Planning to "Make Like a Tree and ..."

We spoke with all of Megan's doctors today. And, this is what they got their heads together and "thought up." We got our three clean blood cultures over the weekend - even though it was a poking fest. Today, we got the go ahead to have the picc line (IV) placed to finish the 14 days of anitbiotics, which started on June 17th (the day of the first clean culture). That means, the 14th day is July 1st. Megan will be on Vancomycin 4 times a day and Gentomycin once a day via the picc line (IV).

The Infectious Disease doctor wants to schedule her picc line removed on July 1st and also have a repeat echocardiogram completed. If everything looks good on the echocardiogram, Megan will be finished with the antibiotics and just need to have a repeat blood culture two weeks later to make sure this bacteria is still gone. If it is, then we are done. If not, we will discuss further antibiotic intervention then.

Because the picc line is a type of IV that we can use at home, the doctors are making preparations for having us complete everything there and coordinating the orders with Megan's pediatrician in Mishawaka. If all goes well putting these plans into place, it looks like we will be home in the next couple of days.

Megan and I, particularly, are looking forward to being able to sleep in our own beds once again. Keep us in your prayers that everything will be able to completed as the doctors are planning. Otherwise, we would not be able to come home until after July 1st. (However, if Dr. K's associate works as fast as she does, I predict very soon).

Here is what Megan has to say about everything today:


And, the other day - but I don't think I shared this picture yet.

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YUCK!

The Infectious Disease (ID) team came to see me this morning. (I missed Dr. K because she rounded before I got to the hospital this morning -Whoops:) Anyway, ID said that the blood culture they took from the 16th (Tuesday) was growing bacteria again. It was Monday's culture that we were excited about yesterday. This means that we haven't killed this bug yet and that the "temporary style" line is probably infected as well. YUCK 1,000 TIMES OVER.

Now, they are recommending the removal of the "temporary style" central line. OK - but they cannot recommend placing the picc line yet as they fear it will be a target for the bacteria in her blood stream to attach to as soon as it is placed. YUCK 1 HUNDRED THOUSAND TIMES OVER!!!

And, we are left to rely on the tiny peripheral IV access (that we had trouble keeping in the past) to kill this bacterial bug with. We need three days worth of blood cultures with no bacterial growth before they will recommend placing a picc line to finish out the two more weeks of IV antibiotics she will need once we get the three initial days of no bacterial growth. Can I get a YUCK 1 MILLION TIMES OVER???

Here is the action needed by everyone who reads this post. Yes, that's YOU! Pray for the livelihood of this IV placed in the right forearm of my little daughter. It took three pokes to get this IV placed. The first two sites blew right away. This IV is positional and fragile to start with. If it could last 24 hours it would probably be a miracle. I need it to last 4 days. It is being used to administer antibiotics 7 times a day. 7 X 4 = 28 sessions of antibiotics.


Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

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