The day finally dawned when I was to have my first chemo!!!! Oh the excitement of it!
Emmet, our youngest, was really playing up this morning and leading up to saying he didn't want to go to school. We managed to jolly him out of it - which was great because it meant that Brendan could stay at my appointment with me.
Half way to the hospital we got a call from the school saying Emmet needed his asthma inhallers and didn't seem to have them with him..... so Brendan dropped me off and headed home to pick them up and take them into the school.
As we live about half an hour away from the hospital I was exepecting that it would all be over by the time he made it back... I was ok with this but I had wanted him to see the process so that he could be as relaxed about it all as I am.
Oh how wrong I was....!
There I was, with my newly fitted port, slightly anxious about the needle as the wound site was still so sore but looking forward to getting started. I was called quickly and shown to an empty room. It was all looking good so far.
The plaster over the wound was removed and I must say I was impressed with the stitching that was done – it is immaculate! The nurse – Vicki - had to push and prod a bit to find the port as I am still very swollen and very bruised. It hurt... quite a lot....but I was sure it would be worth it. She inserted the 1” needle but was slightly concerned when she didn’t feel the back plate of the port. When she tried to draw blood she got nothing out..... so she tried again but this time used 1 ¼ “ needle. That didn’t work either. Just to make sure it wasn’t her technique she called another nurse who also tried twice without success. The third nurse, one with lots and lots of port experience tried next. After two attempts they decided to call someone else in from the Nuffield Hospital – again someone with lots of experience... he tried twice and by now I was in significant pain with all the pushing and shoving on the port and the surrounding scar and tissue.
At this point my husband reappeared thinking he would just be collecting me – little did he know!
They decided to give me a half hour break – along with some ‘magic cream’ on top of the wound to help numb it before the next attempt. The brought in another expert from the Nuffield who tried once, or was it twice – I can’t remember - but either way - the magic cream didn't work!!!! She concluded that she would not be happy attempting FEC with it because she was not convinced that she was in the right place. At this point they called the doctor who had fitted it – and he said he could see the surrounding tissue start swelling up when he was doing the op and suggested that they leave it for at least a week before trying again....
Well.... after all the delays and all the effort to get the port this was not the best news. The nurse, Vicki, was almost more disappointed than I was and asked if we could try to find a vein to use just this once to give the port site a chance to heal before having another go in 3 weeks time.
Obviously I agreed – anything to get started.... so she tried three veins without success. I then spent 5 minutes or so with my arm in hot water – as hot as I could stand – to encourage my veins to come out to play... another nurse tried another two times without success. Yet another nurse came to have a go and Eureka!!!! She found a vein!!!!
After this the treatment went ahead as expected – first the F then the C then the E. I had a funny taste in my mouth on the E rather than the C – I can’t describe what it was like other than that it reminded me of plants so the best I can say is that it tasted green! The final sickness drug they give you can cause a sensation called ‘hedgehog bum’ i.e. it feels prickly down below.... well... yes I experienced that too – fear not it only lasts a minute and isn’t really painful – just very odd!
In all it took about one hour to push the drugs through – so on a normal day - easy peasy lemon squeezy!
I’m now home with my 3 types of anti sickness tablets. I’ve got my thermometer ready – just in case I feel ill and I’ve asked Brendan to pick up some senacot (?) to deal with the anticipated constipation (caused by the anti sickness medication).
So I’m all set.... I’ll let you know how things progress.
FormerMember
Oh my goodness you did go through it today didn't you. well at least you know have the first one out the way. I had one cycle were i had to stick my hand in hot water as my veins were not coming out to play either. I had fec too, i had 3 cycles of it. On each one i got a weird feeling in my nose like brain freeze, and also it made me sneeze, dont no if you experienced that? i didnt get the funny taste on my mouth when i had chemo but everyone is different. Keep taking those anti sickness tabs coz they really do work. I didnt have a port like you have so i can't imagine what it is like to have one.
My chemo took about an hour to go through as well.
Do let us know how you progress and how you cope in the next week or so. If you want to ask me anything please do send me a message.
Oh my goodness you did go through it today didn't you. well at least you know have the first one out the way. I had one cycle were i had to stick my hand in hot water as my veins were not coming out to play either. I had fec too, i had 3 cycles of it. On each one i got a weird feeling in my nose like brain freeze, and also it made me sneeze, dont no if you experienced that? i didnt get the funny taste on my mouth when i had chemo but everyone is different. Keep taking those anti sickness tabs coz they really do work. I didnt have a port like you have so i can't imagine what it is like to have one.
My chemo took about an hour to go through as well.
Do let us know how you progress and how you cope in the next week or so. If you want to ask me anything please do send me a message.
They use those wheat bags which they heat in the microwave and put on you, one under and one over your arm. This is routine and they do it to everyone having intravenous without a port. It is lovely on a cold winter morning. My veins seem to have recovered now, a year later.
I didn't take the anti-emetics very often. Mostly the nausea didn't last that long, a few minutes, and even though I felt dreadful at the Cancer centre, every time, the anti emetics didn't work there, so I assumed it was psychological and gave up taking them.
It's lovely when they are over, especially when you have one every week for 30 weeks.
It does vary with what you are having, and how you feel on the medication, so I am only passing on my own experience.
you really had a bad day put its great the way u stuck it out .my viens done well till near the end and like u say one day thing they went in six times nothing compared to what u had to do today a well deserad pat on the back i thing.had no bother really with fec.or the second one .they are useing my hand for blood and herceptin suprised how long it has held up to the constant.pokeing but as u say its just good to be doing it.hope u do ok i was told what every effect u experience with ur first dose is the same with the otherones was true for me but everyone is different.good luck and hope u do well
I was squirming in my seat as I read your blog. It brought back lovely memories of my first day at chemo, we did the whole hot water thing too. I was a bit luckier though only four attempts to find a vien before they managed to ram the canula in.
I could feel the chemo going in through each vein and my hair standing on end...........well it felt like that anyway.
I was given the anti-sickness tablets too but managed to keep the sickness at bay with ginger tonic(non-alcoholic)from the local health food shop and lots of dry crackers and ginger nut biscuits.. I just couldn't face the constipation :-(
Good luck with the next session and hopefully you wont have any probs next time :0)
