Did you know? We have a new Patient Liaison on our Board of Directors - meet Gerry Kimmel!

Gerry is a retired airline employee and lives an active lifestyle enjoying walking, skating and cycling. He has been on Home Parenteral Nutrition for over thirty years and has had twelve CVADs. He has been a long-time Patient Advisor for the BC Home Nutrient Program and an Advisory and Resource Committee member for the Canadian Patient Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Alliance (CPPENA).

Did you know that Gerry:

• has infused his parenteral nutrition over 7000 times
• was one of the first patients in the BC Program to use EDTA catheter lock solution
• has an occluded SVC
• has gone scuba diving in Tahiti
• has had both open and close ended CVADs
• has experienced multiple CLABSIs
• has experienced CVAD tip malposition
• has type trialed multiple infusion pumps
• worked for 26 years as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer while on HPN

He is happy to answer your questions from a patient perspective! We will be compiling the questions submitted by September 30 and creating a webinar or other session this fall.

Ask Gerry!

You can post your question in Sosido or anonymously here by September 30

Examples of questions:

• How did you decide what CVAD to have?
• What types have you had?
• Which has been your favourite?
• How have you navigated home care/hospital systems?
• Have you ever had to educate staff on best practices on line care? E.g Scrubbing the hub for 15 seconds, proper capping of lines etc.