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christieuk

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HI Everyone

Just touching base. Have been keeping up to date with postings and keep gaining in knowledge so all to the good.

Have started my chemo (after a long delay) but am having a problem pretty much each time I go. Im having carboplatin and gemcitabine.

The problem is that I dont have the best veins in the world and I did mention before treatment started about having a picc or hickman line. My consultant said that there were more problems associated with having them, then just cannulas as and when I needed them. As Im now not on concurrent daily treatment, I didnt push the point (4give the pun lol).

But 2 of the 3 times I have had chemo so far, Im getting swelling of my hand/forearm where chem seems to be seeping into my tissues rather than flowing through the vein. Last Monday's was particularly bad yet the chem nurse insisted that nothing was wrong and didnt remove the drip just wiggling it around until the drip finally drained (first bag of chem went through in an hour, but the bag of carbo took nearly 2.5 hours). Their suggestion is a "bigger vein and a pump" - personally if the cannula is not right again, it will just pump the chem quicker into my tissue rather than the vein surely?

My hand/arm is still swollen and painful and I am due to have my second session of cycle 2 tomorrow (gem only). Im feeling very loathe to go for this at the moment. They will have to use my other hand and what happens if that swells as well? I can barely use the swollen hand (first session it was nearly 2 weeks before original hand felt better) so I dont need both hands to be out of action if I have the same problem tomorrow.

Anybody's experience of this please? Am I right to "demand" that they do something as I have at least 5 more sessions to go?

Thank you so much.

christieuk

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Demand I would. The problem you are describing is exactly what my daughter, chemo nurse, used to influence me to listen to the doctors and have a port installed. That is just not an o.k. or safe situation you have there. They have already demonstrated they can't do the procedure in your arm so change it! So sorry you are having to go thru this. Being dx'd with cancer and taking chemo is bad enough! Please keep us posted.

Judy

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thanks judy for replying - from what ive found out, this is apparently not good which you confirmed. im quite flabbergasted by the chem nurses reaction - it was patently not working, yet they did nothing.

Im speaking with my MAC nurse tomorrow and also the consultant's secretary - hopefully something can be done. Ive had so many setbacks already, I was hoping to get through the chem reasonably unscathed.

christieuk xx

PS looking at your chronology, how are you doing? x

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Ned is right. I had great veins, but had issues with the ones in my left arm after the chemo. If your veins aren't already bad, the chemo will make them that way. Insist on a port, I vote.

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Seems like so far we all agree on the port. Hope you can make that happen where you are.

Thanks for asking how I'm doing. You called my attention to the fact that when I recently updated My Story, I forgot to update my profile. I'm thrilled to say that my last CT scan showed no evidence of the cancer, what we refer to on this site as NED. Of course, in some places here in the states, if you are diagnosed with advance lung cancer (stages 3 or 4), they oftentimes want you to stay on chemo indefinitely. It's a hard pill to swallow but I went off chemo before and after 6 mos, my cancer did progress and seemed stronger than it did in the beginning. I'm sticking with it for awhile this time.

Do let us know how you make out with this infusion issue.

Judy

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Hi everyone - thanks for all your help and advice. have been onto the hospital this morning and they have agreed that I can have a PICC line next week. they will skip session 2 of cycle 2 which I was due today and go straight to cycle 3 in a couple of weeks time.

i am so relieved that this is being done and hopefully the rest of it will go off without a hitch.

once again thanks for all your advice and support.

Judy sorry to hear that when you came off chemo things appeared to get worse for you, but as you say, stick with the treatment if it is keeping the beast at bay.

christie xxx

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