IVAB's, Ports and a little update on moi...

I have spoken before about having IVAB's and my portacafe and always said i would explain what they were so i thought why im bored sat in hospital i would teach you all haha :)

A portacafe is made of metal and has a cork like center. It is a small dome shape that is inserted to my chest surgically, a wire comes off of the back of the which is fed through the soft tissues up to my neck where it then runs along side my artery ending near my heart.
None of this is visible to the eye as it is under the skin, all you can see are scars on my chest and neck where they make the incisions.
When i need IVAB's a needle is pushed through my skin in the softer part of the port where it meets the inside tube at the back of the port, this is when a tube that hangs outside my skin is visible. This 'outside tube' enables IVAB's to be administered straight in too my blood stream resulting in a much quicker delivery of drugs than if i was to swallow tablets, It combats the infection much quicker.
Ports are fitted in people who need extensive rounds of IVAB's. It eliminates the needs for cannula/venflons/long lines which are placed temporarily in a vein in the arm, if your veins are used to often they will collapse and no longer be any good or strong enough to have tubes placed in them.
Cf and cancer patients will often have ports as its a much longer term solution as ports last from around 5-10 years.
I am on my 3rd port. The first 2 lasted for about 8 years and im on my 4th year with this port and touch wood its still going strong :)

IVAB's or IV's are intravenous antibiotics, meaning antibiotics in to the vain, (through my port)
IV's are usually given as a general rule for 14 days however some people may have 10 day courses, but some people need much longer courses depending on the severity of infection. Unfortunately i fall in to this category and i often have a minimum of 3 weeks sometimes 4.
There is the option of doing home IV's bt you need to be trained on how to administer the drugs, now how to act in an emergency and most of all have the energy to take on the job as it takes a minimum of half an hour to administer 3-4 times a day. This is only an option if you are well enough to do yourself.
I am trained in home iv's but would usually come in to hospital for 2-3 weeks then when i feel better will finish the final week or 2 at home. IV's are very strong potent drugs and can often leave you feeling very tired as a side effect so this always has to be taken in to consideration.

The 1st dose of IVAB's will ALWAYS be given in hospital with your cf team as this is the highest risk time that you will have an allergic reaction to the medication, anything from a rash or sickness to a full blown Anaphalactic Shock, resulting in needing adrenalin injections, oxygen and blood pressure monitoring. Anaphalactic shock is very dangerous and can result in death if not treated. People have theses shocks to bee stings and peanuts most commonly and antibiotics are also a common cause of these shocks.
Luckily and i do mean luckily i have no drug allergies as if you shock to a drug you can not have it again, this is very difficult in cf as if this happens it narrows the essential medications you can have and there is smaller options of antibiotics available to you... so fingers crossed i keep my drug allergy's at zero :)

I am on day 7 now of my IVAB's and am feeling slight improvement. I had an exercise test yesterday. I can walk at normal speed for 6 minutes before my heart rate reached 140 beats per minute. Most people wouldn't reach this level until they had run at speed for 10-15 minutes. With a heart rate of 140 i was advised to sit down as anything over 130 is classed as training at intensity, although it worried me that i cant walk far i did have to laugh that atfer a 6 minute walk i had to sit down when most people can walk for hours without even reaching 100 beats p/m. My little walk had the same effect on my body as an athlete training :/ My poor little lungs :(
But with my lungs functioning at only 32% what did i expect the results to be?

I am meeting again with my consultant on Monday to discuss 'options' for my health and how to maintain it. I cant afford to lose much more lung function or my life will be limited even more than what it is....
So for now im concentrating on physio so i can walk for 10 minutes (that's my aim) and of course to get out of here for Christmas

Oh and just quickly my carbon dioxide test came back as normal yipeeeeeeee!!! But my overnight oxygen levels need to be repeated as i was awake most of the night so they didn't actually get readings of me being asleep, whoopsie! So that will be done tomorrow night...and i have gained another 3 pound so im happy today
Of to walk the corridors now lets aim for 7 minutes.......x