Good News and port is working for now!

camul
camul Member Posts: 2,537
in Breast Cancer #1
Had to go back to lab to try and give blood again. No luck. The male nurse, nice but a little cocky came in and said he was going to do a shortcut that he found is quicker than stronger heparin or TPA. I stopped him in his tracks! Asked if this was taking the big syringe of saline and pushing it in like 15 seconds. He said have you had it done? Isnt it great! I said yeah, it was great if you like having an TIA.
I told him about the nurse that didnt "have time to waste", and did it on me. That I got an instant pain in my head, came to laying on the floor in the infusion room with 2 doctors and all the nurses surrounding me. They had to give me a shot of something, one of the doctors had the paddles ready because they were sure my heart was goung to stop. Some shortcut, huh?
He asked what the outcome was, I told him, 2 -3 days before headache was gone and a good week before I was making total sense when talking. I knew what I wanted to say but the words wouldn't come out right, multiple phone calls over the weekend from my Dr. and his nurse (not the one who did the shortcut). That was at my old onco's center.
The nurse today said , well I have done it a few times and it worked really fast. I asked him if he would mind having the other nurse draw my blood. She asked me why the switched, I told her about our conversation and I wasnt comfortable with him. She said they are not allowed to do the force push because it can shoot a clot and they dont know how big the clot could be. That usually it is not an issue, but it can cause a stroke or heart attack. She has only been nursing for 4 years, in her late 20's but very confident. So happy she will be my draw nurse all the time now.

The good neews!!!!! The Aromison. is still working, my tumor marker still went down, now at 44.6. Started at 500+ in Dec. This has gone down steadily after being put on hormone blockers. The increase in pain and new tumor activity is not too serius as it is still slowing the progression. So no changes scheduled so far! I was so afraid that it had completely failed, because they are still out of new options, so asnlong as it is growing slow.... keep the fingers and toes crossed.

The other change is with my liver function. If it drops lower by 22Oct, then he will do the complete liver panel and scan... so now the toes are crossed too. But much better than expected! Now to findsomething for the pain and I will be all set.

Comments

  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #2
    Carol good news

    carol,

     I am glad that you stopped him. We alway need to stand up for ourselves. Osmetime I feel uncomfortable to tell nurses or med. assisstant that i do not feel comfortable with them, I always regret because my intuition never wrong.

    Good news -port is functioning and Aromasin is working. We just need to be paitient, eat well to boost immune system for the good fight. New drugs are coming

    hugs 

  • aisling8
    aisling8 Member Posts: 1,627 Member
    #3
    New Flower said:

    Carol good news

    carol,

     I am glad that you stopped him. We alway need to stand up for ourselves. Osmetime I feel uncomfortable to tell nurses or med. assisstant that i do not feel comfortable with them, I always regret because my intuition never wrong.

    Good news -port is functioning and Aromasin is working. We just need to be paitient, eat well to boost immune system for the good fight. New drugs are coming

    hugs 

    Oh, yay yay yay

    That is tremendously GOOD news. And good news provides hope. And hope lets us hang on till the new drugs show up.

    xoxo

    Victoria

  • Kaleena
    Kaleena Member Posts: 2,088 Member
    #4
    Great news, Camul

    Camul,

    So glad you stopped that nurse!    I am happy that the port is now working for now at least.    Also, so glad to hear the Aromison is working and that your tumor marker went down.   Keeping fingers and toes crossed for you. 

     

    My best to you.

    Kathy

  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    #5
    Happy Aromasin is Working

    Carol,

    Glad, no very, very, happy Aromasin is working!  

    Good thing you stop that nurse and have a good one  and it nice to have a working port.

    Hugs to you,

    Doris

  • Josie21
    Josie21 Member Posts: 382 Member
    #6
    SIROD said:

    Happy Aromasin is Working

    Carol,

    Glad, no very, very, happy Aromasin is working!  

    Good thing you stop that nurse and have a good one  and it nice to have a working port.

    Hugs to you,

    Doris

    Yeah!!

    Hi Carol,

    I am so happy you received good news!! 

    Hugs and more positive vibes being sent your way.

    Ginny

  • Double Whammy
    Double Whammy Member Posts: 2,832 Member
    #7
    Josie21 said:

    Yeah!!

    Hi Carol,

    I am so happy you received good news!! 

    Hugs and more positive vibes being sent your way.

    Ginny

    Just like the Ever Ready Bunny!

    Good news about the Aromosin, Carol.  I'm very happy you stopped that nurse.  Who knows what might have happened?  Keep up the good fight.

    Hugs,

    Suzanne

  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #8
    Double Whammy said:

    Just like the Ever Ready Bunny!

    Good news about the Aromosin, Carol.  I'm very happy you stopped that nurse.  Who knows what might have happened?  Keep up the good fight.

    Hugs,

    Suzanne

    Now need to figure out the pain/fatigue. Spent yesterday
    a cancer center, today slept most all day. Now if we can find anway to have energy after any activity, I will be really happy! But am happy that it isnstill slowing down the cancer. WAill now try to figure out what I can do to get liver numbers up, has to be something, on to study on inet!
    Love you all.
    Carol
  • GlowMore
    GlowMore Member Posts: 789 Member
    #9
    camul said:

    Now need to figure out the pain/fatigue. Spent yesterday
    a cancer center, today slept most all day. Now if we can find anway to have energy after any activity, I will be really happy! But am happy that it isnstill slowing down the cancer. WAill now try to figure out what I can do to get liver numbers up, has to be something, on to study on inet!
    Love you all.
    Carol

    Hey Carol

    Wasn't here yesterday and missed the news...very glad to see you stopping procedures you KNOW are not right for you....and liked what somebody else above said about always following her intuition.   My new Oncologist's PA finally called me back Tuesday and they are thinking to just wait until Dec for another Blood Draw...my Marker is at 46 ..first time over 30 since 2011....and my intuition is telling me to just wait until they send me the new Blood Script and to then just go ahead and get the new Blood Draw.  I'm Triple Negative so can't use any of the Hormonal Therapy so many have been able to take advantage of...and it seems to me that maybe the elevation is just a Lab thing...but my intuition says...dont wait.   The fatigue is always there and I believe a lot of it may be just the tension of always waiting for the next shoe to drop.  Got a Flu shot ten days ago and arm has a nickle size bruise just from the shot and I'm wondering about all these bruises that are showing up all over me....do you have lots f bruises?  Somebody told me to stop taking aspirin...so maybe need to research that too.   Tell me about the Liver Numbers...is tht the triglyceride numbers?

  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #10
    Double Whammy said:

    Just like the Ever Ready Bunny!

    Good news about the Aromosin, Carol.  I'm very happy you stopped that nurse.  Who knows what might have happened?  Keep up the good fight.

    Hugs,

    Suzanne

    Thanks eveyone!

    I love all the support. Yes Victoria, have to keep numbers good so I can go home again. This time would love to go back to Carlsbad or Oceanside. Close enuf to home! I bought 1 tkt per.draw for 10 draws with my sons/wife/gf. So maybe we will win and be able to come home. figure it could be the lucky one.

  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #11
    GlowMore said:

    Hey Carol

    Wasn't here yesterday and missed the news...very glad to see you stopping procedures you KNOW are not right for you....and liked what somebody else above said about always following her intuition.   My new Oncologist's PA finally called me back Tuesday and they are thinking to just wait until Dec for another Blood Draw...my Marker is at 46 ..first time over 30 since 2011....and my intuition is telling me to just wait until they send me the new Blood Script and to then just go ahead and get the new Blood Draw.  I'm Triple Negative so can't use any of the Hormonal Therapy so many have been able to take advantage of...and it seems to me that maybe the elevation is just a Lab thing...but my intuition says...dont wait.   The fatigue is always there and I believe a lot of it may be just the tension of always waiting for the next shoe to drop.  Got a Flu shot ten days ago and arm has a nickle size bruise just from the shot and I'm wondering about all these bruises that are showing up all over me....do you have lots f bruises?  Somebody told me to stop taking aspirin...so maybe need to research that too.   Tell me about the Liver Numbers...is tht the triglyceride numbers?

    good news --

    say it true --  Port is up and running?  just the little things that get us happy -- during our journey and struggles.

    Strength, Courage and HOPE for a Cure.

    Vicki Sam 

  • GlowMore
    GlowMore Member Posts: 789 Member
    #12
    VickiSam said:

    good news --

    say it true --  Port is up and running?  just the little things that get us happy -- during our journey and struggles.

    Strength, Courage and HOPE for a Cure.

    Vicki Sam 

    so funny and great Vicki

    Love your posts Vicki..... you make all feel better.... especially those of us who know about the Ports....what a headache they can be.......but what a blessing too.....  hugs to all, glo

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