Card-carrying PICC line recipient

How does the saying go? "The best laid plans of mice and men...."

So the schedule we decided to implement today did not go as expected. Majority of the doctors showed up at 9AM this morning while I was at work. Several decisions were made:

1. Ron is now an official card-carrying PICC line recipient. PICC line was put in this afternoon--I actually got to be in the room all masked up to watch and be support for Ron...very cool! I could never do that to someone but still way cool to see the procedure! Took about 1 1/2 hours; they had trouble finding a vein that would cooperate. This is placed in his right upper arm and threaded up through the veins and ending up at his superior vena cava. And I did learn that a central line and a PICC line are the same thing, difference being PICC is in peripheral (anything not in subclavian area). TPN (heavier duty IV nutritional supplement) begins tonight. (And they really do give you a card to carry in your wallet in case you go home with the PICC line in and should need to go to doctor, emergency room, etc...they will know how to keep you from "bleeding out!")

2. Another Hydascan was done to check to see if there was still leakage, PTL there is not any.

3. Decision was made to do an EGD (upper GI endoscopy) to remove stent tomorrow sometime between 10 and 12. We knew from beginning stent would be removed in 2-4 weeks but since there is no more leakage, docs feel it best to go ahead and remove it now in case it is adding to the problems; his system reacting and rejecting a foreign body in it.

Please continue to pray, for:
all procedures listed above (that there will be no weird side effects or complications)
for back pain
for swelling and pain in legs (particularly left leg) to dissipate
for a speedy recovery...we are sooooo ready to have Ron back home and be able to settle into a more normal routine, but they continue to refuse to speculate as to when this will happen
for rest for both of us...we're tired, or maybe it's more weary, from this seemingly endless ordeal

Feel like I'm leaving something out, but God knows our needs and the Holy Spirit makes intercession on our behalf!

Thanks for letting me ramble each evening---it helps me to process all that's taking place, allows me to utilize mass communication and just gives me a much-needed release without getting all emotional talking about it!

*** Sorry, still not ready for visitors, hopefully soon! ***

Our love to each of you!
Christie (& Ron)

"Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of His understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who wait [hope] on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:28-31 NLT