Final Dressing Change and Blood Draw

I get the bandages on my Groshong catheter changed once a week to prevent infections. Even though it's been almost a year since the tube was first put in, the area still stings when the nurses use alcohol swabs to clean it. There are stitches that keep the tube in place which means the area still feels like an open wound.

(For patients reading this, I've learned that some hospitals, e.g. SF Kaiser, take out the stitches a few weeks after the catheter is placed, but other hospitals, e.g. Walnut Creek Kaiser, prefer to leave the stitches in until the catheter is removed. SF says that the stitches increase the risk of bacterial infections. WC says that the stitches ensure that the tube doesn't slip out. I opted to keep the stitches in even though the SF nurses have asked me numerous times to take the stitches out. I figure that I should just stick to the protocol at Walnut Creek since that's where I received chemo treatment. Geez, wouldn't it be nice if all of these Kaiser hospitals had the same protocols and procedures??)

I used to hate dressing changes because it would hurt when the bandages were being pulled off, but I'm used to it now and I usually peel off the bandages myself (it hurts less when you do it yourself). It still creeps me out to look at the tube dangling from my chest when the bandages are removed, but I've definitely gotten use to the sight.

I had my very last dressing change last Wednesday and I also got a blood test done just to make sure everything is normal because tomorrow I have an appointment with Surgery to remove the catheter. My white blood cells are going up to normal levels now (4.5 to be exact). I am very excited because it feels like the Groshong removal is the final part of my treatment.

The nurses at all of the infusion clinics (Walnut Creek, Martinez, San Francisco, and Fremont) have been so sweet, supportive, and accomodating. They always manage to squeeze me into their busy schedule. I'm going to miss coming to them for my weekly blood draws. Once I get the catheter removed I'll go to the injection clinic to get blood draws through my arms once a month. Unfortunately, I have small veins so they might have to prick me multiple times, but I think it's a fair price to pay to be able to take a regular shower and hit the pool again. Woo hoo!