Another update on the trials and tribulations of chemotherapy

Saw Dr Perren on 1st February for the usual between-chemo checkup. Asked him about getting some form of central line put in, as it is now getting near-on impossible to find a vein in my hands that can be canulated. Especially as I am now having chemo three weeks out of four - it was hard enough finding veins once a month but now it's getting ridiculous. Miracle of miracles, Dr Perren agreed that it would be a good idea to get a Pick Line put in and walked me down to talk to the nurse in charge of these things! That is a first - every other consultant I've asked about a central line tends to try and talk you out of it, but Dr Perren was just really calm about it and didn't try and talk me out of it at all!

So, on Tuesday, when I was due for the first dose of the second cycle of Topotecan, Di the nurse tried to get a pick line into my elbow. This is a long canula that goes into a vein at your elbow then up, across your collarbone and into some artery near your heart. Or at least that's the theory, anyway! Needless to say, it didn't work with me - big surprise there then! The first pick line decided it was going up into my jugular instead, so that had to be taken out. Cue copious amounts of blood both inserting and extracting it - I bleed like a stuck pig at the best of times (fair skin you know) and because I'm a bit anaemic of course I bled even more. Niiiiiice. Just as well I'm not squeamish! Then the second line did a u-turn in my arm and didn't even make it up to my shoulder! So, no pick line. Probably a good thing, as you can't raise the arm with the pick line (my right) over your head which would be awkward seeing as I am right handed!

So what we're going to do now is try and get a Hickman Line in on the 18th - it means one more dose of chemo with struggling to find a decent vein in my hands, then on the 18th a dose of sedation and a two hour wait before an x-ray to make sure it's in the right place. Also means no iron next week either unless we get a good vein - fat chance! So hello anaemia, goodbye energy. As if the breathlessness from the fluid build-up in my abdomen wasn't bad enough

I could always go in overnight and get them to drain my abdomen off, but I'd rather wait and see how bad it gets first. Only gained 1/4 of an inch around my waist this week, as opposed to 3/4 of an inch last week, so that's a definite slow down in fluid build up. Fingers crossed after next Tuesday it ought to stop, if not start reducing!

At least with a Hickman Line it's not really going to affect my movement - it goes into an artery in your chest just below your collarbone/above the boob so apart from not being able to immerse it in water (no swimming and no baths) it shouldn't be too bad. Better than a pick line, where you can't raise your arm over your head, go swimming or play golf (hah!). Bearing in mind most of the shelves in my house are higher than my head, not to mention my airer in the kitchen.....

Anyway, just have to wait and see now. Need to get an INR done with all the other bloods on Monday, but Di's sent my blood cards out to me already filled in so that's good.