So here is quick backstory:

I was put in ICU Friday night because of an asthma attack. I was on bipap (therefore unable to verbally communicate).

I had an arterial line put in by a doctor who was in-training. There was another doctor supervising and instructing. The standard procedure is to numb the area, then proceed (I’ve had many of these done in the past). He didn’t numb it well and didn’t ask me to confirm if it was numb. He proceeded to attempt around 4 times to put the needle into my artery and missed each time, not only missed while putting the needle in, but couldn’t get the artery even while moving the needle around while inside my wrist. The supervising doctor took over, showed the in-training doctor how to do it (she got the artery immediately and put in the wire, took it all out and told in-training doctor to go in the same place she did).

In-taining doctor attempted twice more ( by this time, all numbing was gone). He failed and supervising doctor took 2 more attempts, first failing because the wire kept hitting a blockage (extremely painful at this point). Once she got the wire in, she let the in-training doctor finish it off.

I was in AGONY by the end of this. It didn’t feel like any old arterial line insertion or not-numbed ABG, it was excruciating and I couldn’t do anything through it but flinch, groan and wish for it to be over.

This is my arm now, I’m still in hospital. It was put in my left arm, I’ve added photos of my right arm for reference. The arterial line was taken out on the evening of the 23rd. It is now early hours of the 26th and the swelling is at its worst (I’ve had it elevated ALL DAY). All those markings on my wrist is bruising. (On my palm is stains from the disinfectant. But everything else is bruising.)

(If you look at my ring on my left hand, you can even see how swollen my hand is).

I’m being given endone for the pain but it genuinely doesn’t help. My hand is so weak and otherwise in brutal pain when it is touched/moved. There’s also some numbness and tingling.

Is this potentially permanent? I don’t know what I’m going to do because I work in clearance retail and I can’t work with my hand/arm like this. I also don’t get paid sick-leave because I’m a casual.

I don’t even know what has happened to me or what to even do about work😭

(I should add- they have me on blood thinners, clexane to be exact)

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