It seems like whenever I start on I.V. antibiotics, I always get worse before I get better. The antibiotics are so strong that not only are they doing the job of killing all the bad bugs but they are killing the good bacteria in my body as well. The medications travel through my blood stream and wipe everything out! I've been exhausted and still short of breath when I go to move around and get out of bed. My mom has been the best nurse ever, helping me out a lot at this time which I'm so thankful for. I have high hopes that I'll be feeling better at the end of this I.V. cycle!
My I.V. meds schedule:
Merrem- 8:00 am
4:00 pm
midnight
Colistin- 9:00 am
9:00 pm
The simplest part of this whole process has been the fact that I don't have to deal with an I.V. poll and I.V. bags. I have I.V. balls! How fun is that. So easy and compact! The ball filled with Merrem diffuses in one hour and the ball filled with Colistin also takes an hour to diffuse. I just flush the PICC line before with saline, hook up to the I.V. pump, and flush again with saline afterwards. In the picture above I'm hooked up to the Merrem ball on the left. The Colistin ball is on the right. Anything to make my regimen easier gets two thumbs up from me!
I love the balls! I got Cipro balls this week. Hope the IVs start making you feel better soon, I know how it is to feel so dragged down by them.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever used the balls before? I've never used a gravity thing at home. I've done the balls since I was 5 years old. They're the best
ReplyDelete:-)
Jess, I hope the Cipro balls help to make you feel better soon. And I'm so happy to hear you are home from the hospital now.
ReplyDeleteStina, I have used the balls in the past, only once, while I was in college. All the other times that I had to do I.V.'s have always involved a poll and I.V. bags. I agree with you though the I.V. balls are the best.