Infected Central Line , High Fever - Lost Wedding Band and a "Quicky" Remarriage.

Infected Central Line -- yowww.

The "Hickman" line inserted 16" up a vein in Bonnie's chest had become sufficiently red and swollen with an infection, that the Doctors ordered that it be pulled out.

This is tricky on three counts: 

Bonnie needs a port into a large vein or she will have to be subjected to a fresh needle insertion in her arms or legs every four hours for the nearly endless infusions of anti-biotics, anti-virals, anti-fungals and for all blood draws over the next month.  If you do not like the blood draw done at your annual physical, imagine such a needle stick every four hours, and drip lines running for hours into such needles.   So, if Bonnie does not have a Central Line, the next thirty days would be come a series of "stick, stick, stick, Oh sorry to awaken you, stick, stick etc."

Bonnie can not have a new central line inserted into her arm or leg unless she is without fever for fear of compounding an infection: she is severely neutropenic (ie. without white blood cells or neutrophils to fight infections).   

Inserting and removing central lines involves small surgeries that impact veins that go straight to the heart and thus require great care and skill to keep the operating theater sterile and the proceedure quick.  If it can be done in Bonnie's room this saves her from being exposed to hospital halls, and elevators which are hostile environments for folks without immune systems.   

A highly skilled nurse practitioner and surgical assistant came to Bonnie's room yesterday and were able to accomplish the surgery without needing to move Bonnie to radiological surgery. 

We were very fortunate because within a few hours Bonnie began to run a fevcr of 102.6 which would have prevented her from having the PIC line installed. 

Her fever has not dropped with doses of Tylenol or the infusion of a second intravenous anti-biotic.  It is best to watch the top right hand corner of this weblog and call Bonnie only when she has fevers below 101, as she needs her rest when her fevers are over 101. 

Looks like we got the new PIC line (Perphierally Inserted Central line) installed just in time.  We thank God for small mercies. 

Now on to how I lost my wedding band and our "quicky" remarriage...

Bonnie was sufficiently weak that she asked me to help her out of bed and to the bathroom.  She wobbled when she walked.  Days 8 - 18 in Chemotherapy and it's aftermath seem to constitute the ebb tide. 

I cleaned up Bonnie's bedside tray so only fresh food was available to her.  Getting adequate nourishment now is an issue as chemo tends to make one very quesy.  Anyway, I try to keep her tray looking appetizing.  Then I went to wash my hands for the 8th time in 90 minutes.   

My ring finger was getting a rash from soap caught under it, so I took off my wedding band for the first time in months to remove the soap.  I carefully put the band down on the sink counter while I washed and dried a spoon for Bonnie's tea.  As I was drying my wedding ring, Bonnie needed help to return to bed and her new food tray arrived. 

By the time I had Bonnie back in bed and the new food tray on the sink counter my wedding ring had vanished.  I looked everywhere on the counter, on the floor, on the new food tray, under the food tray.  The sink has a stainless steel perforated plate covering the drain which would prevent the ring from going down. 

I went through the top of the garbage and unwrapped each of the hand towels I had used to wash the spoon and ring and my hands for the last day.  Nothing.  Bonnie watched me become more determined to find the band. 

I put on surgical gloves and one by one, I transfered each item from the garbage container into a hazardous waste basket.  Soon I was tranferring all of the wrappers from the surgical dressings for Bonnie's PIC line, and day old paper towels, apple cores, banana peels etc. one by one, until I reached the bottom of the clear plastic garbage bag liner.  No wedding band. 

I looked carefully in the folds of the bottom of the gusseted garbage bag and there was my wedding band hidden in a side fold at the bottom of the bag.

I washed off my wedding band, removed the surgical gloves, and washed my hands and forearms for a few minutes - the 9th time in 120 minutes. 

Bonnie asked me to put her wedding band back on her hand, as she had taken it off while her hands were swelling with the Chemotherapy drugs. 

I ceremonally washed and rinsed our wedding bands so the engraved hebrew letters from the Song of Solomon were clean of all past dust.  When they were bright and dry we exchanged shortened wedding vows. 

As Bonnie put my wedding band back on my hand, "with this ring I do wed, and promise to love you forever, and ever and ever, no matter what."

I put Bonnie's wedding band back on her hand and said "Bonnie, as you can see I will go through any amount of garbage to stay married to you.  I love you now and forever". 

You are now our witnesses to our fourth exchange of vows.  Not exactly cannonical wedding vows, but appropriate to the time and place. 

When it comes to getting married, and exchanging vows, it seems things improve with practice.

Thanks for being our friends and family and witnessing our exchange of wedding vows, again.

as ever  /Daniel for BanD.

Comments

[Chris Wendell]

Hi Bonnie and Daniel,

What a frustating experience searching for that wedding ring! But how wonderful to be able to renew your vows again. You know, as an unmarried person, it is quite incredible to see (and read about) how you continue to live your vows to each other "in sickness and in health". I have had, and continue to have, a deep respect for the support you both seem to be able to show to each other over the course of this long journey. I imagine it is never perfect, but what effort you both make for each other! It's very inspiring...

Glad to hear you got the PIC replaced. As always, you are both in my thoughts and prayers. Good luck with the fever this weekend.

Yours,
Chris

[Ken Ireland]

As a previous witness to one of the previous 'remarriage' ceremonies in Palo Alto, I am honored and moved to read your account Daniel. The love that you two demonstrate is remarkable and monving, and where it shines for me is in the deeds not just the words. Ken

[Ken Ireland]

As a witness to one of the previous 'remarriage' ceremonies in Palo Alto, I am honored and moved to read your account, Daniel. The love that you two demonstrate is remarkable, and where it shines for me is in the deeds, not just the words (thought your account is pretty damn good writing).

Mazl-tov

Ken

[Sue Crommelin]

Happy Father's Day to you Daniel. I want to say to you, a nurturing male, how much I appreciate your nurture of Bonnie. I appreciated the quiet yesterday in the between of our conversations, the three of us resting on your comfortable sofas in your wonderfully air conditioned *living* room.
May you have a joyous and peaceful day to day, Bonnie, with the fathers Ryan and Daniel, in your life in Boston.And may you have a healing time "fathering" or strawbossing the renovation of the Texas rental house.
Love,
Sue

[Terri Helmick]

Hello Bonnie. I just happened along your blog looking up signs and effects of central line infections. I have a daughter that nearly died at birth and then about a month ago dur to her birth defect called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. She is now home on TPN and her tummy is still open due to severe abdominal surgery. Anyway I wanted you to know that I care about what you are facing and you are not alone. May God give you the courage, as He has our family, to live ech day to the fullest.

Congratulations of getting the ring back on your finger!

~Terri L. Helmick
http://avaslifewithcdh.blogspot.com

[Tungsten wedding ring]

Hi Bonnie!

Its a very inspiring story! I love it. i enjoyed reading it. thanks for sharing.

-jewel-