Kip’s Comments - November 7, 2025

Going To Harbor Freight Now That I Learned By Watching

Once again today a family member and I went to the great healing place to the north for a day of activities and education. Much to my surprise, I was allowed to be in the room when a procedure was done to remove fluid from the space between the pleura and left lung.

Pleural Space Fluid

Now that I have watched it at close range and talked to the team while it was being done, I know I can do this and save a trip north.

Needed from Harbor Freight:

• Some band-aids

• Gloves (to look like a doctor)

• Masks (to look even more like a doctor)

• One IV cap for marking the puncture spot

• An alcohol wipe or two (unless I grab extra at a restaurant some time)

• One long needle for injecting Lidocaine

• A little doober or more of Lidocaine to numb the discomfort (I will make it quick!)

• One longer and bigger needle for puncturing between the ribs and entering the pleural space

• One or two containment bottles with negative pressure (but don’t tell the patient’s family so they think the patient has intense lung pressure)

• Flexible Tubing (I might have some gas line or oxygen tubing in the garage I could use)

• One Sonogram machine with a display (will need to buy or rent if Brother Darrell or Jason don’t have one in their shops)

• One willing patient

Seriously - I got to be a part of this and it was so interesting. It was fascinating to watch the lung begin to fill the space with air where the fluid had occupied.

It was a good day!