lymphomainsydney

So I have got a port installed now which will be used for all IV drugs from now on. Currently I have got a dressing on it which will be removed when my stitches heal.

The process was pretty smooth. They started the process at 9 in the morning as scheduled. The doctor explained to me what a port is and how it will be used and then I signed a consent form. After laying down sometime on the bed I was taken inside the radiology room where they had everything setup and ready. ECG was attached and an Oxygen mask was put on my face. The doctor did some ultra sound to find the exact place where they wanted to put the port in. After that I felt asleep and don’t know what happened.

They woke me up after about an hour when the procedure had finished, did a chest x-ray to make sure everything is fine and then took me back to the ward. I wasn’t feeling any pain. I stayed in the bed for another half hour and had some sandwiches because I had not eaten anything since 5 am.

At around 11:30 I was moved to the chemotherapy section for the 3rd day of the cycle where I was injected with more etoposide through my new port. The nurse then took the needle out of the port because I need it on day 8 only and there is no point letting the needle in for so many days for no reason.

Its been over 36 hours now since I have got the port but no pain so far.

I was in for the second day of chemo today. Today only etoposide was scheduled but still it was a busy day. The staff was busy so had to wait a little in the waiting area and then I had to wait for the medicine as well. I have started to feel the same symptoms again as in the first cycle. The hands and feet are a little swollen but that is because of the steroids I am taking. They got well sometime in the second week last time so I am not much worried about it. The hair are falling rapidly. Stomach is alright so far. I plan to eat less spices, more rice, light food and more water this time.

Another development today is that I received a call from my chemotherapy nurse today and she has scheduled a port installation procedure tomorrow for me. She is of the opinion that since I am getting 3 continuous days of chemo and then again on day 8 of every cycle I might hurt my veins in the arms. So I discussed everything with her today and I am scheduled for 8 am tomorrow. I will reach there early and have a blood test. The results will take 45 minutes to process. Then I will move to the radiology department where a radiologist will install a port near my chest under the skin. It will be a big vein so it won’t hurt like the ones in the arms and I won’t have to get a canulla every time I get chemotherapy.

They will give me local anesthesia and some IV drugs to sleep but not general anesthesia. I will sleep for about one and a half hour during this process while the doctors do their job. After that I will move back to the chemotherapy section where I will have my third day of chemo, just etoposide. I have been told that I might get a little pain after the effect of local anesthesia fades out so I should keep panadol/panadine handy.

Watch for tomorrow!