Bloods via Portacath

Portacath bloods

Multiple Medication

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My super useful medication pots

So many pills!

Clexane - I have to inject this bad boy into my tummy every night 

My Poem Goes Viral

Poem Breast Cancer Care

Happy Birthday To Me!

There were times over the past couple of months when I didn't think I would see this day! 

Happy Birthday to me 😃

Portacath Fitting

I had a really bad night last night, stomach cramps, sweats, severe nausea and (despite the domperidone) actual sickness. This is all thanks to the cape. I still felt sicky in the morning and had to force myself to get up and showered for going to have my port fitted.

At 11:15 Amanda, Lil and Grandma drove me to Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford for my port fitting. We got there at 12:30 and Amanda took me in in a wheelchair. We checked in and then after making sure I was comfortable she headed off. I then waited about an hour before the nurse did my obs and fitted a cannula (using a dressing I wasn't allergic to - hooray)!

A cannula with a dressing I'm not allergic to!

So what actually is a port?
A port(acath) is a device which is inserted under the skin to allow easy access for IV injections and bloods. The Port is about the size of a walnut and has a chamber with a membrane that self-seals when punctured with the special access needles. Source: Royal Surrey County Hospital Info Sheet

I need one because my veins are shockingly bad. The right arm is bad anyway but still has the DVT (yay!), and the left arm is the one that has had lymph nodes removed so is a no go. Basically it will make my life a hell of a lot easier every cape cycle where I need bloods taken.

I then had to wait half an hour or so before I was taken down on my bed to the operating theatre. They took my obs and moved me onto the operating bed. Dr L explained the procedure and I signed the consent form. 

They then injected me with some strong painkillers and anaesthetic and the procedure started. I was kind of asleep and kind of awake. I could hear the team all moving around, bleeps of machines and touches on my body; but I couldn't feel any pain or actually open my eyes.

Next thing I know I'm coming to properly and I'm back in the room Amanda dropped me off in earlier that morning. The nurses bring me a sugary tea and a yoghurt. They make me wait half an hour, tell me to get hold of my lift home and then take my cannula out.

Post op selfie!

Amanda and Paul then arrive to take me home. We get into the car and Amanda has bought me some yummy fruit from M&S which I was really craving and I wolf it down! They drop me back home about 19:15 and Rob and I chill on the sofa until bedtime.

A Mighty Hike

Guest post from Rob.....

First Cape

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So I have to take a lot of pills! This is just in the morning, there 

are 15 more that I take throughout the rest of the day! 

The Cape Crusader

Dr P, MRSA swab, Nandos, Chemo, Denosumab, Movie Night

Lower open area clean and not purulent. Slight bony tenderness and effusion around knee. No xray as had so many scans. Able to weightbear and improved since Monday.

Few further days antibs given happt to start Cape tomorrow.


https://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/information-support/facing-breast-cancer/going-through-treatment-breast-cancer/chemotherapy/capecitabine-xeloda

Lymphoedema

Vampire Time

To add: ?? Dr P came and reviewed my skin infection. Heart rate raised and CRP up however i was efebrile. Groin wound continues to slowly heal.


After my fall, we made our way to East Surrey Hospital for my blood tranfusions with my "just in case overnight bag". Rob dropped me at Kingsfold Unit at 8:20 and went off to make his Monday morning work call. I hobbled into the lift, leg really hurting after my fall and checked in. Luckily they said I could go straight through to the room where they would be giving the blood rather than sit in the waiting room which meant I was able to bagsy the window seat!

They wanted to cannulate me straight away and I had to explain the saga of not the right arm because of the DVT, and then that the left arm I had had lymph nodes removed. However, we had to go somewhere, so the left arm was the only choice. Mercifully the lady doing the cannula gets it in first time. They then take about 6 phials of my blood to test. 

Another day, another cannula!

Various doctors, nurses, my oncologist and my breast care nurse come and take a look at the skin infection in my groin and pubic bone. The reason they want to look is because my infection markers are raised and therefore they need to decide if they want to stop flucloxacillin and move me onto something stronger. The infection markers are measured by looking at something called CRP:

C-reactive protein is measured in milligrams of CRP per litre of blood (mg/L).Normal CRP levels are below 3.0 mg/dL.

Mine is 127mg/L! Now cancer can cause these to be raised away but this is a pretty high reading. Bugger. However, they decide that the area that was infected actually looks improved from the other day, they also say that the other area looks like it's on the mend. They want me to carry on with current antbiotics and the bloods can get underway. Hooray!

They also look at the new area I have on my arm, caused by the dressing from the other day. They decide that this is not infected, and is a reaction. 

Sorry gross image incoming..... 

 

My allergic reaction to the dressing on my arm

The rest of the blood measures from the test are fine and it currently looks like I'll only be having 2 bags worth of blood. That, coupled with no IV antibiotics means I hopefully won't be staying in.....

Rob goes and finds us a hospital picnic for lunch, he returns with various goodies,including chicken teriyaki - lol!

It's now 13:30 and the blood team bring my blood through. They pop it on the drip stand, flush my cannula, attach the blood and here we go......

Bag 1 of hopefully 2!

An exhausted moi hooked up to the blood

The first blood bag will take 3 hours to go through. They have to run it that slowly as it's the first time I've received an infusion, so they will need to monitor me very carefully. The first 15 minutes are crucial as it's when you see if your body will reject the blood or have a reaction. Luckily I have neither and therefore Rob heads home.

I spend the next 3 hours reading, blogging and playing on my iPad. Then it's time for a quick toilet break, they want to do a urine dip test and I'm hooked up to bag 2.

 Bag 2 of hopefully 2

Because I reacted well to the first bag of blood, they are able to this one more speedily. It takes 2 hours to drain through. They then release me from the blood bag, remove the cannula (hooray) and let the docs know I am finished. The docs then come round a little while later, say my bloods are good enough for me to go and that's it. Hooray!!

I head over to Tilgate Annexe to see my friend Karen who has been admitted again 😟, she's bought  a blueberry cheesecake slice for each of us and she also bought me a lovely Ted Baker smellies set! We have a quick gossip and then Mum and Col arrive to take me home.

First ever blood transfusion - done!

A Bad Fall