One of the drips Dad receives is a milky liquid full of lipids for his nutrition. Unlike the other IVs that come in plastic bags, this one is in an old-fashioned glass bottle with a metal fitting at the bottom. It could be out of any hospital circa 1930.
The anachronism ends at the bottle, though. Plastic tubing leads into a high-tech machine that regulates the amount of liquid flowing, calculates time until the bag or bottle is empty, and rings bells to alert the nursing staff when it’s time to change.
I figured out how to operate it, though I absolutely will not touch it. Like all gear it looks mysterious at first, but quickly yields its secrets if you watch a skilled operator at the controls.
Posted by kuri at March 20, 2005 08:24 AMevan had an iv bottle like that when he was first born. his looked like gatorade though—bright green and full of good nutrients since he couldn’t eat himself. i was fascinated by the old style bottle—even more so when the nurse told us that each bottle of fluid cost $600 (and he used one a day!)
thanks for sharing your thoughts at this time. we’re hoping all goes well for your father and your family.
Posted by: jenny on March 20, 2005 11:36 AM