Inspired by the “Atheists in Foxholes” thread, I’ve got a creepy little poll for the SDMB crew…that is, what’s the greatest number of tubes and/or hoses you’ve had inserted in yourself, at any one time, for medical reasons?
For myself, depending on if you count O2 via a nasal cannula, is two. The other was an IV in my left arm. From the time I had pneumonia.
How about the rest of you? Any unbearably traumatic incidents from the past you’d like to dredge up? Any cool scars?
1–an IV, when I had my wisdom teeth removed.
No unbearably traumatic incidents from the past to dredge up. No cool scars.
My only broken bone never broke the skin–and probably would have healed sans cast if it had been neccessary. (I broke the tip of my radius in my right wrist. Yes, I’m right handed. So the cast was highly useful in the “look, I’m broken” sense, even if I would have healed without it.).
Catheter, IV, tube for epidural (man, the epidural was amistake for me!)- three.
Delivery of my first child.- Priceless 
The only tube was trying to give blood at work. On more than one occasion.
But my pressure was always too low and they couldn’t get a full “unit”.
They said my donation would have to be scrapped because it wasn’t worth typing and separating partial units. What a downer. And I nearly passed out standing up again.
Let’s see, I had one patient with an intra-cranial pressure monitor, a central line, a peripheral line, intubated endotracheally, with a catheter in the bladder and a rectal tube, with a gastrostomy tube for feeding. I’m not sure but the g-tube may have co-existed with the NG tube down the nose for a while. There was an arterial line too. So that’s as many as 9.
Personally I’ve had two. IV along with a cardiac catheter.
After this accident.
2 IVs
breathing tube
urinary catheter
rectal catheter
SO, a year and half later (after that post)- how are you?
Intubated, with a foley catheter, central line, arterial line, NG tube, a regular IV as a spare, and three chest tubes. I had a PCA pump as well, but I can’t remember if it fed in an additional IV or in the central line; I was a little disoriented. So that’s at least eight.
ITD Thanks for asking.
I am walking again with the help of a hinged AFO and a cane.
I would love to hear the stories of the others in this thread.
Mine was childbirth-
2 IVs, one catheter, and an epidural line. Three sounded like a lot to me before I read this thread! :eek:
Damn, QtM, you have such a fun job.
PS- my epidural was an absolute Godsend. I would never approach childbirth without one! 
I mean four…
Well, it depends. I have a permanent tube inserted, a VP shunt for hydrocephalus so that’s always there.
But for a procedure it would likely be:
IV
urinary catheter
breathing tube
Seven and a half years as a poster and six and a half years as a moderator, and this is my legacy?!?
OK, nine. :smack:
Let me think. Epidural, 3 IVs, one whatever-you-call-an-IV-in-an-artery-in-English, catheter, and something in my rectum that probably doesn’t qualify as a tube but was damned uncomfortable anyway. That’s six and a half, or something. I may have forgotten one.
It felt like more, though, as I was also hooked up to oxygen, a blood pressure monitor and a heart rate monitor. Moving was a very complicated procedure.
My preemie had a central line, an umbilical line, an arterial line, a vent and an NG tube. I think that was the max, because they just stuck a tiny diaper under her bum and avoided catheters. The umbilical line only lasted for a few days before they had to remove it. Add three (non-invasive) leads for her monitors, a PulseOx and her blood pressure cuff which stayed in place to avoid jostling her every couple of hours, and she was wired for sound! It looks even worse on a teeny tiny body. I don’t think I have a picture of the maximum, but here’s one with quite a bit. (The “big” hat was for three reasons - to help keep her warm, to hold on the foam “sunglasses” that protected her eyes from the bili lights and because they didn’t have any hats small enough for her! In reality, she was about 12 inches long in that picture, and it’s really a teeny tiny hat about 3 or 4 inches tall.)
Me? Tie for three: IV, foley and epidural (or maybe spinal? I don’t know the difference, actually), for a c-section. Four if we’re counting nasal canulas.
3 for monitoring of a bleeding stomach ulcer. The worst was the removal of the suction one starting up my nose and extending down into my stomach. She said the best thing was for her to yank it out fast, wrapped it around her fist, put her palm against my forehead and…
Four. One in my stomach for feeding, one in my arm for saline and other drips and two for removing bodily waste
My record is five after surgery to remove a tumor from my knee a few years back.
Right arm: nutrients & fluids
Left arm: antibiotics
Back: painkillers (I couldn’t see it and only barely felt it, but just knowing it was there and that I was laying on it was intensely uncomfortable)
Right leg: blood
Penis: urinary catheter
Ten, at one point. I had a bike accident resulting in a broken back and several other breaks and stuff that apparently required lots of needles and stuff. Not a fun time, by any means.