PICC Problems
Hi y’all! This is Keely writing an update on behalf of Kelsey who has had quite a hectic few days stemming from a complication that resulted in her first-ever hospital stay. The PICC line started out as a nice reprieve, but Kelsey had to make the journey to MD Anderson every few days for an official dressing change and line check. Last Saturday, the nurse noticed some redness around her PICC and thought it looked like an allergic reaction to the dressing, so she used a different cleaning solution and a hypoallergenic dressing. We thought the problem had been caught early enough, but throughout the next several days the rash and redness over her right arm worsened.
Kelsey woke up Wednesday morning with a massively swollen right arm covered in blisters and facial swelling. Our mom rushed her to MD Anderson ER where she was promptly triaged. All of the excitement got her heart racing which in turn made her higher acuity (anything over 100 is “abnormal”—her first recorded heart rate was 144!). The team in the ER was very concerned about the appearance of her arm. An ultrasound confirmed she had a large blood clot along the PICC line (this is very common) on top of cellulitis (a superficial skin infection) and an allergic reaction. Although Kelsey wanted to go home, her doctors admitted her to the hospital for IV antibiotics, blood thinners, and observation. Our mom was with her during the whole ER event but was not allowed to stay overnight. Luckily, she had a great team of nurses, friends, and of course the three of us that were checking on her constantly! Her stay was overall pleasant although she’d prefer not to do it again. Though they wanted to keep her through the weekend, she convinced them to let her go home after 36 hours. She transitioned to oral antibiotics and a blood thinner that she’ll have to take for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, her PICC line had to be removed, which means she’ll need another PICC the day of her last scheduled chemo (there is no way she’ll consider trying again with a normal IV after the extravasation issues). The plan moving forward is to let her arms rest for a few days, then have a new PICC placed in her other arm a few hours before the chemo infusion on Wednesday and removed as soon as it’s over. She is really excited for the day when she no longer need any needle sticks or IVs!
Her 4th chemo had to be postponed until next Wednesday due to the setbacks with infection. Kelsey’s white blood cell count was so low she needed a shot to ramp up her infection-fighting cells before she was discharged. Her team decided postponing her next chemo for a few more days would be best to give her a little more time to recover. She is a little disappointed about the delay, but welcomes the few extra days of feeling strong and resting at home without trips to the hospital. For those that know Kelsey well, you know she’s exceptionally resilient, and she’s itching to get back to her normal life after completing her treatments.
As for the arm swelling and redness, it’s improving, but it’s pretty inconvenient for her to have a bum right arm. No surprise to anyone, our mom has been incredible caring for Kelsey. I haven’t loved being in another city than my sister while she is going through treatment, but I finally made it to Houston after several weather delays to see her for a few days. We are looking forward to spending the weekend together!
Thank you to all who have continued to pray for, encourage, support, and love our family. We are grateful each day for all of the positive energy from around the world as our girl continues her fight against cancer.
With love,
Keely
