Today I had to go back to the clinic because my arm was getting worse. The phlebitis has spread into my hand and upper arm. It is painful, a bruise-like kind of pain that was worrying me and making me restless. My veins are hard and brownish-purple and I have a swelling on my wrist which hurts quite a lot.
I was seen by a doctor who confirmed my arm veins cannot be used for the treatment, it would only increase the irritation causing more pain and discomfort.
As I feared, I will have a port surgically implanted in my chest under the skin. Thursday early in the morning I will be once again under anaesthesia and will have it implanted. One more scar, one more annoyance. I will then have the chemo drugs administered through the port on the same day.
An implantable port is a plastic tube (a catheter) that is put in the chest into a large vein just above the heart and that connects to an opening (a port) which sits just under the skin. The port will be left in place until the end of the chemotherapy treatments and a small discrete bump will be visible underneath the skin.
I am not very happy about this, but not too worried either. It’s just a hiccup along the way.
1 comment:
Coloco esses cateteres ocasionalmente. Acredita que é melhor fazeres a quimio por essa via. As veias periféricas, coitadinhas, não costumam aguentar esse tipo de medicação, por isso te perguntei há tempos se não te iam pôr um "cateter central" (central venous line).
Beijos,
Susana
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