New Routine
We've settled into a regular routine now for changing Sam's IV's and things. The radiologist implanted a new central line in Sam's left arm that has two shunts, one for each bag of fluids. There are two, the TPN (total patient nutrition) which only needs to run 12 hours a day and then the antibiotic IV has to run continuously 24 hours a day.
About 6:30am we disconnect the TPN flow and do the first blood sugar test of the day. Once that's done you change out the IV bag, then about 8am it's time for morning medications; prednisoine (steroid), puerinithol (immune suppressent) and antacids that help keep Sam's stomach from eating itself away.
The nurse comes sometime between 10am and noon for his check, taking his blood pressure, checking the IV pumps etc. When Jane leaves she drops the blood samples off at the lab and within the hour the doctor has the results and if there's anything that needs adjusting we get a call. Not getting a call in the afternoon is a good thing and so far we've only had one call, this past Monday.
Afternoons are pretty quiet until the boys get home from school about 3:15pm. Between homework, baseball and karate we're usually busy for a while most weekdays.
Then around 6:30pm it's time to check blood sugar again before hooking up the TPN. There are a number of things that have to be added to the TPN bag but you draw all of those into the syringes and then inject everything into the bag before connecting to the pump. Once that's running smoothly we change the IV and an hour later check the blood sugar number for the last time.
Once you get the hang of it it really isn't difficult, you just take it step by step.
About 6:30am we disconnect the TPN flow and do the first blood sugar test of the day. Once that's done you change out the IV bag, then about 8am it's time for morning medications; prednisoine (steroid), puerinithol (immune suppressent) and antacids that help keep Sam's stomach from eating itself away.
The nurse comes sometime between 10am and noon for his check, taking his blood pressure, checking the IV pumps etc. When Jane leaves she drops the blood samples off at the lab and within the hour the doctor has the results and if there's anything that needs adjusting we get a call. Not getting a call in the afternoon is a good thing and so far we've only had one call, this past Monday.
Afternoons are pretty quiet until the boys get home from school about 3:15pm. Between homework, baseball and karate we're usually busy for a while most weekdays.
Then around 6:30pm it's time to check blood sugar again before hooking up the TPN. There are a number of things that have to be added to the TPN bag but you draw all of those into the syringes and then inject everything into the bag before connecting to the pump. Once that's running smoothly we change the IV and an hour later check the blood sugar number for the last time.
Once you get the hang of it it really isn't difficult, you just take it step by step.
posted by Booklover at
10:17 AM
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