My first home health experience...

No sooner had we walked through the door from the neurologist yesterday than we heard a knock at the door.  It was a pretty large delivery of medical supplies and refrigerated IV steroids.

I then got a call from a home health company that told me they would be sending a nurse today to get me hooked up with an IV and started on the medication. The irony of all this is that my hubby actually does home health, (for physical therapy patients), so it made me smile a bit thinking that I was stepping in to a little bit of his world.

The nurse that came to train me was in a word, adorable.  I would say that one of the most important qualities a home health professional can have is a sweet, compassionate personality.  In my case I felt nervous, unsure, and sick to my stomach, and her communication with me and how comfortable she made me feel during the visit was what made all the difference in the world.  (I can now totally see why my hubby is so dang good at his job and why his "patients" love him so much.)  The knowledge the person has is a huge part of it, but the persons behavior, disposition and character is what ultimately puts the patient, in this case me, at ease.

I had originally thought that I was going to have a nurse come twice a day to administer the steroids, so when I found out I was going to have an IV in me for three days and do it myself, I was less than enthusiastic about it. However, by the time she was done with me, I was sure I was going to be able to survive the experience, even with a needle sitting stuck in my arm for a few days.

Mike wasn't home when the nurse came, but luckily Dee was.  (Well lucky for me, she didn't think it was so lucky.)  So Dee was the one that the nurse trained and had administer the first dose.  She taught us the acronym:  SASH.  Saline, Administer, Saline, Heparin.

First we injected 5 ml of saline in to the IV, then we hooked up the medication (Solu-Medrol) which took 30 minutes to administer, then another 5 ml of saline, then 3 ml of Heparin.

I was so impressed with Dee.  Though she initially gave me a bit of a blank stare when I asked her to come learn how to do it, she didn't complain at all, she put on a brave face, and she did the whole thing with the nurse watching.  I continue to be humbled by how wonderful and patient with me my family are right now.  I just love them so much.

So I have to do this every 12-13 hours for 6 doses.  Since this one was at 3pm, the next one can be no later than 4am tomorrow morning, so it will definitely be an early morning for me before work, but hey-ho.  If this helps give me feeling back in my arm and hand or helps me to feel better in any way, it will be worth it. :)