Image: February 2026 - Karen with her Hickman line

Hello Everyone

Karen has now been in Conquest hospital in East Sussex for 2 years and 2 months. 

Karen’s temperature had still been higher than usual and she had been having low grade temperature spikes. On Saturday the 14th Karen had a slightly higher temperature spike. That afternoon we were told that microbiology had phoned the on-call doctor and asked for blood cultures to be taken from Karen’s Central Line and peripherally. Because of difficulties with Karen’s veins when peripheral blood has been needed it is taken by doing a femoral stab in the groin. This is a very painful procedure. In the afternoon on Sunday the 15th Karen had a femoral stab done by the on-call consultant to take peripheral blood cultures.

On Monday the 16th of February Karen had another slightly higher temperature spike. As planned, in the afternoon Karen had a Hickman line put in under GA and the Central Line (Central Venous Catheter) was then taken out. The Hickman line was put in by an Interventional Radiologist using radiological guidance in the Interventional Radiology department. Karen felt particularly unwell in recovery and was vomiting. As usual after a procedure Karen had a lot more pain from the procedure and the severe ME. In the evening Karen was restarted on a strong IV antibiotic again. 

Hickman lines are used for IV access to give IV fluid, drugs and TPN and to take blood. Two small incisions were made - one just below the bottom of Karen’s neck and one lower down on the right side of her chest. The tip of the line was threaded under the skin and into a large vein towards the heart. The other end comes out from the incision that was made on her chest. There is about 10 cm’s (about 4 inches) of line between the two incisions. This is ‘tunnelled’ under the skin. The line is secured to the skin at each incision with a stitch. The tube that comes outside of Karen’s body is nearly 30 cm’s (11 inches) long and splits into two tubes. There are two tubes so that more than one thing can be given at the same time.

Karen’s raised temperatures have continued with some higher spikes. Karen is still being given the IV antibiotic. Karen is still more unwell than usual and has more pain etc. Karen is still much more exhausted than usual and any exertion, including mental and/or physical exertion such as talking, is more exhausting than usual and makes her feel more unwell and sometimes breathless.

Karen has not been restarted on TPN (IV feeding) yet.

Thank you so much to everyone who has signed and shared the petition. Also, thank you very much to everyone who has chipped in to promote the petition. It is very generous of you and it makes a big difference. Thank you for your supportive comments. It is all much appreciated by us.

Please keep sharing this petition and telling people about Karen’s situation. 

Thank you to everyone for your support.

Best wishes to you all.
Heather, Michael & Karen