Lynn's been mostly 'stable' for a bit, which is always a welcome deal.

However, there's been some minor complications with her Mediport,

so it needs to be removed and replaced with a new one.

A mediport is a small medical appliance that is surgically installed beneath the skin.

A plastic tube (catheter) connects the port to a vein to deliver medicine, blood products, nutrients, or fluids into the bloodstream. The catheter can also remove blood for testing.

Chemotherapy is typically given using a mediport.

A doctor surgically inserts the device under the skin in the upper chest.

The port appears as a bump or raised area under the skin, and is roughly the diameter of a quarter. 

It is completely internal. The surgeon also surgically inserts the catheter from the port into a nearby vein. The position enables medicine or other fluids to be spread throughout the body quickly and efficiently.

Lynn's veins are totally shot from years of use & abuse, so this device is literally a life saver.

Procedure is scheduled for tomorrow and is expected to be out patient / same day deal.

We'll see.

A-Jay

Praying it goes well A-Jay.

 

I had a choice between that and a broviac which is the same deal but the port is external. I chose the broviac, I didn’t want the poke every time I had to get treatment. I was a sissy. 😁

10 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

I had a choice between that and a broviac which is the same deal but the port is external. I chose the broviac, I didn’t want the poke every time I had to get treatment. I was a sissy. 😁

Lynn's 50 times tougher than I'll ever be - sissy is not part of her deal.

A-Jay

6 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Lynn's 50 times tougher than I'll ever be - sissy is not part of her deal.

A-Jay

She 50 times stronger than me too! 

Glad to hear and "minor" for everything you guys have been through. Hoping all goes well!

 

My mother had something similar out of her upper chest for dialysis before she got her kidney transplant. Still remember driving her 3 times a week...

22 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Lynn's 50 times tougher than I'll ever be - sissy is not part of her deal.

A-Jay

You’d have a hard time finding someone tougher than Lynn.. 

 

My heart feels good with all your well wishes.  Surgery went perfectly & Andy has me back home safe, sound & comfy with my puppies.

Lynn

That's fantastic news Lynn, and thanks for checking in with us!  

 

I wish they could bottle up your toughness and resolve and sell it, Redbull wouldn't have anything on that 😎

30 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

My heart feels good with all your well wishes.  Surgery went perfectly & Andy has me back home safe, sound & comfy with my puppies.

Lynn

Your strength and courage has a major effect on a lot of BR family. Our thoughts and prayers are always with you and Andy. ❤️

Thankful it went well…🙏

Good to hear!

Lynn's new mediport got it first use this morning.

While the surrounding tissue is still healing, I'm Happy to report

the port access and subsequent infusion when off without a hitch.

Be nice if this unit lasted 12 years as well.

After lunch we even played in the snow with the dogs for a while.

It's the little things

A-Jay

 

Good to hear that Lynn is doing so well at this point...send her my and Nora's best.

 

Closest I've been to a mediport is when Nora had to have daily IV treatments, so they put in a PICC line and I set up/took down the IV daily for her. External access with that, so I didn't have to go poking around to find it.

The wolf is at the door again.

Going to be a long night.

Life is fragile.

A-Jay

Thinking of yall 🙏 

Good wishes coming your way, pal.

Thoughts and Prayers....

Sending a prayer up now. 🙏

Praying for you both now. 

Special prayer for both Andy and Lynn🙏🏻

Oh man @A-Jay sorry to hear that. You two stay strong and keep fighting!

Thank you for the encouraging words, thoughts and prayers.

You know how we feel.

We're far from being out of the woods but at least we're not being hospitalized.

Lynn's blood pressure keeps dropping off the charts.

Something she's been dealing with for a while.

Among several other challenges this is part of something called

 Autonomic nervous system dysfunction.  

Often super challenging to diagnose because it can cause many different types of symptoms

that also occur with other conditions. As a result, there is usually a multidisciplinary team of providers

involved to fully evaluate these  symptoms and help exclude any non-neurological problems.

Either way, she's hanging in there best she can, resting at home here.

And I'm just going to keep ordering tackle I don't need.

Stay healthy & Safe.

A-Jay

You two are in my prayers every day brother.  Sorry to hear Lynn's hit another rough patch. 

Given the current state of affairs regarding Lynn's decline in health

and the outlook that accompanies that,

last week I applied for the Veteran Administrations Program of Comprehensive Assistance

for Family Caregivers (PCAFC).

It was a tough decision for me.

Admittedly the reality of it is hard to put into words.

Very thankful that the VA does recognize the important role of family caregivers

in supporting the health and wellness of Veterans.

So far the folks we've been in contact with have made the process

fairly painless, and that is most definitely a relative term.

There are several steps along the way to where 'eligibility' is determined.

So far we are about half way through.

I am looking forward to the support and the training they offer

as well as knowing that I can be the best version of me for Lynn in these trying times.

Stay Healthy & Safe.

A-Jay