Happy "Port Day" for Aaron

2»

Comments

  • Aaron
    Aaron Member Posts: 237
    allmost60 said:

    Senokot
    Hey Aaron,
    Actually I learned the hard way about constipation from chemo. I didn't take the Senokot soon enough, so my first week of chemo was troublesome forsure! Day 4 of my first week I finally took 2 Senokot in the a.m and then 2 more that night and bam...the next morning everything started working GREAT! Normal BM and easy to go. From that day on(Aug of 2010) I always take one a day without fail. Now... during chemo weeks I would take 2 a day for the first 7 days and then fall back to 1 after that. Be sure to ask your Onc beforehand if it's ok to take the Senokot...can't imagine you couldn't because it's all natural with no harsh chemicals in it. Thanks about the new picture...thats my seetie pie granddaughter Lizzy...14 months old. Good luck on Friday...I'll be fishing on the coast that day for summer run steelhead in the lower Columbia river, but will be home late Friday afternoon, early evening and will check in to see how you did. My prayers and positive thoughts are with you!...Sue (FNHL-2-3A-6/10)

    Lower Columbia, you live In
    Lower Columbia, you live In washington too? I'm up here in kent where are you?
  • Aaron
    Aaron Member Posts: 237
    forme said:

    Hi Aaron

    You said it! Glad that you sailed through the port placement. I'll be getting mine sometime after surgery. I did ask why not do it at the samt time. No such luck, involves different docs and different depts. Of course...

    Anyway. sorry you are queasy. Me and queasy are still trying to work out our relationship.
    I now have another new anti nausea med on top of the one from a few hours ago. I am feeling a whole lot less of that yuck feeling.

    We will be with you on Friday, be prepared for a long day.

    ((hugs))
    Lisha

    Thanks Lisha
    Bless your heart! I know I'm in for a long one, thankfully my wife's going to spend the day with me. I know y'all will be with me on Friday. They said I could use my smartphone during treatment so y'all may get some play by play. I hope you know we will all be with you on tuesday . Hugs right back at ya! Aaron
  • forme
    forme Member Posts: 1,161 Member
    Aaron said:

    Thanks Lisha
    Bless your heart! I know I'm in for a long one, thankfully my wife's going to spend the day with me. I know y'all will be with me on Friday. They said I could use my smartphone during treatment so y'all may get some play by play. I hope you know we will all be with you on tuesday . Hugs right back at ya! Aaron

    watching
    I'll be on the lookout for an update. But, I also won't be surprised if there is none. The pre chemo meds may send you right off to sleepy land. many have slept right through their chemo.
    Sue and I are both on west coast time. I think everyone else in east of us.
    There was a gal about a year ago from Calif, like me, but have not seen her lately.
    Also Sue and I are both night owls, so if you are up late looking for someone to talk with, you will usually find one or both of us.
    hang in there, we are all with you.

    Lisha
  • allmost60
    allmost60 Member Posts: 3,178 Member
    Aaron said:

    Lower Columbia, you live In
    Lower Columbia, you live In washington too? I'm up here in kent where are you?

    Yakima Washington
    Hi Aaron,
    I'm East of the Cascades in good old Yakima....the "Palm Springs" of Washington...or so the sign on I82 says...ha! What a joke...sign should read "Gang Springs"!!! If you can't tell...I'm not fond of Yakima anymore. Been here for 34 years and can't believe how bad it's gotten. Back in the late 70's and 80's it was a great place to live...not anymore! We plan on moving next year down on the Columbia River...Bingen, White Salmon, Undedrwood, Stevenson...somewhere in that general area. We vacation every year down there and have always said we will live out our final days down on the river. Steve retires Jan 1st, so we will start looking in the spring for a place to live. I haven't been to Kent, but been many times to Seattle...Mariner games, shopping,doctors etc. I love the Seattle area, but wouldn't want to live in the city. Anyways.... I be in Yakima...ha! Sue
  • Aaron
    Aaron Member Posts: 237
    allmost60 said:

    Yakima Washington
    Hi Aaron,
    I'm East of the Cascades in good old Yakima....the "Palm Springs" of Washington...or so the sign on I82 says...ha! What a joke...sign should read "Gang Springs"!!! If you can't tell...I'm not fond of Yakima anymore. Been here for 34 years and can't believe how bad it's gotten. Back in the late 70's and 80's it was a great place to live...not anymore! We plan on moving next year down on the Columbia River...Bingen, White Salmon, Undedrwood, Stevenson...somewhere in that general area. We vacation every year down there and have always said we will live out our final days down on the river. Steve retires Jan 1st, so we will start looking in the spring for a place to live. I haven't been to Kent, but been many times to Seattle...Mariner games, shopping,doctors etc. I love the Seattle area, but wouldn't want to live in the city. Anyways.... I be in Yakima...ha! Sue

    I lived all over that area
    I lived all over that area when I was a kid Yakima, sunny side, wapato, grand view and prosser and a few more I can't remember from the late sixties to the mid seventies. My dad was a dj at almost every country station in that region back in those days. Have a great trip and limit out! If y'all get to this side of the mountian let me know I'd love to meet one of my new friends from the board.
  • Aaron
    Aaron Member Posts: 237
    allmost60 said:

    Yakima Washington
    Hi Aaron,
    I'm East of the Cascades in good old Yakima....the "Palm Springs" of Washington...or so the sign on I82 says...ha! What a joke...sign should read "Gang Springs"!!! If you can't tell...I'm not fond of Yakima anymore. Been here for 34 years and can't believe how bad it's gotten. Back in the late 70's and 80's it was a great place to live...not anymore! We plan on moving next year down on the Columbia River...Bingen, White Salmon, Undedrwood, Stevenson...somewhere in that general area. We vacation every year down there and have always said we will live out our final days down on the river. Steve retires Jan 1st, so we will start looking in the spring for a place to live. I haven't been to Kent, but been many times to Seattle...Mariner games, shopping,doctors etc. I love the Seattle area, but wouldn't want to live in the city. Anyways.... I be in Yakima...ha! Sue

    I lived all over that area
    I lived all over that area when I was a kid Yakima, sunny side, wapato, grand view and prosser and a few more I can't remember from the late sixties to the mid seventies. My dad was a dj at almost every country station in that region back in those days. Have a great trip and limit out! If y'all get to this side of the mountian let me know I'd love to meet one of my new friends from the board.
  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,803 Member
    Aaron said:

    Thanks Lisha
    Bless your heart! I know I'm in for a long one, thankfully my wife's going to spend the day with me. I know y'all will be with me on Friday. They said I could use my smartphone during treatment so y'all may get some play by play. I hope you know we will all be with you on tuesday . Hugs right back at ya! Aaron

    Port

    Aaron,

    As a sub sailor, we always loved it when port was in view (I know, I gotta keep my day job !).

    When they go to insert the special needle that is used for a port, they gave me the option of a numbing spray, which avoids any small pain, but they also told me I could take a cream home, which has similiar effects. I always just let them use the spray. Actually, I do not think that needle insertion would hurt with neither, for that matter.

    A port is a great convenience, and will avoid frequent cath work in your arms.

    Best of luck and go with our prayers on Friday.

    They were slow and cautious on my first infusion, but it took over 7 hours (You will get three bags of med (Rituxan, dicarbazine, bleomycin), two push-pull cylinders (Adromycine "Red Devil," and Vinblastine), as well as a few fluid bags, to protect your kidneys.

    Expect a lot of trips to the bathroom after the first two or three hours...

    Really, except tiredness and feeling extremely bloated, I had no trouble on my first day.

    Your dad played Country music on the radio ?

    There is a huge hit out right now by Kelly Clarkson that has a refrain:

    "Whatever doesn't kill ya makes you stronger."

    max
  • COBRA666
    COBRA666 Member Posts: 2,401 Member

    Port

    Aaron,

    As a sub sailor, we always loved it when port was in view (I know, I gotta keep my day job !).

    When they go to insert the special needle that is used for a port, they gave me the option of a numbing spray, which avoids any small pain, but they also told me I could take a cream home, which has similiar effects. I always just let them use the spray. Actually, I do not think that needle insertion would hurt with neither, for that matter.

    A port is a great convenience, and will avoid frequent cath work in your arms.

    Best of luck and go with our prayers on Friday.

    They were slow and cautious on my first infusion, but it took over 7 hours (You will get three bags of med (Rituxan, dicarbazine, bleomycin), two push-pull cylinders (Adromycine "Red Devil," and Vinblastine), as well as a few fluid bags, to protect your kidneys.

    Expect a lot of trips to the bathroom after the first two or three hours...

    Really, except tiredness and feeling extremely bloated, I had no trouble on my first day.

    Your dad played Country music on the radio ?

    There is a huge hit out right now by Kelly Clarkson that has a refrain:

    "Whatever doesn't kill ya makes you stronger."

    max

    Numbing Cream
    I may be different in the way I feel pain,but the first time I got stuck in the port it HURT. I then went searching for some numbing cream. I made up my mind right there I was nobodys Macho Man. LOL...It did not hurt the second time,but I did feel the pressure.Like I was saying we are different in the way we feel pain. John
  • ta8631
    ta8631 Member Posts: 40
    Aaron said:

    Thanks ta, how are things
    Thanks ta, how are things going for you? I hope your doing well.

    Things are going well, just
    Things are going well, just getting to feeling better it has been a really exhausting week :)
  • Aaron
    Aaron Member Posts: 237
    ta8631 said:

    Things are going well, just
    Things are going well, just getting to feeling better it has been a really exhausting week :)

    Glad to hear it
    That good, it's weird how our little ones are so sweet and understanding for about 5 minutes and then it's business as usual. Even on day one and now 5 am on day 2 I keep thInking on how you said " I feel worse from treatment than from the disease " or something to that effect. I can sure relate to that, I felt so foggy headed and drained after yesterday. Guess we have to just keep our eyes on the prize. Take care my sister in arms, we can defiantly win this war. btw if you feel inclined put up a pic of you and your family, it's always nice to see who your talking to. Stay strong my friend, Aaron
  • COBRA666
    COBRA666 Member Posts: 2,401 Member
    Aaron said:

    Glad to hear it
    That good, it's weird how our little ones are so sweet and understanding for about 5 minutes and then it's business as usual. Even on day one and now 5 am on day 2 I keep thInking on how you said " I feel worse from treatment than from the disease " or something to that effect. I can sure relate to that, I felt so foggy headed and drained after yesterday. Guess we have to just keep our eyes on the prize. Take care my sister in arms, we can defiantly win this war. btw if you feel inclined put up a pic of you and your family, it's always nice to see who your talking to. Stay strong my friend, Aaron

    5AM and up
    Aaron,
    Up at 5am??? Its almost 10am here on the East coast. I get up around 7am. What got you up so early or do you always rise early? Its not like we don't have something on our minds or anything to not let us sleep thru the night..Right!!!...I went thru the same thing and still at times I still do. John
  • COBRA666
    COBRA666 Member Posts: 2,401 Member
    Aaron said:

    Glad to hear it
    That good, it's weird how our little ones are so sweet and understanding for about 5 minutes and then it's business as usual. Even on day one and now 5 am on day 2 I keep thInking on how you said " I feel worse from treatment than from the disease " or something to that effect. I can sure relate to that, I felt so foggy headed and drained after yesterday. Guess we have to just keep our eyes on the prize. Take care my sister in arms, we can defiantly win this war. btw if you feel inclined put up a pic of you and your family, it's always nice to see who your talking to. Stay strong my friend, Aaron

    5AM and up
    Aaron,
    Up at 5am??? Its almost 10am here on the East coast. I get up around 7am. What got you up so early or do you always rise early? Its not like we don't have something on our minds or anything to not let us sleep thru the night..Right!!!...I went thru the same thing and still at times I still do. John
  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,803 Member
    COBRA666 said:

    Numbing Cream
    I may be different in the way I feel pain,but the first time I got stuck in the port it HURT. I then went searching for some numbing cream. I made up my mind right there I was nobodys Macho Man. LOL...It did not hurt the second time,but I did feel the pressure.Like I was saying we are different in the way we feel pain. John

    cream
    John,

    I never took a needle in the port without spray, so I might have hurt as badly as you if I had. The visible part of the port is the little ball, but the ball is framed in a hard disk, and the edges of the disk are sewn into muscle tissue, to prevent it from moving around. So, it would make sense that shoving on that wuld hurt, especially before the incision had healed well.

    max
  • COBRA666
    COBRA666 Member Posts: 2,401 Member

    cream
    John,

    I never took a needle in the port without spray, so I might have hurt as badly as you if I had. The visible part of the port is the little ball, but the ball is framed in a hard disk, and the edges of the disk are sewn into muscle tissue, to prevent it from moving around. So, it would make sense that shoving on that wuld hurt, especially before the incision had healed well.

    max

    Placing the Port
    Max,
    You know I never knew how it was placed. It was all explained to me beforehand ,but I was so much not with it I can't remember what they said. I knew it was sewn to something and the tube end is sewn into a main artery or vein. I don't know which.You are right it does not move at all. I know when I got home it was swollen pretty good. As time went on and everything started to go back to normal I felt the 3 little triangle nubs at the edges. The nurse does not even have to feel for them. They show up real nice. John