Update

No, sorry, but wishing you both well

Hi ,

My mum had Oxaliplatin through a cannula and then oral cap. I think I read somewhere that the side effects can be a little harsher with oral cap but loads of people have them . Not so sure about irinotrcan and she never moved onto it . 

She had a few burns from the chemo that did irritate her skin and were sore at the cannula sight but she actually preferred not having to deal with anything after that . That suited her personality. When it was over she was done ! She did have to bath her arm in hot water to get her veins to co operate after two years of the stuff . Her veins are affected now but doing their job still after twelve years .

I hear people say lines are much easier to draw all the blood tests from so there’s that . But again my mum just endured the pin cushion approach till they could get one that works . She shifted all follow up tests to her practice nurses who knows just where to access her blood and is never allowed to change job !

I do think sometimes personality types come into play !  . As long as he knows some of the implications on the day . 

Take care ,

Court 

My husband has refused PICC or port and opted for cannula. His reasoning is that he’s hated having all the different ports and cannulas over his body when he was in hospital for his op as he can’t get comfy to sleep with them all and he can’t shower properly, so he would rather have a cannula for IV that’s removed. He’s only had one IV so he may change his mind but he’s stubborn as anything. We are going to explore heat pads to keep his arm warm as the IVs progress! 

Hi Lozberry, sorry to hear the bumpy start your brother has had, I can understand how this may put him off having a port.  I have a portacath which was fitted painlessly with light sedation, it sits under the skin in my chest.  When it's not in use you can't even see it, you just feel a little bump.  There are no cannulas and you can shower, bath, swim, etc and I don't even know its there.  I would def recommend if he is going to be on long term treatment. X

When I had my weekly chemo I opted for odd weeks left hand, even weeks right hand, to even the load out. Just a thought. Take care

He’s had his telephone consultation with the oncologist. His advice was to stick with current regime and get a new port but he said if you really don’t want it, you can have oral capecetabine and iv irinotecan and panitumubab. This is a little fiddly to manage in that he has the iv stuff fortnightly, he has the oral capecetabine for 14 days then a week off. So assuming that he starts it all on Wednesday, he will start the tablets and have the iv, stay on the tablets for 14 days, then have a week off tablets, but in that week off tablets he will be due his iv again. In effect this means he is on treatment all the time. It also means more attendance at the hospital for bloods before each treatment. He is not bothered about that. 
So he’s going for bloods tomorrow, and I hope he can have his treatment on Wednesday. I am not sure how he will cope with this regime in the longer term but he wants to do it this way so I’ll try and support him as best I can. For now he’s happy.

At least he is heading forward . I have seen people post that they got ports out in half way through treatment. Maybe experience will push him in that direction .

You are such a good support to him .

He is really fortunate to have you .

Court