing and pain very seriously, would refer to the oncologist, who would say 'not too bad, take some paracetamol/get some rest'... I think some oncologists could learn an awful lot from their nursing colleagues.
Daria
I hope you do feel better, sending out my best thoughts your way.
I too have a reaction to the tape or something, ,y arm has broken out in welts and blisters. I have an allergy to the clear tape they use for securing IV's..
I have to go this morning see about getting the dressing changed. I'm near ready to rip it off....
Have a safe weekend....
Love Alli.xx
Positive prayers you can nip this before a full blown infection settles in. Enough already! hugs
Daria - thinking of you and hoping you feel better soon!
Beth.
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