folfox #7 great service downunder, port neddle almost popped off today

pete43lost_at_sea
pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
in Colorectal Cancer #1
its been so hot that the dressing that holds to chemo port neddle onto my skin just completely came off this morning. Luckily that needle just seems really stuck into the port. I am on the 5fu bottle for 46 hours.

so after dropping the kids to school and breakfast I went to local hospital and thought I
try out their chemo ward service. the local hospital is much closer than where I go for all my treatments. so glad I did not go to the locl doctor.

so I spent 20 minutes walking around this massive old local hospital looking for the chemo wards. Well finally found it.

I walked up to reception with my hand holding my chemo needle in saying the needle is about to pop out and all of yesterdays dressings have come off. Well quite a few were waiting, but she said go down to the chemo room asap "I think she did not want to have a spill near her". she just assumed I was one of their patients.

So off I went looking for the chemo room. found it, the nurses looked a bit shocked because they assumed I was one of their patients and could not remember doing me yesterday.
But these nurses were angles, they said sit right here, you be fixed up in a couple of minutes. I explained that I my main hospital is Saint Vincents but that I live near them.
I was mindful I had to get this sorted asap and be able to pickup kids from school.

Well she just said you need a shave as well. so she pulled off the sticky tape I applied to try and hold the needle in place. she shaved the port area witha real funky little shaver that put hair all ovr my T shirt. She put some jell all around the needle and port.
she seemed to then swab it clean. She then put on the big clear super duper dressing that really holds the needle in. all fixed. I thanked them and went to big head nurse and said what terrific service I just had and if I can give her my posters for our bowel cancer support group.

Problem solved. This is just another unexpected issue to deal with on the folfox express.

It cost nothing and was sorted in about 40 minutes.

We are so blessed downunder with great nurses and hospitals,

pete

Comments

  • jararno
    jararno Member Posts: 186
    #2
    Wow!
    Really great that you were able to help you! Wouldn't happen here in the USA! Even if you are their patient they would freak if you just showed up ( I did show up at the ONC Office to see if I might have shingles....I almost didn't get seen at all! )

    Do you have a "free" everybody gets seen medical care there? Here you had better have insurance or forget it!

    Maybe I should move to Australia???

    The "big storm" went way north of us here! It is sunny and warm here today ( almost 60 degrees! )

    Take Care,

    Barb
  • HollyID
    HollyID Member Posts: 946 Member
    #3
    Excellent service. Here in
    Excellent service. Here in the US, it would have cost you $200 and 40 minutes just checking in to get it fixed.

    Any nurse I know would have done it for free and they would have done it gladly... it's our wonderful hospitals that would have held you up!!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • Kerry S
    Kerry S Member Posts: 606 Member
    #5
    Pete
    Pete
    The only problem I ever had with my power port was when in the hospital they used it for an IV. They took the IV off and capped the line. I went to sleep. I woke a few hours later covered in blood. The damn cap on the IV line came off.

    I went to the manufactures web site and they had instruction on how to insert the needle and how to flush after use. That info helped me quite a few times. I even taught a nurse on it that had never done one.

    Kerry
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #6
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  • pete43lost_at_sea
    pete43lost_at_sea Member Posts: 3,900 Member
    #8
    Kerry S said:

    Pete
    Pete
    The only problem I ever had with my power port was when in the hospital they used it for an IV. They took the IV off and capped the line. I went to sleep. I woke a few hours later covered in blood. The damn cap on the IV line came off.

    I went to the manufactures web site and they had instruction on how to insert the needle and how to flush after use. That info helped me quite a few times. I even taught a nurse on it that had never done one.

    Kerry

    our medicare national system is good
    thanks for the comments everyone.

    all our countries have pluses and minuses.
    yesterday was a positive experience getting fixed and seeing a new hospital chemo room.

    trying to clean, sterilise and dress the port stuff would have been to difficult.
    the tape I put on at night came off in the morning. the onc nurse handle these port issues
    so effortlessly.

    if you want to move down under to enjoy our medical system come down, you can always stay here for a few days. just I'd think twice as we are having heaps of natural disasters of late.

    maybe our planet has cancer, I suspect the tumour is in australia at the moment.

    off to get the bottle off, don't like these minor pins and needles.

    have a good day,

    Pete

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