Mrs.D. Here is what I did!!! Last night I wrote the following note to Frank, the paramedic who does all blood work or Dr. Fred:

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Frank:

Alan had an IVIG infusion yesterday. Date of infusion 5/22/07

I took the bag of GAMMIMUNE out of my fridge 1 hour before the infusion. I have been told to do this. As I already had the IV pole set up in the living room, I simply hung up the bag on the pole. THERE WAS NO LEAK.

When the visiting nurse came to our home, she opened a pack of fresh tubing and she attempted to connect everything. She then said “Oh there’s a leak”. There was no leak when I hung the bag on the pole.

So she tried to tape around the connectors. Did not help. Still a small leak.

Then she went out to her car and got a bag of Saline.

She emptied the bag (via long plastic tubing), into the sink. And she then took a large hypo syringe thing and transferred the Gamma stuff into the empty saline bag.

All the while, she wore gloves.

The people on the neuropathy board told me to give Dr. Fred the two bags and tell him what happened. They are afraid of contamination.

How do we check for this??


Melody ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, Mrs. D. because of what you said, I kept the bags in the fridge. I just gave Alan the note to give to Frank, so Dr. Fred could see it, know what happened, and they can put the note in his file. Better safe than sorry right, and now we have it on the record.

The only side effect of this infusion was that he was exhausted when he went to bed. This happened during his first infusion in he hospital but they said that was normal, (to get a little headache and they gave him tylenol).

Last night his toes were driving him crazy and by 1 a.m. he still could no sleep so I gave him a benedryl. It did the trick. He seems fine this morning, just a little tired.

Now this was his 8th and 9th infusion and he took the benedry and two tylenols 30 minutes before each infusion.

The ONLY DIFFERENCE (other than the hole thing) in yesterday's infusion, was that she did it in 3 hours, explaining that 3 hours was fine (like they all say) and of course we said 'but he's supposed to get 4 hours) and she went into her spiel about 10 grams per hour so he got 30 grams so 3 hours is perfectly fine.

Now what exactly am I supposed to look for if he does indeed get an infection.
I would think fever, chills, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO LOOK FOR.

Does it hit you like a ton of bricks, do I see any visible signs.

Please let me know so I can keep a watchful eye.

And do you think I should call up Marathon Visiting Nurse Service today (the contact person there and myself have a very good relationship. WE speak to each other about when the nurse is supposed to show up, etc. She is wonderful and she calls me Miss Melody and we laugh. So she's easy to talk to.
Do I tell her what happened (just the facts), or do I said "this nurse should NEVER HAVE DONE WHAT SHE DID, SHE PUT MY HUSBAND AT RISK. BLAH BLAH, or do I say "I would just like to tell you what happened. There was a hole in the Gamma bag and she did an amazing job of transferring the gamma from one bag to another." See, this tells her what the nurse did, without ME GOING ALL JUDGMENTAL ON THE PHONE.

I don't want any problems. with this nurse. We won't be having her again, so can I just calmly explain the facts and say "we were amazed that she was able to rig up a transfer so Alan got the infusion"

See, I know how to talk to people, it's all in how you deliver the information. No ranting, no raving, just simply stating facts. I learned that from my father and I've used this method all my life. If you don't yell your information, the other side listens better.

I know you understand what I am saying.

Let me know, okay??

And thanks much.

P.S. Because there was no hole when I hung up the bag on the IV pole, do you think the nurse accidentally punctured the bag. She really used all sanitary protocol during the whole transfer.
And isn't MRSA in hospitals? How can it get into Alan, if the bag wasn't leaking when I took it out of the fridge?

Melody