The infusion for me is thru a Portocath. This is a 20c sized thing that was put in some time ago, it has a silicon bubble in the middle which is then connected thru a tube to a main vein direct to the heart. This means when I go in for the infusion they put 1 needle thru the skin and into my Portocath, and all my infusion is done thru that. All the different chemo drugs as well as a number of flushes like glucose others are all hooked up and then switched between during the day.
I am there for the infusion all up from somewhere from 4-8 hours, just depends. I then get a bottle of another chemo drug, 5FU is what is is known as, and carry that in a dilly bag around my neck and it is pumped in for the next 48 hours. If I didn't have the Portocath then this would be difficult, I would have needles and lines coming from various catheters and all sorts, so it's a pretty amazing thing. Google it, it's fascinating. They put it in and take it out under general, so once it's there I live with a big lump under my skin, but easy to deal with I reckon. Whenever I have someone come in with me for the unhook I rave about it, great invention. I had a nephew that went thru treatment for leukemia many years ago. He had a central line that was always getting infected, this is sooooo much better.
The nurses in the infusion centre I reckon are used to the anxious, concerned, sick, and so on. Nurses by definition are a wonderful bunch. The infusion nurses are very very special. Love me all.
Tomorrow is always another day.
Trev.
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