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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Surprise! It's Over.

Well Monday was a big day for us. I noticed on Sunday that a corner of Addison's dressing was coming up. I called the home health nurses but the one nurse I trust wasn't there so I told them I would just change it myself. After I got to looking at it closer I noticed it was wet underneath and decided just to tape up the one corner and wait until Cheryl was back on Monday. So Monday morning Cheryl came over and changed the dressing. It was very smelly through the dressing, the hole was bigger and there was puss coming out of it. Her skin was really red again also. That morning we had to run to town and when I bent that arm, both on getting her in and out of her seat, she cried. I think it was because the triangle piece that is normally sutured into the arm was shoved clear into the hole where normally only the line goes in the hole. Before Cheryl redressed the site she called Children's and spoke with Renee, our chemo nurse. She said we could go to our local pediatrician and have a specimen taken of the puss and blood work done to see if there was infection in her body. I decided against that. PICC lines in little people are run of the mill at Children's, but here in our town I new they would be doing more guessing than anything. So off Addison and I went to Milwaukee at about 1pm. When we got to Children's Dr. Kelly looked at her arm and said the PICC line was telling us it was time to come out, between the line getting clotted up and her skin breaking down. So Renee pulled her line. Yipee! She placed some gauze over the hole and then gently pulled the line out. Addison just laid there without a peep. I was super excited about having her line out, I feel like I got my baby back. But at the same time it kind of makes me nervous. That PICC has saved us so many times. There was blood work, sedation, and numerous IV's that were given through it and saved Addison a bunch of needle sticks.


Here's what her line looked like. There was some tissue that had started forming near the end.

Addison is really good about her arm being messed with. Even after they were done she just kept her arm still laying out. Renee put on a hot pink band aid.
Addison's chemo nurse Renee and a nurse who helped hold her arm.
Dr. Juern (Anna), standing, and Dr. Drolet. Dr. Drolet said that the plan is to just wait and watch for now. No more medication until we see a significant growth reoccur. And Dr. Drolet does expect it to regrow since we are still in the growth period, until 9months old. At that time they will put her on Propranolol an oral blood pressure medication. Can you believe it, no more chemo and for the time no more medication or Dr. visits! It's been a long journey and we're not done yet but that light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.

Anna and Addison.

2 comments:

  1. YAY! An exciting day! We are so happy for you, and can't believe how great she looks. I had a picc line for about a month and a half or more while I was pregnant with my son, and it drove me crazy. She is AMAZING.

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  2. Yipee! This is all good news. It will be so nice to be free of the picc line I am sure. :)

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