As R-CHOP is what my partner is no longer having due to it not shrinking his b cell quick enough they've changed him to R-DHAP & wanted to know others experience with it, as at the moment my partner is refusing the P.I.C.C line due to be fitted friday to let them administer treatment. I wanted to be able to give him more information to ease him into it as into the new treatment because its the unknown & quite understandably hes frightened. I'm finding it very annoying as such not wit him but other people, where I'm supporting him talking to him & trying to ease him into it i get so far & others just put him back to square one & feed his fear & its back to point blank refusal these people he could quite honestly do without speaking to, they're not the ones who go to chemo sessions with him, take the information from the doctors & nurses on board, nor do they care for him.

http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertreatment/Treatmenttypes/Chemotherapy/Combinationregimen/DHAPR-DHAP.aspx

Hi I guess youhave read the above information, have they said why they prefer to give treatment via a picc line and was your partner given an option? I jusy wonder if you discussed in detail why the canula approach was not an option?

I feel your flustration that you and your partner are not able to discuss what goes on in the consultations and are able to come to an informed decision without the interference of others.

I always had treatment through a canula but I had rchop so cannot share any experiences other than to ask did they discuss the fact you can sometimes have issues with "lines" as I know over the years on this site people have posted problems they have had and the flustration that can cause.

Hope you manage to sort this out as the last thing you both need is friction, as this will be a big enough strain for you both to cope with and I sometimes believe we as the male species make it harder than it needs to be for our carers.

best wishes   john

Thank you as always for your reply John. I've absolutely already read the above information. My partner always has fears when it comes to anything medical & at times its feels like i am somewhat trying to bargin like you would with a child ( that is how the situation comes across when seen) 

I am currently working on that with him if he wishes to refuse the line, then that is absolutely fine, I'm not necessarily trying to ease in him into that idea anymore but play it down. I've said request a canula & when you come home a couple days later it can be removed , providing they can take blood from it & do all they need to do that may ease him into it slightly more. 

Morning Carmen, so sorry to hear you are having a bit of a struggle with this. First, hopefully some reassurance. I had 3 cycles of RDHAP for DLBC NHL via central lines and my skin lesions (my NHL) reduced very rapidly after the first treatment and i went into remission. I had my treatment starting in October 2011 and am still well. I am not sure what you know about RDHAP but my experience was that RDHAP was a five day cycle as an in patient. Days 1 and 2 are to give you plenty of fluid to ensure you are well hydrated becuase the chemo you get on day 3 can be toxic to your kidneys. The rehydration minimises that risk - but you spend a lot of time on the loo! As i understand it it is the volume of the fluiids they use for rehydration that means that in many cases a central line is used rather than a cannula as the line enters a much bigger vein. My veins in my hands were not good. Day 3 is the chemo itself and days 4 and 5 are high steroid doses. I then had a 3 week break before the next cycle. I had a line inserted under a local anaeasthetic just prior to each treatment and removed just after it. The procedure was a little uncomfortable at times but becuase of hte anaesthetic not painful. Once inserted I could not feel it. The removal of the line took place without an anaesthetic and although hard to believe was totallly painless. By having a fresh line each time i managed not to get an infection all the way through the treatment. I did go neutropaenic after the treatment and so went home on daily injections which I gave myself to boost my white cell production by my bone marrow. I had no problem at all with the injections and suffered no side effects. After the cycle i had about one week where i felt unwell and becuase i was neutropaenic stayed in doors and rested and slept. The second week i felt better but still stayed at home and the third week i was able to go for short walks and meet friends for coffee etc. The effects were cumulative and by the third cycle i was feeling pretty battered and took slightly longer to come round. I did twke treatment to control the sickness for the first week. My platelets and HB took a bit of a battering with the treatment and i did have one or two top ups. Again not painful. But do remember that everyone is different and experiences it differently. Overall i did find it difficult but just took one day at a time and it was do able. I think others find it easier than I did. The most important thing is that it worked. Good luck with everything and if I can be of anymore help just ask. I got fantastic support and information from this forum. Love and hugs Jen

Thank you very much for your post jen,  I have passed this information onto my partner its help ease him slightly I dont think he'll entirely calm down until the treatment actually starts & he sees for himself he'll be perfectly fine & not shrivvle up in the bed, its already had a helping hand from R chop so hopefully this one will do the trick