I was due to have my third FEC today but it has had to be cancelled as, in spite of soaking my hand in hot water etc etc and several attempts, it proved impossible to find a suitable vein. So now I will definitely have to have a PICC line and the timetable of treatments is all disrupted. I am so upset and wish that I hadn’t persuaded them to try again after the difficulties with my 2nd chemo.
Oh well, at least the sun is shining so I will be able to make the most of the nice weather.
I’m not sure yet how long the delay will be, hopefully it won’t take too long to organise.
Oh Anne…I’m so sorry, what a complete pain in the backside for you. Surely they will be able to put on in this week and give you chemo the same day or the day after?
I’m really sorry to hear that the usual game of ‘hunt the vein’ did not prove successful for you this time, what a total bl**dy nuisance for you! I’m sure it won’t take too long for them to sort out your PICC line and re-schedule your treatments, be sure to let us know.
Get out there and enjoy the sunshine in the meantime!
I have heard that I will have the PICC line put in next Tuesday and the chemo later that day. So chemo 3 will be delayed by exactly one week which I guess isn’t too bad.
I will be able to enjoy this weekend anyway which will be nice as my younger daughter is visiting us.
Well the PICC line will be put in tomorrow. I just want to get it over with now and I realise it will make all the future sessions a lot easier.
As this is FEC number 3, I am not hoping for a great week as many of you have said that the third is the worst!
I have arranged for the district nurses to come in and flush and dress it each week. They were surprised that they didn’t know me already from after my op. However this was never suggested to me at the time. Is it usual for the DNs to come in after a WLE?
My district nurse came after mast last August and still bobs in or rings every few weeks. Finished chemo in March and am now on Herceptin. Don’t have a line.
hi annie
i had my second chemo on fri it took them an hour an half to find a vein which with all the poking about was unplesant they struggle every time to get blood from me but got blood first antemp so i dont know why they didnt leave the needle in where they took the blood from to save all the messing about so they could just put the chemo through that one i think i will have to do something what is a picc line take care an keep smiling
Sally - I am not an expert so will explain the only way I know, in layman’s language! It is a thin flexible tube that is put into your arm, guided by ultrasound. The tube goes inside a vein all the way up into your chest. It was done under local anaesthetic and didn’t hurt. The end of the tube remains outside the arm and is used for the chemo and also taking blood too I think. It needs to be cleaned, flushed and re-dressed every week. I had to have a chest X Ray afterwards to make sure it had gone up into the right place, which it had. I couldn’t have my chemo last week because it just wasn’t possible to find a vein so this line will save all that in the future.
I hope you’re feeling OK today with your line in. I had my 3rd FEC chemo on Friday and I’m feeling fine. No worse or better than the first and second really. I think it’s an individual thing though.
Can you explain the problems they had finding your vein? Was this the case with your first too?
Dear Cecelia
The first time the nurse found a vein ok. But when it came to the second time, she had to use that one again, as even after soaking in hot water, she couldn’t find another one. Last week she tried the same vein again as the only one palpable, but the vein had had enough! She also tried in my arm but again the vein wouldn’t oblige. When I had the line put in today, the nurse could only find one vein even with ultrasound and that was very deep. The problem seems to be that my veins are all very deep. I have now noticed that you can actually see veins in some people’s hands - but you can’t in mine!
OK thanks for that. My hand veins are really prominent so hope not to have that problem. My canula hurt on my last session, but they seemed to choose a vein which couldn’t really be seen very well at the side of my hand under the thumb which was a weird choice!
I’m glad to hear that your picc line insertion (for want of a better word!) went well. I am off for my CMF tomorrow and I’ve no doubt we’ll be playing ‘hunt the vein’ yet again!
Getting me all worried now - reading this thread about canulas (whatever that is) and trying to find veins for injections. Am starting chemo tomorrow, and not sure what happens but presuming it is by injections - does it really hurt. Any advice for me …
Don’t worry DM - as Anne said most people’s veins are quite prominent. They put a cannula in your arm or hand and take some blood first which they test to see if your blood count is high enough to do the chemo. While you are waiting for the blood results they will probably keep the vein open by putting some saline in. Then they use the same vein to put the chemo in.
You feel a little scratch for just a second, but it’s not major pain and the nurses are really nice and are talking to you while they’re doing it.
Not sure (as we have no profiles now) whether or not you’ve had surgery but if your lymph nodes have been removed remember that chemo infusions need to be in the other arm
Good luck for tomorrow. Let us know how you get on.
Not had surgery as cancer has spread to liver, so straight onto chemo for me … not what we expected thats for sure, as had worked out we were gonna do double masectomy, but never mind. Thanks for info though. Is it often that people get low blood count and so won’t do chemo then?
My count was low once, it just takes some a little longer to recover, but that will be a bridge to cross once you get started. Make sure you get all your vitamins, lots of fruit and veg (and the odd guinness) and I’m sure you won’t have a problem. The canula does not hurt at all, please don’t worry, they positioned it wrongly for me last time that’s all.