Guest guest Posted August 6, 2005 Report Share Posted August 6, 2005 Thanks for asking, Ann-Marie. Right now we are using the Zevex pump at night for formula, but have put the daytime fluid drip on hold until I recover from a crash and get back to baseline. Meanwhile, my PCP suggested a small fluid bolus a couple of times a day which I am doing. I'm hoping maybe by next week I can try the daytime drips again for a few hours a day. I learned the hard way I can't pull anything on wheels around the house all day. My little sportpack worn as a shoulder bag is still the best bet. Nothing else comes close to working. My PCP didn't have any brilliant ideas either. :-) The clear stick-on " bumps " on the buttons that Kristie suggested did help with pushing and holding the buttons. Sometimes in the night I still can't get them to work, but I can more often. Yes, the prime button is a real pain on the Zevex too and we don't use it at all for that reason, but prime by gravity. It's much faster and easier. It would take at least 2 minutes of holding the prime button to complete the priming! Ridiculous! Yeah, I was catching the tubing in the wheels of the little sachel I was pulling around....not good. Wearing the sportpack the tubing is shorter and there is no danger of stepping on it, thank goodness. My Mic-Key J-tube is sutured internally, so it won't pull out easily, but sure hurts if it gets yanked! I hope your surgery gets going soon and that the TPN does good stuff for you. Hugs, Barbara > Zevex Pump/ Barbara > > > Hi Barbara, > > How are you doing with the new zevex pump that you got? Were you able to > come up with new ideas to help you prime the pump and the other things that > were difficult for you to do? > > I have a CADD Prism pump for my TPN and it is very hard for me to prime the > pump b/c I have to hold the YES button done until it is primed and the > length of the tube is long and is even longer now that I added the curly > tube. I had to add the curly tube b/c I was stepping on the straight tubing > and pulling my PICC out of my arm. OUCH!!! <:-| <:-| > > I hope that you were able to get the pump to work for you. Have a great > weekend. > > Hugs, > Ann-Marie > > > -- > No virus found in this outgoing message. > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.10.1/64 - Release Date: 8/4/2005 > > > > > > > Medical advice, information, opinions, data and statements contained herein are > not necessarily those of the list moderators. The author of this e mail is entirely > responsible for its content. List members are reminded of their responsibility to > evaluate the content of the postings and consult with their physicians regarding > changes in their own treatment. > > Personal attacks are not permitted on the list and anyone who sends one is > automatically moderated or removed depending on the severity of the attack. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 7, 2005 Report Share Posted August 7, 2005 Hi Barbara, Sorry to hear you are in a crash right now. I hope you recover from it soon. It is very hard wheeling around an extra suitcase all day long, it doesn't seem like it would until you actually have to do it. Of course it all depends on how much walking and moving around you do all day. I am so glad that the buttons that Kristie suggested are helping some. I know that when I have to prime my pump it takes some time and really does hurt your fingers and finger tips. My finger gets cramped and I have to pull it apart so it goes back to normal. LOL Well, I have just noticed that my one stitch on the one side of the PICC line is completely out, which means i will have to go to the ER tomorrow and have it re-stitched. I am such a wimp, so this will be a big ordeal for me. :-( I know it is from all the times that I stepped on the line while walking around the house. I gave myself plenty of line but I still kept stepping on it and if I put the bag down and walked a bit, I always walked too far and pulled the line really hard. I thought I had more line left and walk too far. I am having a major problem with the backpacks b/c I am so small and weigh so little that the weight of the fluids, and pump inside the pack is too heavy for me to carry very far. I hope I can come up with a solution soon.!! As far as my surgery goes, I was given the okay to get it done about a week or so before I left to get my PICC line. I am going to wait a bit until the TPN takes hold and can hopefully build me up a bit and put some weight on my little body. I would think that the end of August or the beginning of Sept. would be about right. Waiting for one of my doctors to come back from vacation. Thanks for asking!!! Hugs, Ann-Marie At 09:38 PM 8/6/2005, you wrote: >Thanks for asking, Ann-Marie. Right now we are using the Zevex pump at night >for formula, but have put the daytime fluid drip on hold until I recover >from a crash and get back to baseline. Meanwhile, my PCP suggested a small >fluid bolus a couple of times a day which I am doing. I'm hoping maybe by >next week I can try the daytime drips again for a few hours a day. I learned >the hard way I can't pull anything on wheels around the house all day. My >little sportpack worn as a shoulder bag is still the best bet. Nothing else >comes close to working. My PCP didn't have any brilliant ideas either. :-) >The clear stick-on " bumps " on the buttons that Kristie suggested did help >with pushing and holding the buttons. Sometimes in the night I still can't >get them to work, but I can more often. Yes, the prime button is a real pain >on the Zevex too and we don't use it at all for that reason, but prime by >gravity. It's much faster and easier. It would take at least 2 minutes of >holding the prime button to complete the priming! Ridiculous! Yeah, I was >catching the tubing in the wheels of the little sachel I was pulling >around....not good. Wearing the sportpack the tubing is shorter and there is >no danger of stepping on it, thank goodness. My Mic-Key J-tube is sutured >internally, so it won't pull out easily, but sure hurts if it gets yanked! > >I hope your surgery gets going soon and that the TPN does good stuff for >you. > >Hugs, >Barbara > > > Zevex Pump/ Barbara > > > > > > Hi Barbara, > > > > How are you doing with the new zevex pump that you got? Were you able to > > come up with new ideas to help you prime the pump and the other things >that > > were difficult for you to do? > > > > I have a CADD Prism pump for my TPN and it is very hard for me to prime >the > > pump b/c I have to hold the YES button done until it is primed and the > > length of the tube is long and is even longer now that I added the curly > > tube. I had to add the curly tube b/c I was stepping on the straight >tubing > > and pulling my PICC out of my arm. OUCH!!! <:-| <:-| > > > > I hope that you were able to get the pump to work for you. Have a great > > weekend. > > > > Hugs, > > Ann-Marie > > > > > > -- > > No virus found in this outgoing message. > > Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. > > Version: 7.0.338 / Virus Database: 267.10.1/64 - Release Date: 8/4/2005 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Medical advice, information, opinions, data and statements contained >herein are > > not necessarily those of the list moderators. The author of this e mail is >entirely > > responsible for its content. List members are reminded of their >responsibility to > > evaluate the content of the postings and consult with their physicians >regarding > > changes in their own treatment. > > > > Personal attacks are not permitted on the list and anyone who sends one is > > automatically moderated or removed depending on the severity of the >attack. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 8, 2005 Report Share Posted August 8, 2005 Re backpacks, I don't know if it would help you, but for Zevex they offer an itsy bitsy sportpack, about half the size of their regular backpack, and it holds the pump and a baby-sized 500ml bag. All total 3 lbs but still feels like a pile of bricks to me. No way I could carry a 1000ml or 1200ml bag along with pump and that big backpack. Funny how it is usually we skinny weaklings who need to carry them. I know you are using a different brand pump, but I wonder if yours offers some alternatives? We only found out about the sportpack by looking online at the Zevex site. No one else had heard of it or used it. We bought it directly from the company. Take care, Barbara > RE: Zevex Pump/ Barbara > > > I am having a major problem with the backpacks b/c I am so small and weigh > so little that the weight of the fluids, and pump inside the pack is too > heavy for me to carry very far. I hope I can come up with a solution soon.!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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