I was phoned my Nurse Biljana and asked to come downstairs to have a central line installed in my arm. This is different than the tiny cannulas I had last time. It's a long hollow wire that is about 450mm in length. It is inserted into the arm and winds it's way all the way to your chest area where it resides in the central vein that returns blood to the heart. Dr Drasynski performed the operation with Biljana assisting. He used a local anesthetic to numb the area he was going to insert the wire into. Basically the inside of my left elbow, same place you get your blood tests done.
He pushed the large outer plastic sheaf into my arm and then inserted the wire, rotating it as he slowly pushed it in. It felt uncomfortable, but i just figured it was supposed to. He seemed to be having some difficulty getting the wire to work its way along the vein. Eventually I got a stinging pain in my bicep and told them so. He then injected some saline into the hollow wire and a section of skin on my bicep bulged out. Oops! the wire was not actually going inside the vein at all. He withdrew it and massaged the saline down my arm until it bubbled out of the small incision.
He has given up on putting in a central line, saying my veins are too small and fibrous from previous chemo. So it's back to the cannula in my wrist.
Right now I'm typing with one hand, as there are two tubes going into my right wrist and it's too awkward to type with it. I'm presently getting the steroids and some saline. I have to supply a urine sample before the carboplatin can be administered. I'm working on it.
More updates later... man my arm's gonna hurt tomorrow!!!
9:30pm: I've had the carboplatin, and I'm now on a slow saline drip for the next eight hours. I've had a couple of anti-emetics to stop me throwing up, but to be honest other than looking really pale, I feel pretty good. I'll head off to bed now and try and get some sleep. I have an early start tomorrow as the next chemo drug, Alexan (Cytarabine), needs to be administered approximately twelve hours after carboplatin finishes.. so roughly 8am. I want to get in a decent breakfast first.
4 comments:
Hi Ron, I just caught up with Lyn, Toni and Barry. I had no idea that you were in Germany! I bump into your brother from time to time and he has kept me posted on how you are going, but I must admit I haven't seen him lately so fell out of touch. I hope you are doing as well as you can, the treatments sound pretty rough and you are no doubt sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. Lyn sent me this link to your blog so I will check in each day and keep in touch.
I hope it all goes well, that Goji juice sounds marvelous stuff.
Love
Maureen
Hi Ron,
Caught up with Sarah and she pointed me in the direction of your blog, so just been reading up (took forever, she said it would be best to start from the begining!)
Do you know when you get to go home yet? I know Sarah said that she had wanted to take you back, but it didn't happen.
Take care,
Michelle
Hi Michelle :) I'm guessing you must have skim read it, I have to admit it's a long read, specially when you have to read it back to front and from the bottom to the top. I mentioned in a post just a few days ago, that I'm returning on a flight leaving 29th Sept. That's assuming my blood counts are on track. Hope you are having fun where you are! Cheers! ...Ron
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