It's Day 3 in the hospital and I have had a liver biopsy and ultrasound, both have confirmed that Linus is in danger and an acute rejection is taking place. To understand the severity of this rejection my AST and ALT are in the 1000’s and 2400’s (normal range should be no more than 30 and 29.) Anyhoo, they have started me on a high dose of prednisolone via my IV and a bunch of antibiotics and anti-rejection medicines to help calm my aggressive immune system down from attack mode.
Each morning the nurse comes into my room to get vitals and blood work this way when the Liver Team rounds they have my results and can come up with a plan on how to move forward. This morning, the plan is to start me on an aggressive anti-rejection medicine Thymoglobulin. I have never been on this medicine and of course, I have several questions. The medicine is to be administered 4-7 days via a PICC line for 4 hours. I was informed that I would get the treatment for 4 days and I would have to be pre-medicated 1 hour before the treatment started. My head was spinning and I was scared. I remember looking over at my mom and asking her if she thinks this will work. She just looked at me and said I pray it will. My dad was in the room and he had a couple of questions but as they always say….the choice is up to you we are here to support and back you up. I obviously decided to do the treatment but was a little anxious about the placement of the PICC line. Was it going through my neck or arm? Would it be painful? Would I be put to sleep to have it placed while I was awake? So many things running around in my head but yet I try to remain strong. Just a side note: I rarely feel like I can show weakness. I believe they put a rush into Interventional Radiology so I could get the PICC line placed ASAP.
Once again, my ride was at my door and I was on my way down to IR to get my PICC line. My dad came down to keep me company and I’m sure to calm his nerves and ease mine as well. They wheeled me back to the procedure room and once again I was getting prepped for placement of a PICC line in my arm. I would love to say it was easy breezy but come on…IT’S ME and nothing in my life is easy breezy. It hurt like hell even with the Lidocaine and I was awake to feel every bit of it. I have difficult, small, deep veins that don’t like to be picked and poked at but eventually they got the line in place. The line was inserted into my arm, above the bend of my elbow through the vein until the end of it is near my heart. I was wheeled back to the waiting area and taking back to my room shortly after.
Can we say I need some pain meds, a break and a damn nap!