Well going to have my chest port put back in on Monday for my IV drugs. Then we get to see how long the insurance company will pay for them, then at least we found a place that will do it without insurance for $300 a week instead of $4,000 a week (they do it to help the Lymes patients that the insurance company screws). So I went for a hack on a student’s pony for my last ride for at least 6 months:( But here is to hoping that this will clear up the darn lymes. Cross your fingers people. At least after a few weeks off to let the swelling in the area go down I can go back to at least kinda teaching on my good days, that is.
Good Luck!
Good luck, Gallantquest!
You may have already looked at this group, but it may be very useful.
I wrote about it in the regular lymes thread. It is state of the art info.
I hope you feel better soon and are back on your horse.
Thoughts and prayers for you on Monday ~ wishing Good Luck for this to clear up the lymes. Hope you recover quickly and are riding again sooner than 6 months. Jingles & AO Always Optimistic !
Thanks both of you. Yup looked at that site. My husband looks at TONS of lymes sites. He is great. I got sick when we started dating, and he has been with me thru this whole thing from start to what we are both hoping is the end (of the lymes that is!)
ZuZu- I am hoping that too. As long as I am doing ok, I might hop on my friends dead broke horse (or the dead broke pony I found for my student) just for a hack. But the doctor said I had to be very careful (once again since he went thru this with me last time lol) that if I fell or something off the horse it could break the port which is very bad.
Jingling everything that this time does the trick!
Jingles from CT, Hope this round will clear up the dreaded Lyme…I’m going to the Dr. next week for some tests…Feeling very achy and draggy again…Grrrr…
Thanks everyone.
spurgirl- I hope your tests go well. I know the feeling. You don’t know how glad (in a sad way) I was that there were other horse people to understand what I am going thru.
I had a port for about 8 months and nobody said anything about not riding. Port surgery was uneventful, but I think I overdid something the first couple days and it was really sore.
Best of luck to you.
Hummm…went through two months of IV antibiotics last year for a bone
infection in foot. Had a pic line inserted in my left arm. Limited to lifting
10 pounds with that arm. Wasn’t riding due to wearing a big surgical boot
during that time so didn’t ask about riding…did ask about going to the gun
range and got a big, fat NO on that.
Here’s hoping Mr. Lyme goes down in defeat forever!
I’m presuming it’s a Hickman Line that you’re having?
If so I had one direct into my heart and for about 18 months.
Good luck with the procedure… I had mine done under heavy sedation and found it quite a pleasant procedure! Slept throughout it and was o.k. and up and about once I woke up! Certainly no swelling nor pain at all.
I think that is what it is called. All I know (and remember from the last time) is that the port is placed under the skin, then a small tube goes down one of the major arteries. You can see the bump under the skin where the port is, then a special needle is used to access the port and that stays in for a week then has to be changed once a week. At the end of the needle is iv type tube that the med syringes screw into. I don’t remember anything about my surgery last time, though I did get told I was giving a riding lesson under sedation lol
Mine had quite a bit of swelling and pain, but that was due to the amount of meds that were being pushed into it right away.
They did an ultrasound of my chest/clavical area to see if there was to much scarring in the same vein they used or if they would have to go on the other side thru another one. I am hoping even though it will hurt more going thru all the scar tissue (the area still hurts a bit from the muscle they took out to place the port and the muscle they did a biopsy on after words) but I really don’t want it to be on my right side as I am right handed.
Thomas- Did they tell you to not ride? Or atleast don’t do things that might end up with the port taking a heavy blow to your chest?
[QUOTE=GaellentQuest;4742311]
Mine had quite a bit of swelling and pain, but that was due to the amount of meds that were being pushed into it right away.
They did an ultrasound of my chest/clavical area to see if there was to much scarring in the same vein they used or if they would have to go on the other side thru another one. I am hoping even though it will hurt more going thru all the scar tissue (the area still hurts a bit from the muscle they took out to place the port and the muscle they did a biopsy on after words) but I really don’t want it to be on my right side as I am right handed.
Thomas- Did they tell you to not ride? Or atleast don’t do things that might end up with the port taking a heavy blow to your chest?[/QUOTE]
How odd.
I’ve had this procedure. No muscle was removed to place the port. There was no scarring in the vein.
Pretty much painless, port was used three days after being placed, no discomfort.
There was some discomfort the day I had the procedure and some again when the port was removed. I was advised to be careful for a few days after it was placed.
I don’t believe I’d have a port again due to the risk of blood clots.
Since you referenced that the port is on the chest and they are worried about a direct blow to the chest- how about wearing an eventing vest with the air one over it? Might be too expensive to bother with for only 6 months.
Good luck with the treatment.
Lyme is nasty.
[QUOTE=S A McKee;4742614]
How odd.
I’ve had this procedure. No muscle was removed to place the port. There was no scarring in the vein.
Pretty much painless, port was used three days after being placed, no discomfort.
There was some discomfort the day I had the procedure and some again when the port was removed. I was advised to be careful for a few days after it was placed.
I don’t believe I’d have a port again due to the risk of blood clots.[/QUOTE]
Not much was removed, it was just do to the fact that there was to much muscle there and with the port placed the skin wouldn’t ‘stretch’ enough. Then they did the biopsy of some of it to make sure no infection after words.
My port was used the day of being placed, and a TON of meds were put in. That is one of the reasons for it hurting so much they said. I got the no lifting anything over 5lbs for a week speach from them last time. After a week of not doing much I started to do minimal things. I did ride a couple of quite horses with it in. But thoses were all sold this last year.
I have two friends who have dead broke slow movign horses for when I need my riding fix:D
I think the vest might hurt if I put it on. I had to sleep on my back or side because if I laid on my stomach the pressure was to painful in that area, which sucks since I am a stomach sleeper:)
Thanks for all the support guys. I am hoping that this will be the last time I have to do this. But at least I have a student riding the 2 stallions that are left at the stable, only own a 2yr at the moment so him sitting won’t bother me, and will be spending most of the summer puting in a XC course at one stable and getting the stable that we are doing a caretaker position at looking like a show stable again all summer, oh and painting jumps! So even though I won’t be riding I will keep as busy as my health (and husband:lol:) will let me.
Hoping all goes well for you and you kick that nasty Lymes in the butt!!!
[QUOTE=Thomas_1;4741959]
I’m presuming it’s a Hickman Line that you’re having?
If so I had one direct into my heart and for about 18 months.
Good luck with the procedure… I had mine done under heavy sedation and found it quite a pleasant procedure! Slept throughout it and was o.k. and up and about once I woke up! Certainly no swelling nor pain at all.[/QUOTE]
Me too. I actually was awake enough to watch on the tv they used to guide the line in but out of it enough to actually not feel it. I had mine for dialysis.
I rode with mine but they were not thrilled with the idea. I never got the “absolutely not” but I did get the warnings about getting to the er immediately if it got pulled out, etc.
I was sore that evening but I dont remember the soreness lasting much longer. What bothered me the most was feeling the tube shift around until it molds to the shape of you (they say it warms and molds to you).
I had an aquaintance who was on dialysis using this type of line (as oposed to a fistula) for over a year and she rode and did barn work every day without incedent.
Best of luck and post back to let us know how it went.
I’m just getting ready to leave for the hospital in an hour. My apt is at 10:30 but it is an hour drive. Can’t wait to get this over with. I am sooo thirsty, this whole no drinking after midnight does not work for me! Eating fine. Drinking? NO! Give me my tea!
Hope to start with some lessons by next week again, cross your fingers : )
Jingles for you today * Jingle Jingle Jingle & AO ~ AO ~ AO ~ Always Optimitsic !
JINGLES ! lots of positive thoughts that all goes smoothly and you are up and at 'em asap !
Thanks everyone! And nope Thomas didn’t get a hicman line. I just got home from the surgery. Am pretty tired and a little loopy from the pain pills lol so this will be short. Surgery went well. I now have a power port installed between my shoulderbone and chest muscle, then the home nurse comes and puts the needle in that stays in for a week while I put the IV drugs in. Am pretty sore so now taking another pill, sincce it has been 5 hrs since last, plus the car ride. Talk to everyone soon, but going to pass out now lol
