Re: Karla's Home/Triple Lumina /questions from Sally

From: Karla (mm.hammond@att.net)
Mon Jul 16 19:59:48 2001


Sally,

What you are speaking of are triple lumens. When people have poor IV access or need long term access they will place what is called a central line. That is usually where they will go into the chest or neck area (I have recently heard more of the groin area) and place a direct line in. The term triple lumen only means that there are three ports that they can access. I also know of double lumen..single lumen I would assume would be just like a regular iv. I have the multiple lumens so that they can access my blood through one port and give me antibiotics, and other drugs through the others. They cannot risk doing the blood and the drugs through the same port as the blood tends to clot off the port making it inaccessable. Normally I have not left the hospital with my central lines in. I have left with groshong catheters which are very similar, but different....the differences I do not understand.

As you can all see, I am home from the hospital. I have to say that this hospitalization was a WONDERFUL experience for me. I arrived out here on Tuesday with the low output of urine. That improved a little bit on Wednesday, but the pain did not. The pain was very severe and even though it felt like the same exact pain that I get when my bowels are partially obstructed, the pain did not go away when I had bowel movements...which it has done in the past. Friday morning I went to the VA clinic here on Travis Air Force Base not knowing how they would handle me since I did not have an appointment. I was told that they could not treat me, but that if it was bad enough they would send me to the VA Hospital in Sacramento. When they began to triage me they found that my blood pressure was again in hypertensive crisis. Therefore they could not send me all the way to Sacramento. They had to send me over to the hospital on the Air Force Base.....the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I spent the entire day sitting in the ER where they tried to get my blood pressure down. They repeatedly observed that if they were successful at treating my pain the blood pressure would come down to normal limits, but if the pain was out of control so was the blood pressure. I was admitted. I was given a wonderful group of doctors that were very aware of pain management. They immediately doubled my dosage of msContin from 30 to 60 and from two times a day to three. That did not totally take care of my pain so they added liquid morphine to be taken in between dosages when my pain was not controlled. Since doing this my blood pressure sits at 115/65....as good as it gets.

I had a long talk with these doctors regarding the unavailability of adequate pain treatment. They have provided me with all of the support materials I will need when I get home....I suspect that my doctors will not like my drug therapy program and will balk at it. Now I have all the data I need and I finally feel that I am in control over my situation. God Bless you all! Perhaps now I can enjoy my vacation!

Love, Karla

At Sat, 14 Jul 2001, PositiveThought7@aol.com wrote: >
>Sally,
>I have a tremendous amount of adhesions and, thankfully, doctors who
>recognize the pain. When it gets really bad (usually after a week or more of
>such intense pain it causes vomiting and near dehydration) I am hospitalized
>for IV fluids and pain meds. The pain meds most successful for me is
>Demerol. I had a colon resection surgery and a 2nd surgery for an intestinal
>blockage. During both of these, adhesions were removed. After the 1st
>surgery I got C Difficile Colitis (a very nasty infection). The Triple
>Lumina is till in my neck for IV meds and will be changed every few days by
>the visiting nurse. The IV pump & I have become good friends and it even has
>gone with me out to the mailbox! Thankfully, I am at home and not stuck in
>the hospital for a long stay.
>Thank you for your interest and we know NOTHING is nosey in this forum.


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