before my leg goes to barbados it needs IV drugs

Since I was released from the hospital a week ago Wednesday I have met with a home health nurse twice and she has taught me how to administer my own antibiotics for my MRSA. I've been thru with a ton of stuff with this leg and, if you've somehow missed it you can read it here.  I'm taking this leg on vacation eventually.....

It's the newest thing in home IV's it's called infusion therapy. There are no needles involved all the connections screw on so it makes it easy for the patient to learn how to do it themselves; safer too. They say it keeps down the cost and makes the need for prolonged hospital stays unnecessary.


my IV ball

This hooks into my picc line which they put into my arm before leaving the hospital. That stands for (peripherally inserted central catheter), the IV can go into the line that is on my right arm or blood can be drawn when the cap is taken off different tips are connected to the end. My picc line is for two weeks of antibiotics however if need be it could stay implanted in my arm for up to a year. It is threaded up my arm and into my chest in the direction of my heart by a specially trained nurse. 

Like everything else I didn't have much luck with the insertion of this line. There are three veins she failed to get the line in the first two, the first vein the line kept bending, the second the vein ran to close to a nerve and was to painful, then finally she was successful with the third. My arm however looks like it got beat the shreds by Muhammad Ali it's so black and blue. I even have two blisters; I know I know! That's how this whole wound in my leg started right?

my arm's to black and blue

to show!



So I push thru a little injection tube of clear fluid (sodium chloride)to clear the IV line,  then I attach the ball of antibiotic. The ball shrinks as the antibiotic is transferred into my body thru the picc line and when it will shrink down which indicates it's empty. Then I disconnect it and flush a second (sodium chloride)clear fluid followed by another tube which is yellow and contains (Heparin) a drug that keeps the blood in line from clotting; all done until the next day when I repeat the process.

My husband and I are taking a leap of faith that my wound drama will be all over by Thanksgiving when we go to visit my brother Gerard and sister-in -law Denise for Thanksgiving. We've decided to book a week at an all-inclusive in Barbados the Saturday after; boy do I need a vacation. It's in Christ Church so not only will we be able to be at the beach and eat and drink until our hearts content but we'll be able to walk the streets of what I've heard is a beautiful and picturesque city as well.

our resort pool area

our resort beach area

My leg can't wait; like me it needs a vaca!

We've never been to Barbados or stayed at an all inculsive, has anyone had any experience they'd like to share?