Updates
Coins for Carly Update : IV’s & Catheters - Oh My! July 24, 2022
There are so many challenges that come with a cancer diagnosis. So many risks that affect the patient outside of just the cancer treatment itself. In this video, I talk about the devices that are used to draw labs and administer medications.
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Carlene has had four surgeries for these devices. The first was the medi port, which became infected and has to be removed. Carlene developed a very serious staph infection which lead to sepsis and required 28 days of antibiotics to clear.
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The port was followed by two PICC lines, both of which developed a leak. We learned, after the second leak, that this line would not be sufficient for the next step in her treatment which is the stem cell harvest and bone marrow transplant.
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This week (7/21/22), she had what we hope to be the last device placed. It’s a central veinous catheter. It was placed directly under the healed medi port site. This device will allow for labs to be drawn, the remainder of the two chemotherapy regimens to be administered, her stem cells to be harvested and also the bone marrow transplant.
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We are praying this is the last surgery for these devices and that she does not develop another infection. The challenge is, the day the device is placed, is the day chemotherapy is administered. After chemo, she has no immune system and as the site is healing, it’s susceptible for infection.
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Follow Carlene’s journey at www.coinsforcarly.com or @coinsforcarly on social media platforms.
Thank you for your continued support.
