My PICC Line

It’s been 47 days since I went to the emergency room, 44 days since I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. There have been adjustments, giving up old habits and taking up new ones. Here’s five lifestyle adjustments underwent over the past month and few weeks.

1. The low microbial diet. The diet is the opposite of what you were told to eat growing up. Hold the fresh fruit and vegetables, pass the Yodels and Ring-Dings. Any food that hasn’t been processed, preserved, or cooked extra well is not to be ingested. With a suppressed immune system even the slightest bacterial  (or viral, or fungal)  presence can complicate my treatment exponentially. The first month post treatment was most difficult, but now I’ve eased into a routine—burning all the nutrients out of my eggs, drinking my herbal infused green tea with a Drake’s Coffee Cake, pushing aside frozen yogurt in favor of ice cream. People are right, dieting is brutal.

2.Exercise. Because my red blood cells and hemoglobin levels are low, my body does not oxygenate my muscles all that well. Long, heart pumping exercise sessions are a tough sell. I’ve also been advised by my doctor to avoid any activities that include the chance of contact, with platelet counts as terrible as mine, any bleeding becomes an emergency. Cross off pick-up basketball, and most any other sport. I was even told hitting the tennis ball with my mom down at the local courts would be an issue. Not that I ever play sports with my mother.

With the PICC Line inserted in my right arm anything weight bearing is no good either, including all body weight exercises. Repetitive arm motions are also out of the question, according to one of my nurses it causes irritation at the PICC’s point of entry. The PICC line means no swimming in the ocean, pool, lake any other body of water, including hot tubs. Water is a breeding ground for bacteria. No worries though I am allowed to shower on a (somewhat)regular basis, just have to wrap my arm in plastic Saran wrap and avoid direct water contact on the right arm. Unfortunately, it’s as challenging as it  sounds.

Between my diet and physical limitations it seems my doctors sat around a table devising a plan to see just how out-of-shape they could get a human. Despite their scheming, adjustments have been made. A friend gave me a yoga for beginners DVD. Truthfully I’m not entirely comfortable attempting the downward dog position yet, even if it’s in the privacy of my own space. Yoga is a odd thing because in no way is it manly, but in no way is it easy. Usually if something is blatantly non-manly, like arm wrestling a 6th grader, at least it’s easy—you’re guaranteed to look good; if not to fellow adults, than at least to the 6th graders. With yoga you need flexibility, not something I possess. It’s a half hour of me in barely flattering positions, unable to reach my toes and sweating profusely. When I finally do emerge from my room after lying on the floor gasping for air and stretching out muscle cramps, I still appear deathly exhausted. When my father asks me what I’ve been doing,  my physical appearance deserves a “oh, just wrestling a bear,” so saying ” yoga,” sucks.

3. Reduced public options…Like most 23 year olds, I like to go out and do things. Movies, bowling, karaoke bar, baseball games, whatever it’s just fun to be out with your friends having a good time. Over the past month movies have been a good way to get out of the house. On three separate occasions I’ve attended. Show times were 10:45am, 11:15am, and 2:55pm(I know this last one is pushing responsible, but you only live once). The early times are to avoid crowds and their germs, but honestly after recovery I’ll continue. Ticket prices are half what they are at later shows, and there is always a seat open directly in front of you to rest your feet on.

Any woman who can’t appreciate that deal and insists it’s an absolute case of being cheap, is someone I don’t want to spend time with anyway.

4. Maximum Precaution…Without much choice I’ve become a germ-a-phob. For some people this is probably a seamless transition. I’m not one of them. For my entire life if I wasn’t stealing sips from your drink, I was eating fries off your plate. It’s my belief, that we all need to embrace our likeness and forget about our differences, especially our germs. If your friend wants a bite of your burger let him have it, if I want a lick of your ice cream cone, so be it—it’s a beautiful thing. My spiritual views are on hold for now. No one can touch my food, and even more heinous I cannot touch theirs’.

Please note if you feel compelled to bring something by when you visit, hold off on the bottle of wine and instead grab the industrial size hand sanitizer.

5.No booze… I was told to abstain from alcohol after leaving the hospital, until hearing otherwise. My last drink was on June 28, 2009.  That’s seven weeks clean. This is starting to sound like an AA meeting. There are times I crave a beer, when it’s really hot or I’m watching the game on television. Sometimes I wonder if a month after treatment it would be  o.k. to  indulge, but for now I’ve held off on asking my doctor. With all the medications in my body stressing my organs, there is no need to add in another irritant. Pass the bottled water please.

Every Friday, I list five lessons, ideas, problems or anything else that I’ve experienced since being diagnosed with aplastic anemia. See others here.

photograph by D. McCarthy

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