Another week...Another adventure

This will have to go down as one of my not better weeks!

In a positive frame of mind, I went off for my regular chemo session. Elizabeth had even made the staff (and us) some morning tea. However, after 1 1/2 hours, 8 attempts by 4 different staff members (all experienced) and still no sign of a viable vein, the mission was aborted! I threatened to take back the carrot cake from the staff, but figured they'd been almost a stressed and traumatised as me! Not a good start to their day either, especially as I was their first client for the day!  So, the end result, no chemotherapy this week. Instead I had to have a PICC line put in on Friday. That's a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter.


The actual procedure was very quick (10 mins), once
we got through the waiting time (1 hour) and prep time (20 mins). The most painful part was the local anaesthetic - wouldn't you think they would have done something about that by now? I remember local anaesthetic being painful 45 years ago! (Good heavens! Am I revealing my age??).

Of course the most upsetting part of all this is that it puts my treatment back a week. This of course means that our planned weekend in Sydney (to see Mary Poppins) is now only 3 days after my final chemo session instead of 10 days! However, we will still be going and I WILL STAY AWAKE! (Did I mention "drop dead tired " is the main side effect I am experiencing?). It also means Radiotherapy will be put back a week, but I'll worry about that when the time comes (after our weekend in Sydney).


So now, for the next 6 weeks, I will be walking around with this foreign body in my poor battered, scarred body! On the bright side, treatment should be a bit faster as they don't have to hunt for veins any more. There it is, on tap!