Let’s Play Doctor

I never updated you about my PICC line.  The bout with Dave’s Radiation and then my Swine Flu/Port Infection/Surgery/Gaping Hole In My Chest/PICC Line Insertion/ all within 6 weeks kind of took over and I got behind on posts.

Anyway, they removed the PICC line and I have been antibiotic free for about 2 months.  I hit a pretty big brick wall after the port infection.  One day I drove myself to the hospital and literally the next day I couldn’t get down the stairs by myself.   But, I seem to have halted the downward spiral and started to slowly reverse it.  I am now working on rebuilding my body.

The PICC line removal was easy.  Basically, it is there one minute and gone the next.  The nurse gave the catheter a gentle pull and out it came– it is weird to think of a tube going up your inner arm, in front of your shoulder, and down to your heart.  It is somehow even more strange to have it removed in a matter of seconds.

This pic is before removal.

This is during removal.

This is when it is almost out.  You can see the tubing hanging down the side in this pic.  All that tubing (and more) used to be threaded up my vein into my arm. shoulder, and chest.

The strangest part of the experience however, was not having a Roto-rooter removed from my body, but rather observing the decor in the medical tower’s lobby.

When you think of a doctor’s office, you generally think of conservative white or light beige walls, some nice indoor plants in the corner, and some “pleather” chairs, right?  Maybe a decorative fountain if it is a fancy place.

This particular medical building was certainly different.  There were huge murals painted on each wall of the main entrance.

I don’t mean to say these murals aren’t intriguing or thought inspiring, but I thought they might be more appropriate in a gay bar, rather than a doctor’s office.  I looked at each portion of the murals and tried to make them reconcile with medical care in some way.

For example, I am guessing these guys represent the four elements:  Earth, Wind, Fire and Water.  Personally, I think it looks like they are trying to do the homo hokey pokey.   Just sayin’.

But, what do naked soldiers with mohawks and pink pony-tails have to do with medical treatment? And why were the two guys at the bottom running around naked during an apparent enemy attack?  And we think our soldiers have a shortage of protective gear.

And, I am concerned about this naked “Tai Chi” guy.  After this pose, should he get an appointment with a Proctologist or a Podiatrist?