holiday weekend affecting chemo treatment

Nana b
Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I just found out that I will not get my chemo treatment next week because the cancer center is closed on Friday, July 3rd and can't disconnect me o that day. My insurance will not approve my getting chemo a day early, which would allow me to get disconnected on Thursday, the 2nd. I can't say this bothers me because I go on vacation on the 4th..........no chemo side affects while on vacation sound wonderful. But that means that I will go two weeks without chemo, and will start back the week after I get back from vacation.

Do any of you know if this lessens the affect of my chemo, because if it does, I will make a stink about getting someone in the office to disconnect me on Friday (holiday)....and I am sure there are many others who are on the same cycle as I am. The last I heard they will not bring in a nurse to come in on Friday, the 3rd.

I have a call into my oncologist, but wondering if you all know if going two weeks without chemo matters, I already had a 3 month break due to my surgery in April.

Thanks.

Comments

  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #2
    chemo break
    Nana,

    I think a break from chemo for two weeks is usually considered okay to do. If you're concerned, though, I'd definitely put a call into your oncologist. He/she will probably think it's fine. If not, though, I'm wondering if they could maybe give you some Xeloda (oral pill form of 5FU) for while you're on your trip so you wouldn't miss anything. I'm sure it would be most wonderful to not have to worry about it on your trip, though, so hopefully that will work out for you and your onc will agree.

    Take care & ENJOY your vacation!! (I'm going on vacation too, on July 8th)

    Hugs,
    Lisa
  • kmygil
    kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
    #3
    Hitting the "pause" button
    Hey Nana! I don't think the break will cause any significant problem. If you had gone in and your blood values weren't good, you would have to take a break anyway. This way, you get to feel good on vacation, and your body gets to rebound. I wouldn't worry if I were you.
    Enjoy your vacation!

    Kirsten
  • kimby
    kimby Member Posts: 797
    #4
    Disconnect
    I get my chemo-to-go bag on Thursday (today, actually) and do my own disconnect/port flush on Saturday. When I'm back for the next cycle I'll bring "Fred" back home to be refilled. I love it and it saves me a trip to the center.

    Kimby
  • mom_2_3
    mom_2_3 Member Posts: 953 Member
    #5
    Disconnect at home
    My husband always disconnects me from my pump. It is very easy to do and very convenient as I don't have to get to the oncologist's office to do so. On my first infusion they showed him how to do it.

    1. First he snaps the line to the bottle shut (like a paper clip).
    2. He swabs the input line with alcohol.
    3. He then twists on a saline syringe (provided by the onco) and pushes it through.
    4. He then twists on a heparin syringe (also provided by the onco).
    5. He lifts up the tape aroung the needle and pulls it out.

    It's painless! And my husband is much cuter than any nurse or doctor at the onco's office!!

    This is of course based on whether you have an implanted port-o-cath (which I think you have, right?).

    So bring a friend or family member to your appointment and have the oncology nurse show him/her how to do it. You may never go back to actually going into the dr's office again for disconnects.
  • lesvanb
    lesvanb Member Posts: 905
    #6
    mom_2_3 said:

    Disconnect at home
    My husband always disconnects me from my pump. It is very easy to do and very convenient as I don't have to get to the oncologist's office to do so. On my first infusion they showed him how to do it.

    1. First he snaps the line to the bottle shut (like a paper clip).
    2. He swabs the input line with alcohol.
    3. He then twists on a saline syringe (provided by the onco) and pushes it through.
    4. He then twists on a heparin syringe (also provided by the onco).
    5. He lifts up the tape aroung the needle and pulls it out.

    It's painless! And my husband is much cuter than any nurse or doctor at the onco's office!!

    This is of course based on whether you have an implanted port-o-cath (which I think you have, right?).

    So bring a friend or family member to your appointment and have the oncology nurse show him/her how to do it. You may never go back to actually going into the dr's office again for disconnects.

    Husband disconnects
    My husband also disconnected me from the pump so I didn't have to drive 5 hrs to do that on the third day. the first few times we either had an WEMT or nurse friend there to have a second set of eyes. By the end though he was very confident and I was confident in him.

    Sometimes a home nurse can disconnect you as well.
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #7
    No deal.....
    They won't let me or my husband disconnect it, even though my husband was a medic for 20 years. They just want my $20 co-pay! :-) No, they said the liability was too great.

    ONC said my CEA is in the normal range so we are okay....I think 2.0, or .02, not sure which number is normal now, but he said he felt there was no activity going on right now and we are just mopping it up. That was great to hear!

    So, Scottsdale, Camelback Inn, here I come...no chemo..... one whole week of "a bit" of the old me, and my old bffs.....girlfriends from the Phoenix area relaxing and having a good time.

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