4/14/16 noon

Timing is everything.  Just as Johns breakfast was being delivered, the nurse showed up to insert the PICC line, so she graciously offered to come back in 15 minutes.  John had two bites of scrambled eggs and a pear slice when Speech Therapy came in for a swallow evaluation.  When I told her we only had five more minutes until the PICC line, she said she'd come back, she didn't want to rush John.  Since Johns speech evaluation yesterday, the only liquid he is cleared for is water.  He wants the chicken noodle soup for lunch.  He hasn't eaten much, so when he wants something, I want him to get it.  The nurse spent an hour trying to get the PICC in his left arm, it should take about 30 minutes. The right arm didn't work either.  The next step will to have radiology do it using their technology.  He was a bit uncomfortable due to having to wear a mask during the procedure.  All people in his room have to mask and glove, but until this procedure he hasn't had to.

During the surgery they installed two drainage tubes that came together then emptied into a container so they can track output.  It was real heavy at the beginning and has tapered down.  They want to remove one tube soon, so this morning they unlinked the two tubes so they will drain into separate containers.  After a day or so they will keep the one that is producing the most output and remove and stitch up the other one.

Colleen