CT Scan Just came in Liver Met (one)

[Robino1]

I washed my hair in the kitchen sink. Had hubby help some but was able to do most myself.

[NHMike]

You know whats funny My dad bought the wrap from Walgreens for me, yes my Dad is very loving for his 39 year old son, guess age doesn't matter right!! I didn't want to use it cause I was nervous of moisture or anything just seeping its way in there and causing an infection. Better to be safe then sorry but if its working for you NHMike, Maybe I will just do it too...Hate the all fours thing

I used waterproof bandaids to create a seal on the top. Then a few on the sides and one on the bottom. Then I used cloth tape all around. Nothing got in.

I opened our household tape supplies too and we had strapping tape (the kind for moving - way overkill on strength but waterproof), duct tape (really sticky and it might take some skin off with it), and masking tape (probably would have worked well) along with large pieces of gauze. After I took off the Saran Wrap, I covered it with porous gauze and used cloth tape around the edges so there is a little protection against things - though no protection against water. But I'm outside of the 72 hour window and water is okay. I just like to cover up wounds with something in case something falls on it and stings.

[Robino1]

I was afraid of stinging too, on the first shower. It didn't sting.

Strange how incisions never seem to sting but cuts that we get just doing everyday shit, do sting.

[Rikimaroo]

NH did you remove the dressing yourself? The initial clear tape they put over the port wound? Mine is still on with all the dry blood. I have my first chemo treatment on Wednesday so I am going to wait for them to remove and clean up. They didn't give me instructions to remove it but to wait for the RN to remove it. Yeah we are both over the 72 hours windows, but there is a 7 day window for keeping it dry. 48 to 72 hours for healing process of the wound. I did my port install same day as you, last Friday.

[NHMike]

NH did you remove the dressing yourself? The initial clear tape they put over the port wound? Mine is still on with all the dry blood. I have my first chemo treatment on Wednesday so I am going to wait for them to remove and clean up. They didn't give me instructions to remove it but to wait for the RN to remove it. Yeah we are both over the 72 hours windows, but there is a 7 day window for keeping it dry. 48 to 72 hours for healing process of the wound. I did my port install same day as you, last Friday.

They gave me explicit instructions to remove the dressing after one day. They put superglue over the wound and said that it would come off by itself and not to rub it off.

[Rikimaroo]

I got sutures on my wound which falls off on its own. Maybe I should give them a call I guess. I hate having a tape over the wound with dry blood, but I guess it won't cause an issue.

[Robino1]

NH did you remove the dressing yourself? The initial clear tape they put over the port wound? Mine is still on with all the dry blood. I have my first chemo treatment on Wednesday so I am going to wait for them to remove and clean up. They didn't give me instructions to remove it but to wait for the RN to remove it. Yeah we are both over the 72 hours windows, but there is a 7 day window for keeping it dry. 48 to 72 hours for healing process of the wound. I did my port install same day as you, last Friday.

Sounds like mine. I let them remove it same day as my first chemo session.

If you have that plastic patch over the whole thing, you should be good for a shower. That plastic keeps the surgical site dry. If you think it may leak, just put some tape around the outside edge.

I really feel for you guys. I know sometimes it pulls at my skin when they remove that plastic patch. I cannot imagine what you have to go through if you have any chest hair.

Do you have something like this over it?: https://www.medicalmega.com/medical/3m- ... gLLEfD_BwE

If so, you should be ok to shower.

[NHMike]

Yup, that's the stuff that was over it though it was a huge piece. I have a few Tegaderm sheets that the Ostomy Nurse gave me to replace the ones pulled off by the bag tape before one of the wounds healed. But I don't have any big enough to cover the chest port area.

I also have my first infusion on Wednesday. I think that mine won't get so much of a workout as I'm only doing Oxaliplatin via infusion and I might get bloods drawn via arm as I've heard of folks having problems with blood draws through the port.

[Rikimaroo]

NHMike goodluck on your treatment tomorrow. My treatment begins tomorrow as well. 2 days on 12 days off for 3 months

[dianetavegia]

I had a solitary liver met 1.4cm at 3 years and refused the biopsy due to possible seeding. I had a hepatic resection and no follow up chemo. That was 6 years this coming April. Scans in late November showed all clear. My CEA has risen to 5.8 but I’d had a 12 week and very bad sinus infection AND we found a tiny thyroid module and hypothyroid. Started me on thyroid meds and having an ultrasound this Friday. Thyroid problems can cause elevated CEA in people with no cancer.
Best of luck to you!

[susie0915]

NHMike goodluck on your treatment tomorrow. My treatment begins tomorrow as well. 2 days on 12 days off for 3 months

Good Luck to both Rikimaroo and Mike on your first chemo treatments today. If you're in cold weather, bring hat scarf and gloves when you go outside. I'm sure both of you will do great.

[AnonSurvivor]

Some one mentioned chest hair above, and I want to advise those among us with chest hair that the chemo infusion is likely to involve some serious tape around the port. I always did a pre-infusion shave of 3-4" inch radius around the port and profited by it.

[NHMike]

NHMike goodluck on your treatment tomorrow. My treatment begins tomorrow as well. 2 days on 12 days off for 3 months

I'm sitting in the chair and the infusion is about to start. The process takes longer than I'd like. 9 AM bloods, 10 AM Doctors meeting, 11:00 AM infusion start and it takes two hours. I have a laptop setup with my mechanical keyboard and external mouse as it's a bit of distance from the chair to the table so I can't really use the laptop keyboard and mouse with this thing attached to my chest.

[Robino1]

NHMike goodluck on your treatment tomorrow. My treatment begins tomorrow as well. 2 days on 12 days off for 3 months

I'm sitting in the chair and the infusion is about to start. The process takes longer than I'd like. 9 AM bloods, 10 AM Doctors meeting, 11:00 AM infusion start and it takes two hours. I have a laptop setup with my mechanical keyboard and external mouse as it's a bit of distance from the chair to the table so I can't really use the laptop keyboard and mouse with this thing attached to my chest.

At least your blood is drawn before seeing the doc. Mine are done after and then have to wait till they get the results back on the blood counts before proceeding.

One time I had a new person and OMG I was there for 7 hours!!!

[NHMike]

NHMike goodluck on your treatment tomorrow. My treatment begins tomorrow as well. 2 days on 12 days off for 3 months

I'm sitting in the chair and the infusion is about to start. The process takes longer than I'd like. 9 AM bloods, 10 AM Doctors meeting, 11:00 AM infusion start and it takes two hours. I have a laptop setup with my mechanical keyboard and external mouse as it's a bit of distance from the chair to the table so I can't really use the laptop keyboard and mouse with this thing attached to my chest.

At least your blood is drawn before seeing the doc. Mine are done after and then have to wait till they get the results back on the blood counts before proceeding.

One time I had a new person and OMG I was there for 7 hours!!!

I've found that there are a lot of gaps in how hospitals and the medical profession operate and I've seen this in world-class hospitals. I maintain lots of list of things to do and for planning to avoid glitches. The most recent example was the Xeloda. I remember what a pain it was ordering it (my insurance only covers mail-order) for Neo-Adjuvant and worried that it might not arrive in time. So I contacted my oncologist's office and they put in the order last Thursday. In my opinion, I shouldn't have had to do that. I got the pills on Monday but one big snowstorm or maybe a critical airport losing power for a day could have delayed it past my scheduled start date.

The hospital here turns the bloods around in under an hour so the doctor had the results. The CEA takes longer and I'm a bit curious but that wasn't necessary for starting the infusion. I will be here for four hours minimum today and I'm looking to decrease that time for the second cycle. I may ask if I can do the bloodwork the afternoon before so that I could start at 9 (or whenever they open) and get out in three hours or less.

7 hours sounds horrible for what should take 4 hours. I'd work with them on improving their process.

Good luck with yours as well, though hopefully your stint at the hospital is over already or almost over.