Greenbaum wants me on a PICC line stat--what other options might I have?

Nicole, I'll be praying for you.  Does Dr. Greenbaum know the cause of your vomiting issue?  Also, do you know your common chanel length?

Good luck....big hugs!!!!

 
Hi, Alysia.  We don't know the cause of the vomiting yet.  I'm getting an endoscopy soon.

My common channel is 100 cm, but he said that my intestines were among the longest he's ever seen.  Maybe 100 was too short for me?  I dunno but I'm not trying to go back for more surgery, that much I do know! 

Thanks for your prayers!  

WOW....the longest he's seen?  Hmmm......you'd think if you have long intestines 100cm wouldn't be a big deal since that's a common length.  Who knows, we're all freaks of nature.  I hope it's resolved soon without surgery. 

Nicole,
I had both a PICC line and a jtube for nutrition. I MUCH preferred the PICC. I haven't read the rest of the posts, so I hope I'm not repeating anything. Do you just not like the sound of a PICC line? I loved mine. Easy peasy. Flu**** a couple of times a day to keep the port open, keep it clean and dry, have the dressing changed once a week and you're good to go. The only other option I see for you is a jtube. This I didn't like at all. I hated it with a passion. I know there are some on here that just love theirs, and to each their own. I had mine for nine months and it was nine months too long.
I hope you come to a decision very soon as it looks like something needs to be done quickly.
Best of luck to you!!
Wenda

 
Hey, Wenda.  Easy, I like!

The PICC line itself is not so scary (maybe a little...), I am just freaking out that I need more intervention.  See, my original PLAN was to get up off the table, recover in two days, be back to my old self in like 6 weeks, take my vitamins, eat my food, lose a ton of weight and be happily healthy and energetic.  It hasn't quite worked out that smoothly.  When I knew I had problems, my contingency PLAN was to eat my way out of protein deficiency, but that's been a total bust.   Now I need to be mainlined--that was not in my PLAN!  Yikes!  The thought of things having gone further downhill from 3 months ago is plain scary to me.

I know that people run into all kinds of minor and major problems and come out just fine.  People live to tell the tale, to love their DS, to live full and exciting lives.  I'm hoping that this bump in the road for me will be just that, and that I'll be healthy and loving my DS very soon.

Nicole,

You just reminded me of an old saying....If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans.

I can relate. I didn't plan on anything I went through either. But you deal with it as it comes and you get over it.

You'll do great, I'm sure. Why the central line over the PICC I wonder??

Be well!!

Wenda

 Why don't you do both?

Get a PICC line and start creon with massive amounts of shakes.

Use the PICC line to get your levels back to good places and then hopefully you can maintain it with a combo of creon and shakes? 

After your levels are really good,  If your weight loss slows down too much then you back off the shakes some while still watching your levels.

Does that make sense?

catnip

 
Hey there, Catnip!

The only problem with this plan is that I haven't been able to keep shakes down since my surgery.  (I think it's the artificial sweetener in them.)  I think had I been able to drink them, I wouldn't be so depleted.  I make my own with soy milk, but they're not super high in protein.  I will definitely use them and the Creon.  Something tells me that Creon is about to become my new best friend. 

Good idea--thank you!

Don't worry about the PICC line.   It looks just like a regular IV to you.   It's a Peripherally Inserted Central line.   So the line itself is longer, but it ends up in pretty much the same place as a more traditional central line.   It's a little bit easier to take care of.

If you need parenteral nutrition to get over this protein problem, then the PICC line is definitely the way to go.   You'll feel so much better.   You don't want to risk further damage by trying other things at this point.  Truthfully, a PICC line is probably a bit easier to deal with and live with than a feeding tube.   An inserted feeding tube like a Jtube is much less bother than a tube that goes down through your nose, but it's still bigger and probably harder to dress around.

After you've been built back up a bit, try the creon with your food by mouth.  Don't try to cast around for options at this point.   Get built back up and then see what will help you long-term.

Dennie

A groshan is a way better way to go than a PICC.  I have had the groshan for 6 months and will probably have it a couple more.  Had my revision surgery 6 weeks ago and my PCP wants to be sure I can maintain my protein before it's pulled out.  If you have an option go for the groshan over the PICC.  I had way more blockages with the PICC, I had 2 of them and they both blocked up and had to be replaced.  Haven't had any complications with the groshan.  It is subclavian under you collar bone and not in the neck.