Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

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ginabeewell
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Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby ginabeewell » Wed Apr 10, 2019 10:54 pm

The past few days a ticking sound has kept me awake, and I had been trying to figure out what it is.

Today I realized: it’s coming from my belly! It’s the pump!!

Nobody mentioned I would be able to hear it. But it’s as loud as a loud watch with the ticking. And I think it doesn’t stop.

Is this something others have experienced? None of the online materials reference this, which makes me worry that maybe it’s not working properly? I’ll call tomorrow but posting tonight in case anyone else has insight.
49 YO mom of twins (11) lucky stepmom of 16/19 year olds
9/17/18 DX stage 4 CRC w inoperable liver mets CEA 931
Currently NED!

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mpbser
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Joined: Wed Apr 19, 2017 11:52 am

Re: Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby mpbser » Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:38 am

I don't think my husband's pump is making an audible ticking. It loudly vibrated and made a buzzing sound when he had an MRI, however. We believe that its location - as it was implanted in his chest cavity - provides an echo chamber for it. I would think if anyone would hear a ticking it would be someone with it implanted in the chest. Based on that, I surmise your case is unusual. Please keep us posted!
Wife 4/17 Dx age 45
5/17 LAR
Adenocarcinoma
low grade
1st primary T3 N2b M1a
Stage IVA
8/17 Sub-total colectomy
2nd primary 5.5 cm T1 N0
9 of 96 nodes
CEA: < 2.9
MSS
Lynch no; KRAS wild
Immunohistochemsistry Normal
Fall 2017 FOLFOX shrank the 1 met in liver
1/18 Liver left hepatectomy seg 4
5/18 CT clear
12/18 MRI 1 liver met
3/7/19 Resection & HAI
4/1/19 Folfiri & FUDR
5/13/19 HAI pump catheter dislodge, nearly bled to death
6-7 '19 5FU 4 cycles
NED

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ginabeewell
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Re: Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby ginabeewell » Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:43 am

I talked to a Medtronic rep this morning. She confirmed that I was hearing the gears that move in the device and that it’s possible I would hear it during “quiet times.”

That seems to mean any time I’m not actively listening to something / someone else.

I sure hope I get used to it! But I guess this can be an FYI for anyone else who experiences the same issue.
49 YO mom of twins (11) lucky stepmom of 16/19 year olds
9/17/18 DX stage 4 CRC w inoperable liver mets CEA 931
Currently NED!

Join me on a lookback of my journey via my Strive for Five on Substack here:
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juliej
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Re: Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby juliej » Thu Apr 11, 2019 5:52 pm

ginabeewell wrote:I talked to a Medtronic rep this morning. She confirmed that I was hearing the gears that move in the device and that it’s possible I would hear it during “quiet times.”

That seems to mean any time I’m not actively listening to something / someone else.

I sure hope I get used to it! But I guess this can be an FYI for anyone else who experiences the same issue.

Smart move to call a Medtronic rep!!! :D

The Codman and Medtronic pumps work completely different. The Codman used the heat of your body (no batteries or gears) to administer the FUDR to your liver. The Medtronic has gears (which tick, as you noted!) and has to be programmed externally.

The Medtronic one also has auditory alarms if something goes wrong, which is a little freaky to me. I worry enough when I go through TSA since they know nothing about HAI pumps without an alarm going off as I'm walking through security! :shock:

Here is a page at MSK with info about the new Medtronic pump. It also has a link to info about the alarms. Scroll down to the "Understanding Pump Alarms” section of the second link and you can hear examples of alarm noises.

https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/about-your-medtronic-implanted-infusion-pump

https://www.medtronic.com/us-en/patients/treatments-therapies/drug-pump-cancer-pain/living-with/daily-living.html
Stage IVb, liver/lung mets 8/4/2010
Xelox+Avastin 8/18/10 to 10/21/2011
LAR, liver resec, HAI pump 11/2011
Adjuvant Irinotecan + FUDR
Double lung surgery + ileo reversal 2/2012
Adjuvant FUDR + Xeloda
VATS rt. lung 12/2012 - benign granuloma!
VATS left lung 11/2013
NED 11/22/13 to 12/18/2019, CEA<1

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CRguy
Posts: 10473
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Re: Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby CRguy » Thu Apr 11, 2019 11:09 pm

juliej wrote: I worry enough when I go through TSA since they know nothing about HAI pumps without an alarm going off as I'm walking through security! :shock:

Sent you a PM homie
Call me if you need to make bail money ... :shock: :shock: :shock:

:mrgreen:
Cheers
CRguy
Caregiver x 4
Stage IV A rectal cancer/lung met
17 Year survivor
my life is an ongoing totally randomized UNcontrolled experiment with N=1 !
Review of my Journey so far

VeggieLvr
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Location: NY

Re: Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby VeggieLvr » Mon Apr 22, 2019 9:20 am

Yes, my pump ticks and it freaked me out at first! I barely notice it now and was actually worried when I realized I didn't hear it ticking the other day - I had my husband listen to my belly and he confirmed the tick is still there. :)
F, 42, Stage IV CC
2/23/18 - colonoscopy/virtual colonoscopy, diagnosed CC
3/6/18 - left hemicolectomy, 12" removed, clear margins. Multiple mets to lymph nodes (removed), omentum & liver, 1 possible lung met
4/6/18 - port install
4/9/18 - Folfox (Oxaliplatin/Leucovorin/5FU) 4 rounds
6/19/18 - liver resection, HAI pump install
8/30/18 - Folfiri (Irinotecan/Leucovorin/5FU)
12/5/18 - Erbitux added
5/28/19 - 2nd liver resection/ablation

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ginabeewell
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Re: Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby ginabeewell » Mon Apr 22, 2019 10:46 pm

The Medtronic rep was there for my flush today and he played the emergency alarm for us from inside of me. Wild!! Pretty sure I will panic if I hear it in real life.

The Northwestern head nurse flushed the pump and did it like a pro. She seemed to have an easier time than the MSK nurse did two weeks ago! So glad they got trained and I can do it there.
49 YO mom of twins (11) lucky stepmom of 16/19 year olds
9/17/18 DX stage 4 CRC w inoperable liver mets CEA 931
Currently NED!

Join me on a lookback of my journey via my Strive for Five on Substack here:
https://ginajacobson.substack.com

All treatment details here:
https://www.weareallmadeofstars.net/col ... nt-journey

My favorite posts here:
https://weareallmadeofstars.net/favorite-posts

kandj
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Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:29 am

Re: Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby kandj » Wed Apr 24, 2019 11:18 am

Ok, this might not make you laugh, but you saying something about the alarms made me think of when a smoke detector in the house is low on batteries and it gives that annoying beep, which always seems to happen at 2am. I just imagine the alarm going off at 2 am like a smoke detector! Did they say if there is a way to silence it? Does it sound like those FUDR pumps they send home that beep every 5 mins when they are done? That is so freaky and cool at the same time
wife to DH, dx 8/15 stage IV @36, 12+ liver Mets
HAI placed 12/15
Liver resect 5/19/2016 15-20 mets (surgeon lost count)
Liver Recurrence 7/2017-radiation
Lung met 10/18 VATS
lung/adrenal gland recurrence 11/19
Adrenal ablation 2/20 VATS 3/20
Radiation: 9/20 adrenal gland, 2/21 pancreatic node
9/2021 liver, 4/22 esophageal node
7/2023 proton therapy: liver
140+ rounds of chemo and counting
Chest nodes, lung nodules, and esophageal nodes currently.

larson119
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Re: Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby larson119 » Fri Oct 09, 2020 2:06 pm

I've recently started hearing my pump ticking & my husband hears it as well. He declared me to be a ticking time bomb, lol!
The Medtronics rep met me at my doctor's office. She had never heard of it before but she was going to look into it & let me know next week. HThe physician assistant looked somewhere on line & said it was just the gears. I'll post if I find out something different than what the PA said.
My blessings to you all.

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ginabeewell
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Re: Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby ginabeewell » Fri Oct 09, 2020 11:37 pm

Thank you! I’ve had my pump for over a year now, and it definitely ticks! I did call Medtronic and they said it was just the gears. Thankfully I don’t notice it much any more.
49 YO mom of twins (11) lucky stepmom of 16/19 year olds
9/17/18 DX stage 4 CRC w inoperable liver mets CEA 931
Currently NED!

Join me on a lookback of my journey via my Strive for Five on Substack here:
https://ginajacobson.substack.com

All treatment details here:
https://www.weareallmadeofstars.net/col ... nt-journey

My favorite posts here:
https://weareallmadeofstars.net/favorite-posts

radnyc
Posts: 446
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2010 6:32 pm

Re: Does your Medtronic pump TICK?

Postby radnyc » Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:01 pm

I had the old school Codman pump, made no noise. I believe the later Medtronic has more gears and things. As long as it’s pumping the chemo you should be good!
DX Jan 2010, at age 47
Feb - colon resection - 2/17 nodes positive
April - liver mets - Stage 4
3 months Folfox chemotherapy
August '10 liver resection and HAI pump
7 months chemo FUDR HAI and Folfiri systemic
NED since August 2010
Last treatment April 2011
HAI Pump removed Dec 2015


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