I was all set to get the PICC line pulled this week after a meeting with the infectious disease doctor who’s been tracking my progress since I went to the hospital last month. He gave the all clear but then changed his mind after he talked to the doctor at the wound care center who’s treating me; he’s convinced I’ll need more surgery and wants to leave in the line so I can get IV infusions without poking new holes in my arm. So it’s status quo for now, and I can’t say I’m thrilled about it.
One of the big inconveniences of dealing with both a PICC line and a bandaged foot is bathing. Neither can get wet, so they have to be wrapped in something waterproof. For me, this means wrapping my upper arm and my left leg below the knee in plastic cling wrap.
Trying to do it yourself is actually quite difficult, so I’ve recruited my daughter to assist. She’s gotten pretty adept at wrapping me and doesn’t seem to mind too much.
Even then, though, I have to be really careful to avoid letting water get underneath the wrap. The hospital gave me some blue tape called Coflex – a “latex cohesive flexible bandage,” or form of compression wrap, which the nurses used to wrap up the ends of the cling wrap when I showered there. but it invariably unravels in the shower.
So I end up in the shower, balancing all my weight on my “good side,” with the wrapped parts as far away from the water as possible. It’s comical. And a bit horrifying.
Honestly, I’m surprised I haven’t fallen and cracked my head yet.