Quote for October

A Prayer for the Ephesians Eph. 3:14-21

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.


Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!


Saturday, November 24, 2012

Octreotide has to be Mixed and Given Correctly

10-11-12

I went to the Infusion Center for my Octreotide shot today. I go in every two weeks to get an injection of 20mg of a long-acting shot of Octreotide, but today I went in with my husband driving and me leaning on my walker. I usually drive myself in, and I might use a cane just to help me traverse the large, open spaces more securely. I rarely use a walker.

Between September 27 and November 21 of 2012, I learned two things are very important in getting good treatment in the infusion center:
(1.) I need a medical assistant who understand that my vitals need to be taken promptly after I arrive. Then the order needs to be faxed to the pharmacy as soon as possible.
(2.) Also, an RN needs to be ready to give the injection as soon as it arrives. Sometimes this is facilitated by having a terrific medical assistant who has an RN ready when the Octreotide arrives.

On September 27, the lovely assistant Juliana was not working when I got to the Infusion Center. I had arrived when she was at lunch. The Center was busy, so I didn't protest when I sat there over 30 minutes without having my bp, pulse, etc. checked.

Then a medical assistant I had never seen before was standing in the doorway shaking my syringe back and forth!

I said, "My shot is here, and you haven't even taken my vitals yet!?"

She didn't seem to know anything about taking my vitals...

To make a long story short, I got sick before the next injection because the medication was delayed about 10 minutes after the pharmacy technician arrived with the shot. The "sickness" is an unusual weakness that began on Monday and lasted until Friday. I could not do my usual chores. My husband drove me to the grocery store and I walked around using my walker to lean on and to hold a few groceries. At one point I was so weak that my arms could not hold on to a jar of jam, and I asked my spouse to put it in the grocery cart.

Continuing this on November 24, 2012: the next three treatments were completely different. Juliana and Ermalinda teamed up to make sure my shots were given exactly as they should be done. Juliana would get my vitals in 10 or 15 minutes after I arrived; the order was faxed to the pharmacy; the injection was given about two minutes after it arrived, and I was out of there in 45 minutes.

So, getting a couple staff members on your side is very helpful.

I hope you are well. In the USA we are approaching winter and the Holiday Season. To my friends in Australia I hope your Christmas is great and your BBQ is delicious. Happy days!

Sharon

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