FOLFIRI journey

Hi ,

He sounds as though he handled the spike well though . Made of strong stuff .

With all the germs around he has actually done very well not catching any of them .

You sound really supportive.

Take special care ,
Court 

Temperatures are very common when you are having chemotherapy and should always be treated with antibiotics as you are at higher risk for sepsis, particularly if your white cell count has dropped. They often don’t find the specific cause of it but that’s not to say there wasn’t an infection starting. It sounds like you acted promptly and hopefully caught it before it got any worse. Always do exactly what you did and get it checked it out, you should always assume it’s a serious infection and not a side effect.

Hi, my mom was diagnosed april 2026, due for radiotherapy in couple of weeks time, short recovery period then chemo to follow but still waiting for chemo treatment date.

During the chemo nurse appt., the nurse specialist advised for us to buy a bumbag for her which i assumed is for the pump when taken home.

i bought a standard bumbag from amazon as she was very vague by saying any bum bag will do.

if you dont mind me asking, how does your husband manage his pump when in situ and whats the Comfortable way?

thank you so much.

I'm on Folfiri + Cetuximap regime x 6 months .

R.E. 5 fu pump , I was given a linen/ cotton small bag by Chemo Team , lightweight hung around my neck and placed bottle pump .

Slept with pump in bag no issues .

Only issue is when dressing and showering as you have to thread bottle through sleeves and I was given a shower cover for my picc line and held bottle/ pump up out  the way when showering --  it is a bit of a task and awkward got my self  tangled numerous times and  a bit upset .

Re bags for pumps - www.loopandlift.co.uk

Bags designed by a lady who has been there. Some were donated to our local unit and my husband received one. Easy to wear if out and about. 

At home he frequently wears a coat indoors. It's a comfort thing. So popped the pump in its pocket. 

At night he held it in hand while sleeping and seemed to be ok with it. 

But only had one session so far. 

It did seem to change his sleep. A lot more restless and sprawled out than normal. Just while the pump was on. 

He showered in the morning before chemo and pump fitting then opted for strip wash till pump was off. 

Hi John,

My husband was advised to buy a Limbo cover to protect his PICC line while showering. Designed for covering plaster casts it may be big enough to hold the pump? £20 out of the hospital Friends shop but cheaper on-line. 

Hi @monica1234,

He was given a bag with adjustable strap to put the pump in that can be worn across body, hanging round his neck or round his waist. At night the pump is in bed with him under his pillow lol 

The most important thing is getting the positioning right of the picc line pipes so they suit you. Nige always asks for it to be taped to his arm pointing up. This means it’s not  by his elbow and therefore doesn’t catch it when he bends his arm. Did take him a few goes to work out the best position for him.

Hes due the 12th infusion on Friday so after that should have a break for a bit.

Not going to lie the side effects have been getting worse as we have gone on. Worst ones being aching limbs and fatigue. But other than that he’s coped very well with it all. But every little twinge makes you worry.

Hope your mum responds well to treatment xx 

Bx