I've got a new friend who's very attached to me ....

It’s been a month or so since I last updated my site and apologies for this.  So, the latest …. the CT scan I had back in March showed that the tumour in my liver had grown again and tumours had decided to rear their ugly heads again in my lung.  So, onto a new chemo schedule.  This time, a little easier on me as it’s a three weekly cycle and this particular beauty involves a 24 hour infusion via a pump into my PICC line (oh yes, the PICC, more about this in a minute) which is then disconnected here at home.

My new friend ……

Well, it was certainly a case of trial and error how to deal with a heavy canister dangling from the line into my arm.  As we are still staying up in London after it was administered, going down to dinner with this is fun.  It ends up in my bag and has to sit on a chair right next to me, getting star treatment.   Getting undressed etc is fun, needless to say! Travelling home on the train proves noteworthy too, as my bag obviously can’t move too far away from the end of my arm!! God, the things I have to do …..  Hopefully, this new drug will help shrink the tumours again and stabilise everything.  Fingers crossed  …

Yes, the PICC line ….. when my oncologist informed me that my new chemo regime was to be every three weeks, it was like, yay, then he hit me with the fact  that this drug could only be administered through either a PICC line or a port. Didn’t fancy the port, especially as it involves a general anaesthetic putting it into your chest, so the PICC it was.  I clearly remember putting my head in my hands and groaning when this was decided – having had so much trouble with the line last time around, I didn’t fancy a repeat performance.

Having had the PICC in now for just under a month, it’s already showing who’s boss.  Firstly, it took over three hours to get one inserted, as the site of my old line wouldn’t play the game after three attempts, so it had to be put into my right working arm.  It’s been ok, just didn’t want to play when it was time for the DN to try and take bloods and having the dressing changed was still as cringworthy as it always was.

Oh well, onwards and upwards – back up to the Marsden next week for the next round and two days up in the Smoke with Mr A.  Just wish it was for more fun reasons that visiting a cancer hospital!!!!