First time for Home IVs...

Liza

New member
Well congrats are in order that you have never had to have IV antibiotics before! I know you were just recently diagnosed but still, that's quite an accomplishment.

I am a mom of two girls W/CF. One hated getting a picc line and insisted on being sedated. She eventually got a port when her veins were so scarred up from so many picc lines. YOU ARE NOWHERE NEAR THAT! She loves her port for as much as she hated the idea of getting one. She's even decided to keep it post transplant. Now for the other one. she gets her picc lines ( for a total of 3), done without sedation. She says it's no big deal. They use a little Emla, let it sit for about 30 min. (shorter for fair skin). She watches them do it. Her doc has always done them for her.

They will measure how long the tubing is that goes in and when they remove it. They have to make sure they remove as much as they put in.

Those balls are the best. My oldest (the youngest has never done home IV) has had both the IV pump and gravity as well as the balls. Gravity is a pain when you are in the car. Once she got the balls, she always asked for them. Once they told her that they didn't think they could do it for one of her meds because it was too much and she insisted they check first. Turned out they could. We were told to remove them a half hour or so before hooking up. To be honest, when she did it by herself in the dorm, she said she didn't always take it out and let it warm. They said it might just take longer to finish if it wasn't warm. They are really super convenient cause as it was mentioned before, you can just stick it in your pocket. So much easier to hide and go about your business.

It's an easy process to learn. My girls caught on quick and can operate any pump they've come across.

Good luck and speedy recovery.
 

Liza

New member
Well congrats are in order that you have never had to have IV antibiotics before! I know you were just recently diagnosed but still, that's quite an accomplishment.

I am a mom of two girls W/CF. One hated getting a picc line and insisted on being sedated. She eventually got a port when her veins were so scarred up from so many picc lines. YOU ARE NOWHERE NEAR THAT! She loves her port for as much as she hated the idea of getting one. She's even decided to keep it post transplant. Now for the other one. she gets her picc lines ( for a total of 3), done without sedation. She says it's no big deal. They use a little Emla, let it sit for about 30 min. (shorter for fair skin). She watches them do it. Her doc has always done them for her.

They will measure how long the tubing is that goes in and when they remove it. They have to make sure they remove as much as they put in.

Those balls are the best. My oldest (the youngest has never done home IV) has had both the IV pump and gravity as well as the balls. Gravity is a pain when you are in the car. Once she got the balls, she always asked for them. Once they told her that they didn't think they could do it for one of her meds because it was too much and she insisted they check first. Turned out they could. We were told to remove them a half hour or so before hooking up. To be honest, when she did it by herself in the dorm, she said she didn't always take it out and let it warm. They said it might just take longer to finish if it wasn't warm. They are really super convenient cause as it was mentioned before, you can just stick it in your pocket. So much easier to hide and go about your business.

It's an easy process to learn. My girls caught on quick and can operate any pump they've come across.

Good luck and speedy recovery.
 

Liza

New member
Well congrats are in order that you have never had to have IV antibiotics before! I know you were just recently diagnosed but still, that's quite an accomplishment.

I am a mom of two girls W/CF. One hated getting a picc line and insisted on being sedated. She eventually got a port when her veins were so scarred up from so many picc lines. YOU ARE NOWHERE NEAR THAT! She loves her port for as much as she hated the idea of getting one. She's even decided to keep it post transplant. Now for the other one. she gets her picc lines ( for a total of 3), done without sedation. She says it's no big deal. They use a little Emla, let it sit for about 30 min. (shorter for fair skin). She watches them do it. Her doc has always done them for her.

They will measure how long the tubing is that goes in and when they remove it. They have to make sure they remove as much as they put in.

Those balls are the best. My oldest (the youngest has never done home IV) has had both the IV pump and gravity as well as the balls. Gravity is a pain when you are in the car. Once she got the balls, she always asked for them. Once they told her that they didn't think they could do it for one of her meds because it was too much and she insisted they check first. Turned out they could. We were told to remove them a half hour or so before hooking up. To be honest, when she did it by herself in the dorm, she said she didn't always take it out and let it warm. They said it might just take longer to finish if it wasn't warm. They are really super convenient cause as it was mentioned before, you can just stick it in your pocket. So much easier to hide and go about your business.

It's an easy process to learn. My girls caught on quick and can operate any pump they've come across.

Good luck and speedy recovery.
 

Liza

New member
Well congrats are in order that you have never had to have IV antibiotics before! I know you were just recently diagnosed but still, that's quite an accomplishment.

I am a mom of two girls W/CF. One hated getting a picc line and insisted on being sedated. She eventually got a port when her veins were so scarred up from so many picc lines. YOU ARE NOWHERE NEAR THAT! She loves her port for as much as she hated the idea of getting one. She's even decided to keep it post transplant. Now for the other one. she gets her picc lines ( for a total of 3), done without sedation. She says it's no big deal. They use a little Emla, let it sit for about 30 min. (shorter for fair skin). She watches them do it. Her doc has always done them for her.

They will measure how long the tubing is that goes in and when they remove it. They have to make sure they remove as much as they put in.

Those balls are the best. My oldest (the youngest has never done home IV) has had both the IV pump and gravity as well as the balls. Gravity is a pain when you are in the car. Once she got the balls, she always asked for them. Once they told her that they didn't think they could do it for one of her meds because it was too much and she insisted they check first. Turned out they could. We were told to remove them a half hour or so before hooking up. To be honest, when she did it by herself in the dorm, she said she didn't always take it out and let it warm. They said it might just take longer to finish if it wasn't warm. They are really super convenient cause as it was mentioned before, you can just stick it in your pocket. So much easier to hide and go about your business.

It's an easy process to learn. My girls caught on quick and can operate any pump they've come across.

Good luck and speedy recovery.
 

Liza

New member
Well congrats are in order that you have never had to have IV antibiotics before! I know you were just recently diagnosed but still, that's quite an accomplishment.
<br />
<br />I am a mom of two girls W/CF. One hated getting a picc line and insisted on being sedated. She eventually got a port when her veins were so scarred up from so many picc lines. YOU ARE NOWHERE NEAR THAT! She loves her port for as much as she hated the idea of getting one. She's even decided to keep it post transplant. Now for the other one. she gets her picc lines ( for a total of 3), done without sedation. She says it's no big deal. They use a little Emla, let it sit for about 30 min. (shorter for fair skin). She watches them do it. Her doc has always done them for her.
<br />
<br />They will measure how long the tubing is that goes in and when they remove it. They have to make sure they remove as much as they put in.
<br />
<br />Those balls are the best. My oldest (the youngest has never done home IV) has had both the IV pump and gravity as well as the balls. Gravity is a pain when you are in the car. Once she got the balls, she always asked for them. Once they told her that they didn't think they could do it for one of her meds because it was too much and she insisted they check first. Turned out they could. We were told to remove them a half hour or so before hooking up. To be honest, when she did it by herself in the dorm, she said she didn't always take it out and let it warm. They said it might just take longer to finish if it wasn't warm. They are really super convenient cause as it was mentioned before, you can just stick it in your pocket. So much easier to hide and go about your business.
<br />
<br />It's an easy process to learn. My girls caught on quick and can operate any pump they've come across.
<br />
<br />Good luck and speedy recovery.
<br />
<br />
 

Transplantmommy

New member
Juliet,
Everyone else has given you some pretty good information so all I really wanted to say is good luck. I was on home IV's many, many times and was thankful that I could do it. I never had the pressure balls, always either gravity drip or a pump. The last couple of years before the transplant, if I needed IV meds, I was on IV's that were 24/7. I had a pump and a bag of medicine (usually Ceftaz or Zosyn) that I carried around in a bag that looked like a little purse. The bag of medicine would run for 24 hours and when it was gone, I would get new tubing and hook up a new bag. I normally took out a new bag of med about and hour before I had to hook it up. After I got used to it, it was all really simple. I'm wishing you the best of luck with your first experience!!!
 

Transplantmommy

New member
Juliet,
Everyone else has given you some pretty good information so all I really wanted to say is good luck. I was on home IV's many, many times and was thankful that I could do it. I never had the pressure balls, always either gravity drip or a pump. The last couple of years before the transplant, if I needed IV meds, I was on IV's that were 24/7. I had a pump and a bag of medicine (usually Ceftaz or Zosyn) that I carried around in a bag that looked like a little purse. The bag of medicine would run for 24 hours and when it was gone, I would get new tubing and hook up a new bag. I normally took out a new bag of med about and hour before I had to hook it up. After I got used to it, it was all really simple. I'm wishing you the best of luck with your first experience!!!
 

Transplantmommy

New member
Juliet,
Everyone else has given you some pretty good information so all I really wanted to say is good luck. I was on home IV's many, many times and was thankful that I could do it. I never had the pressure balls, always either gravity drip or a pump. The last couple of years before the transplant, if I needed IV meds, I was on IV's that were 24/7. I had a pump and a bag of medicine (usually Ceftaz or Zosyn) that I carried around in a bag that looked like a little purse. The bag of medicine would run for 24 hours and when it was gone, I would get new tubing and hook up a new bag. I normally took out a new bag of med about and hour before I had to hook it up. After I got used to it, it was all really simple. I'm wishing you the best of luck with your first experience!!!
 

Transplantmommy

New member
Juliet,
Everyone else has given you some pretty good information so all I really wanted to say is good luck. I was on home IV's many, many times and was thankful that I could do it. I never had the pressure balls, always either gravity drip or a pump. The last couple of years before the transplant, if I needed IV meds, I was on IV's that were 24/7. I had a pump and a bag of medicine (usually Ceftaz or Zosyn) that I carried around in a bag that looked like a little purse. The bag of medicine would run for 24 hours and when it was gone, I would get new tubing and hook up a new bag. I normally took out a new bag of med about and hour before I had to hook it up. After I got used to it, it was all really simple. I'm wishing you the best of luck with your first experience!!!
 

Transplantmommy

New member
Juliet,
<br />Everyone else has given you some pretty good information so all I really wanted to say is good luck. I was on home IV's many, many times and was thankful that I could do it. I never had the pressure balls, always either gravity drip or a pump. The last couple of years before the transplant, if I needed IV meds, I was on IV's that were 24/7. I had a pump and a bag of medicine (usually Ceftaz or Zosyn) that I carried around in a bag that looked like a little purse. The bag of medicine would run for 24 hours and when it was gone, I would get new tubing and hook up a new bag. I normally took out a new bag of med about and hour before I had to hook it up. After I got used to it, it was all really simple. I'm wishing you the best of luck with your first experience!!!
 

Juliet

New member
Thanks everyone. Looks like 10am Thursday is it! I'm actually looking forward to this... well maybe not the picc line, but certainly not being at work for 2 weeks part anyways. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> I really hope the IV ABX will kick the snot out of these lung bugs before it's too late to get my PFTs back where they were 2 years ago... in the low 80s.... I've been hovering in the 60s and dipped into the mid 50's a few times the past year. Enough is enough already! ~Juliet
 

Juliet

New member
Thanks everyone. Looks like 10am Thursday is it! I'm actually looking forward to this... well maybe not the picc line, but certainly not being at work for 2 weeks part anyways. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> I really hope the IV ABX will kick the snot out of these lung bugs before it's too late to get my PFTs back where they were 2 years ago... in the low 80s.... I've been hovering in the 60s and dipped into the mid 50's a few times the past year. Enough is enough already! ~Juliet
 

Juliet

New member
Thanks everyone. Looks like 10am Thursday is it! I'm actually looking forward to this... well maybe not the picc line, but certainly not being at work for 2 weeks part anyways. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> I really hope the IV ABX will kick the snot out of these lung bugs before it's too late to get my PFTs back where they were 2 years ago... in the low 80s.... I've been hovering in the 60s and dipped into the mid 50's a few times the past year. Enough is enough already! ~Juliet
 

Juliet

New member
Thanks everyone. Looks like 10am Thursday is it! I'm actually looking forward to this... well maybe not the picc line, but certainly not being at work for 2 weeks part anyways. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> I really hope the IV ABX will kick the snot out of these lung bugs before it's too late to get my PFTs back where they were 2 years ago... in the low 80s.... I've been hovering in the 60s and dipped into the mid 50's a few times the past year. Enough is enough already! ~Juliet
 

Juliet

New member
Thanks everyone. Looks like 10am Thursday is it! I'm actually looking forward to this... well maybe not the picc line, but certainly not being at work for 2 weeks part anyways. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> I really hope the IV ABX will kick the snot out of these lung bugs before it's too late to get my PFTs back where they were 2 years ago... in the low 80s.... I've been hovering in the 60s and dipped into the mid 50's a few times the past year. Enough is enough already! ~Juliet
 
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