Picc Line In - ✔️

 

The little white line on the left side is the picc line. This kid is bionic.

Ethan and I were discussing which place is louder, the apartment or ICU.  Ethan thought the apartment was louder, but far more comfortable.  I felt very strongly that the ICU is louder and more intrusive.  There were multiple times in the night Ethan’s alarms were visually and audibly singing, beeping or flashing.  Ethan slept through most of it. Unfortunately I am trained to respond to machines that are alarming. My dreams were littered with work scenario’s blended with our current environment.

Ethan is grumpy and wants to go back to the apartment. I can’t really blame him.  This morning a member of the IV team came in.  He was tall, had kind eyes and relaxing demeanor. He looked at Ethan’s veins and started commenting that Ethan was making his job easy today and that he was considering putting his IV in the other his eyes closed. A bold statement on his part. He also said “Jesus Christ, your veins are HUGE!”  This made both Ethan and myself laugh. Another bold statement. He then quickly and effortlessly slammed in Ethan’s IV and immediately earned my utmost respect for his talent.  I asked him where he was last night. He and his IV Rockstar talents.

At rounds this morning, the plan was made to get Ethan his picc line and EKG. Getting a picc line involves some prep.  A pre xray, pre ultrasound, numbing agent. Mr. IV Rockstar came back in to place the picc line. Phew! We then learned he was retiring in 2 days. His coworker told us, as a retirement gift she was “letting him be the asshole and put in all the IV’s today”.  This made me laugh out loud.

The X-ray technician came and went. Mr. IV Rockstar came back in and prepared his work space carefully, making sure everything was sterile.  He walked Ethan through everything he was going to do.

Ethan watched, staring at his arm as Mr. IV Rockstar, with a steady hand, took a scalpel blade and cut an access point into the outer layer of his skin. Mr. IV Rockstar methodically placed the picc line with a series of steps. Ethan’s heart rate remained THE VERY SAME. No increase in pulse. No increase in blood pressure.  It was amazing. His nurse, who is an absolute delight, told him how remarkable he was.  They inserted a thin little tube into his vein that was 36 cm long which is equivalent to about 14 inches.

Another X-ray was taken to determine it was placed correctly and we are waiting to have them switch Ethan’s medication to be delivered through the picc line.  

So now we wait.  Tired, but feeling one step closer to being listed.