So in facing this last minute decision at about noon, I began to get really nervous. The sick to your stomach kind of nervous. I'm not sure I've ever been nervous enough to feel that way. I was not looking forward to doing the injections for the first time. At about twelve thirty, in preparation, I put the numbing cream on each of Angel's three ports and did my best to monitor them every 15 minutes or so. If she rubbed some off, I applied some more. My goal was to do the injections once she fell asleep at nap time, about an hour later.
I then prepared all the supplies we would need and told Michiael how I would need him to help. So for each port I need an alcohol pad, a cleansing swab, a needle a syringe and a gause pad or two.
After 45 minutes of the numbing cream in place, we did our snuggling on the couch and though it seemed to take a while, she finally fell asleep. Michiael and I went into action, he handed me an alcohol swab, I wiped the port clean. He gave me the hand sanitizer to clean my hands and then the additional swab to be sure the port was clean. Then it was time to insert the needle and inject the saline, first one went without a hitch. Second one went as planned too, yay! Then came the third one, the one I was afraid may not work because she had been laying on it and possibly wiped the numbing cream off. I did all the cleaning of the port and when I went to stick in the needle she must have felt enough of something that it woke her up - mission aborted - ugh. Now we'll have to start all over with that one.
Since I figured she must have felt something I went ahead and applied more numbing cream and we altered her napping position on my lap so she wouldn't lay on that port again. During this time I had Michiael get me a clean needle since I couldn't reuse the one I began to prick her with, and additional port cleaning supplies. (He's going to be a pro at this by the time we are finished with all these procedures, what a trooper he is to help out). I had him put the "sanitary surface" (a cutting board I sanitized) next to me on the couch so when she fell asleep I could do it all without interrupting his "computer time" again. Well after a half an hour she still hadn't fallen asleep, I think she was on "alert" so I decided to just do it while she was awake and get it over with. So I proceeded with the cleansing procedures, which didn't bother her, and then stuck the needle in. She then began to cry and try to grab the needle, luckily in the position I had her I could restrict her arms, I'm not sure it hurt but I'm sure she still felt some sort of a sensation. Once the needle was in place she was fine and we got the injection finished and needle out. Then I was able to breath a big sigh of relief that round one, on my own, was complete.
I have decided that next time I will go ahead and do that port before she goes down for a nap and then attempt the other two, that she slept through, once she is sleeping. It's all trial and error at this point. I'm trying to make this easiest on the both of us, just praying it goes better next week.
Here is the progress we made and where we stand:
In her forehead I injected 10 cc’s which puts her at 43 total. (250 cc's is our goal)
In her neck I injected 15 cc’s which puts her at 55 total. (250 cc's is our goal)
In her cheek I injected 4 cc’s which puts her at 14 total. (70 cc's is our goal)
So here is after the first injections last week...
This is after today's injections, not a big difference, so don't feel bad if you don't really notice much change. And this was right after her nap, which is why she looks "not so happy".
2 comments:
Way to go Tracy and Michiael! I can only imagine how nervous you must of been. Hopefully each and every time you do it, it will get a little easier.
Atta girl Angel!! Glad to see her doing so well.
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