Be gone, Central Line!

At approximately 1:45 pm Pacific Time today, Adahlia will get her central line out of her chest and neck.

Last night we stayed up until 11 pm snacking on nutritious, protein-rich, and dessert snack foods. :) The goal was to fill her belly and get her to sleep away as much of the morning as possible.

She’s able to drink clear liquids until noon, and then after that, its just a few hours until she is free of the line.

It feels a bit “one step forward, two steps back” to remove the central line only to return in 6-8 weeks to have it replaced, it is a relief in more than one way to get it out.

First of course, there is the benefit of no longer having the infection risk.

Second, there is the freedom for her to be able to swim again.

And thirdly, she is just too active of a kid to do well with keeping the “sticker” of the central line in place. I’m super glad she is an active kid - exercise is surely a health boon for her - but it is very tricky to keep an adhesive sticker on her skin when she spends hours in the sun, hitting tennis balls, scootering, and running around in the heat.

Adahlia prepares to hit a backhand with her Hickman line still in her chest (and heart).

It’s a good thing I took a “Home Care” class last week in “Central Line Dressing Change” (and cap replacements), because I had to change the dressing two nights ago due to it peeling up, and it quite honestly needs changed again.

The sticker just won’t stay put!

‘Cuz the kid just won’t stay put.

And frankly, the mom will place common sense limits, but won’t make the kid stay put.

We absolutely do have to protect a central line incision site from exposure. We can’t have bacteria (from her skin - we all have it) gettting into the central line incision site and cause a serious, systemic infection. (That is very serious business.)

SO …

It’s a really good thing this sucker is coming out.

Health problems.

They’re like “Success problems.”

They are good things to have!

At any rate, we are off to the hospital for consultation with her BMT team, labs, and central line removal. Afterwards, we will eat a HUGE meal and she’ll rest until she’s ready to kick my butt in tennis again.

Have a wonderful start to your weekend!

We’ll be in touch soon. <3