I know at the beginning of 2021, I noted how I had become accustomed to indwelling catheters because of baby veins and the remedy for baby veins but I failed to give instances of what had transpired to the need for these indwelling catheters. Funny enough, I seem to be going through the same issue all over again, so here’s my story.

Exactly five years ago, as I had noted in one of my previous posts, my general physician had suggested to my folks the need for me to have an exchange blood transfusion which she deduced could reduce the frequency of the amnesia I was experiencing. I remember vividly objecting to this procedure and really wish I had put my foot down. Reason being that my pcv / blood count had been stable over the years and I had only undergone one transfusion in my entire lifetime.

Anyhow, I agreed to the procedure after a detailed explanation from the physician but since then I’ve had nothing but a series of exchange transfusions and top-up transfusions. It’s been an unending journey of pain especially because I have baby veins and the only way they can perform the procedure is to bore a catheter into a large blood vessel. I’ve had this catheter placed in several parts of my body from my upper thigh regions, to my chest and even to my neck. I’ve even had an automated procedure done on me because my body could no longer withstand the manual exchanges.

About a week ago, I was performing everyday tasks as home, mainly getting dressed and I noticed that I was very weak to even perform the tasks appropriately. Simple things seemed rather difficult to do. In addition I was constantly having dizzy spells so I decided to go to the hospital and to my dismay, I was told that I required another top-up blood transfusion as my pcv level was again below the normal threshold. I have literarily gotten to the point where I refused to have another procedure done on me. Not only because of the pain but also because it has always been a temporal solution and not permanent. Each time after the procedure, I get well for about 4 – 5 months and then my pcv / blood count drops and I have to undergo a transfusion all over again.

I’ve had at least fourteen exchanges and top-up transfusions altogether in the last five years and I just cannot go on with it anymore. So I insisted this time around on seeing my haematologist to ascertain why my blood cells have been constantly breaking down. You can imagine how thrilled I was when my hematologist did not insist on a transfusion instead requested for my blood samples to be tested and he increased the doses of my folic acid and vitamin C, asking me to rest and eat lots of veggies and come back in a weeks time when my test results would have been out.

So to those of you warriors who are going through one issue or the other with your health, hang in there and remember that you are not alone. Keep having faith that your hopes will be rewarded.
Until next week, hopefully by then my test results would have been out and I’ll be able to conclude on this post, take care of yourselves…