Anyone else home health TPN via picc line?
Ok. So the home health nurse came yesterday as well as the home health supply dude who carried in more boxes and stuff than I could believe. The nurse went thru all - taught my husband, daughter, and me how to prepare the TPN by injecting the two vials of vitamins and mixing in the bag of lipids along with how to string it thru the machine and of course stick it into the port in my arm. ICK!!!
My questions are:
Has anyone else dealt with this?
How long will I be on this?
Has anyone else heard of or known someone?
I feel like a sort of very sick freak! The bag is HUGE and comes with it's own backpack - which it fills up! So here I am with a backpack that I take everywhere with a line that feeds to my arm. I slept last night with the backpack up on a pillow above my head and was worried I would pull it out but I did OK. My arm is a little tingly from not moving it much but otherwise OK.
On the plus side I did actually pee late last night and this morning - not just dribble as I had been - so the fluids are getting in and going thru.
I am still nervous and unhappy - but off the pity pot for the moment. I hope someone else has experienced this and will be willing to share. Thank you for reading...
My questions are:
Has anyone else dealt with this?
How long will I be on this?
Has anyone else heard of or known someone?
I feel like a sort of very sick freak! The bag is HUGE and comes with it's own backpack - which it fills up! So here I am with a backpack that I take everywhere with a line that feeds to my arm. I slept last night with the backpack up on a pillow above my head and was worried I would pull it out but I did OK. My arm is a little tingly from not moving it much but otherwise OK.
On the plus side I did actually pee late last night and this morning - not just dribble as I had been - so the fluids are getting in and going thru.
I am still nervous and unhappy - but off the pity pot for the moment. I hope someone else has experienced this and will be willing to share. Thank you for reading...
I was on TPN for about 2 and a half months. I found it to be miserable. I threw up every single day, was up in the bathroom having to pee every half hour, all night long, and had non stop diarreah. Sorry if that's TMI..
Hang in there- and know that if you experience ill effects from the TPN, they pretty much go away as soon as it does.
Good luck, and if you need to vent, feel free to message me. I've been there and I feel your pain!
Hang in there- and know that if you experience ill effects from the TPN, they pretty much go away as soon as it does.
Good luck, and if you need to vent, feel free to message me. I've been there and I feel your pain!
Wow! It is so good to hear that someone else has experienced this. Thank you so much for posting. Yeah the diarrhea is almost unbelievable - needs to be in a class all it's own. I call it 'ELD' for Expolsive Liquid Diarrhea! I see the doc this Friday again and hope he will have some idea of how long I may need this - although he has been adament that whatever I need I will have for as long as need it. - period. He says it is impossible to 'guess' how my body will react or heal - that we are treating what is needed as it is needed. It's hard because I want to get my life back...but I am just to weak and ill right now to even try. It takes all of my energy to take a shower - and in fact I have to sit during the shower and rest several times. It is rediculous!
Knowing it will pass and I can still be successful with my VSG means a lot to me.
Thanks again for the message and support.
I appreciate it.
Knowing it will pass and I can still be successful with my VSG means a lot to me.
Thanks again for the message and support.
I appreciate it.
Dear shrinkingangel,
I just wanted to say I'm sorry you are going through this, but just wanted to encourage you to do whatever it takes to get better...I just know in 6 months time, you will find it is worth it, although right now you may have difficulty seeing that...a big virtual (((HUG))) to you today.
I wish you all the best in your recovery and that it is only uphill from here on...
I just wanted to say I'm sorry you are going through this, but just wanted to encourage you to do whatever it takes to get better...I just know in 6 months time, you will find it is worth it, although right now you may have difficulty seeing that...a big virtual (((HUG))) to you today.
I wish you all the best in your recovery and that it is only uphill from here on...
50yr. old female 5'8" / HW 363 / ConsW 346 / SW 333 / CW 184.4
ready2sleeve
on 1/10/12 11:47 pm - CA
on 1/10/12 11:47 pm - CA
Hey shrinkingangel,
At 5 weeks out I began to have lots of vomiting and nausea. I was in and out of the hospital for a month, I was put on TPN for almost 2 weeks with the home health nurse and all. I infused at night time and it worked for me. After the two weeks I had the picc line removed and I have been fine ever since. I am 10 months out yesterday. I did gain 15 pounds on the TPN but it dropped two weeks after I was off the TPN (it is full of sugar). It will get better, the second week the doctor okay for me to have some yogurt, sugar free popsicles, and ice chips.
Feel better
Carla
At 5 weeks out I began to have lots of vomiting and nausea. I was in and out of the hospital for a month, I was put on TPN for almost 2 weeks with the home health nurse and all. I infused at night time and it worked for me. After the two weeks I had the picc line removed and I have been fine ever since. I am 10 months out yesterday. I did gain 15 pounds on the TPN but it dropped two weeks after I was off the TPN (it is full of sugar). It will get better, the second week the doctor okay for me to have some yogurt, sugar free popsicles, and ice chips.
Feel better
Carla
Pre-op: 320, SW: 298, CW 194, Doctors goal 180, My GW 160
It really helps to know I am not alone here - that someone else has walked a similar path. Thank you for your message and support. I figured I would see some weight come back on - my doc even said that I've been losing too fast and I need to get everything to slow down and allow my body to rehydrate and make sure all the organs keep working etc. It helps me to know others have gotten thru and been successful. Thanks for sharing - I appreciate it! And yes - popsicles and slushies are my best friends - when nothing else will go in or stay in these seem to work for me.
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much!
Thank you for the well wishes and prayers - I appreciate them.
I am sorry my story is frightening to you. Please do not use it as a reason to change your mind. Prior to choosing to have this procedure I did all the research (literally for 5 years!) and I weighted the risks to the benefits and took into consideration my specific situation - which was simply that my health was deteriorating faster and faster with more and more serious issues - the weight would wind up killing me one way or another. After I decided I threw myself 100% into preparing for it - practiced the eating, stocked the kitchen,, got myself as healthy as I could. In fact I felt fabulous and had lost 20 pounds the month before my surgery! And I am so glad I was that ready for the surgery - because I really needed every advantage I could get in dealing with these unexpected complications. Talk to your surgeon ask them about their statistics - how often do their patients have complications? internal bleeding? need to be readmitted? feel free to share my story. Only you and your physician can decide what is best for you.
I wish you all the best - and thank you again for the support and response.
I am sorry my story is frightening to you. Please do not use it as a reason to change your mind. Prior to choosing to have this procedure I did all the research (literally for 5 years!) and I weighted the risks to the benefits and took into consideration my specific situation - which was simply that my health was deteriorating faster and faster with more and more serious issues - the weight would wind up killing me one way or another. After I decided I threw myself 100% into preparing for it - practiced the eating, stocked the kitchen,, got myself as healthy as I could. In fact I felt fabulous and had lost 20 pounds the month before my surgery! And I am so glad I was that ready for the surgery - because I really needed every advantage I could get in dealing with these unexpected complications. Talk to your surgeon ask them about their statistics - how often do their patients have complications? internal bleeding? need to be readmitted? feel free to share my story. Only you and your physician can decide what is best for you.
I wish you all the best - and thank you again for the support and response.
Send my best wishes to you. I don't know a thing about TPN never heard of it before. I came home with a oxygen tank hooked to me. That was fun too. But didn't last too long about 4 or perhaps 5 days. Then it too was taken away.
For the gal that is now considering can celling her surgery. Don't cancel because of these posts. TPN's and oxygen needs after surgery are unusual things and are not the norm indeed and no need to look for the most unusual then think that is going to happen to you as it really most likely won't. It is nice to know that whatever your need it is likely that someone here can be of help.
For the gal that is now considering can celling her surgery. Don't cancel because of these posts. TPN's and oxygen needs after surgery are unusual things and are not the norm indeed and no need to look for the most unusual then think that is going to happen to you as it really most likely won't. It is nice to know that whatever your need it is likely that someone here can be of help.
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