Stuck in Port.

Yesterday was infusion day round 5. It turned out to be a small fiasco and I was there from 10;00 am until 2;30 pm. It started out that the nurses had difficulty getting my port to back flow blood. To start the infusion process they install a special needle that pierces the reception part of the port and push in sodium chloride via a large syringe that is coupled to the infusion needle that has screw/click type connector at the end of the tube . This becomes the main connector for every thing they want to hook up to me. The problem was that where the catheter protrudes into the vein causes a vortex and blood wants to clot causing a blockage. The fix was to infuse with a medication/ blood thinner to dislodge the blockage. However it took two nurses and three needles before they decided to infuse the medication. The first nurse after putting in needle number one and hooking up the the syringe and trying to push and then suck couldn't get back flow. So she had me lie back then turn on my right side then lift my arm over head then turn my head and cough. Hell last time I did that I ended up in the military. Nurse number one being unsuccessful passed me on to nurse number two. She decided after having me moving and wiggling around some more that maybe the needle was the culprit. So she replaced the needle and had me do another chair dance. I am thinking now I getting pretty good at this chair dance stuff, maybe I can make some money on the side with this new found talent!!! Nurse number two did not do any better and that is when they decided that the blood clot was the problem. That's when the second nurse told the first nurse that she didn't know that I was a Folfox patient and that she used a one inch needle and not the required 3/4 inch needle. So yet another needle change. Back to nurse one, new needle and 20 minutes of infusion with the blood thinner and back flow was achieved. All that took over one hour!!Now we can move on to all the toxic stuff which normally takes about three hours. The hour delay to starting the normal infusion pushed me into lunch break time and I keep getting passed of from nurse to nurse and put on hold a lot. It made for a very long day. I ate very little in the morning so I would be empty and not need a bath room in a rush. I can use a rest room while being infused but it takes time to unrecline(is that a word?) put pillows away get up and unplug the stand that all the bags are hanging from and shuffle to the restroom trying to drive this stand and not get too tangled up in all those plastic tubes.

I was famished when I left the hospital and decided to head to Wendy's and driving straight past the In and Out Burger, chuckling away at the thought of all the dismay and comment's I would get from the whole Murray family. As much as you all love that place, In and Out Burger has a slightly different meaning to me. I decided to take a big risk, living on the edge,letting it all hang out and go for a bowl of chili!!!! Taking a risk pays off sometimes. That chili was just the ticket and no ill effect.

Today is day two of this round and it is usually one of my bad days. Today is proofing to be not to bad. I have firmly planted my self on the couch and made this a communication day. I was told that the side effects would accumulate with each round. I am not finding this to be so. May be because my body is getting used to the drugs and not reacting so severely or maybe I know more what to expect each round and I am more prepared to deal with the side effects and take measures pre-effect rather than post -effect. I still have the fatigue and the fog head. That is now standard and constant, but I am now sleeping well, even last night which has been in the past, an up all nighter, was only a restlessness for an hour and a half , thanks to Ambien, gas -x, a cool damp cloth, and the bedroom recliner under the fan. I am eating well and the digestive problem seems to be clearing up some. Knowing my limits and knowing what I can and can't do and not pushing too hard gives me the energy to do what I need and want to do with my family in the evening. My house looks a little more lived in these days and there is a little more dust around but all in all things are getting done, slowly, and Denise and Michelle have taken on a lot of the domestic chores. We are adjusting everyday as a family. We are all learning to enjoy and grasps the good moments every day. There is a lot to be thankful for each and every day!!