Life hacks anyone?

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Mohrfamily
Posts: 267
Joined: Tue May 22, 2018 4:04 pm

Life hacks anyone?

Postby Mohrfamily » Sat Jun 23, 2018 9:32 am

My DH hates driving places because the seatbelts rub his port which is better now but I think it's more to do with the pain memory response. This means I am looking into seat belt covers. Which got me thinking....

Does anyone have any cancer life hacks they want to share? As a kind of ongoing thread for all?
DH dx stage IV liver mets largest 6x6.4 cm
Colonoscopy/endoscopy/port place 5/29
4cm mass in splenic flexure
1st round FolFox 5/30
08/2018 new CT no new lesions, clear lungs, slight decrease in colon.
3/2019 PET scan shows greater than 6-7 liver mets largest measuring 3x3 cm. No growth nothing new.
8/15/19 largest liver lesion 1.9x2.1
9/16/2019 OSU to proceed with surgery implant HAI and colon resection
11/19 resection of colon HAI placed
2/20 CEA back to 1000s, liver worse than when we began-start FOLFIRI

Trying
Posts: 250
Joined: Sun May 13, 2018 10:11 pm

Re: Life hacks anyone?

Postby Trying » Sat Jun 23, 2018 12:14 pm

I have to put that part of the seatbelt inder my arm. Probably not as safe bit it really bothers me when ot rubs on the port.
38 yr old single mom of almost 2 year old at the time
April 2018 colon cancer stage IV 10 liver mets and peri met. Folfox and 12 rounds oxyplatin
Fec 2018 Down to 2 mets in liver. 8 dissapeared
July 2019 switched to xeloda pills as I prefer to 3 day infusion. Also on avistan
Oct 2019 emergency colostomy due to perforated bowel. ( unreal pain)
Feb 2020 show 2mm tumor increase.
Plan to go back on oxy
Oxy failed- irinotecan as of of Sept 2020

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CRguy
Posts: 10473
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:00 pm

Re: Life hacks anyone?

Postby CRguy » Sat Jun 23, 2018 11:43 pm

I had my port placed on the right as I am always the driver ( so shoulder belt over the left side )
as a passenger ( rarely ) I would pull the strap down to my upper right arm area so not directly over the port
AND may have even put it under my arm once :shock:

BUTT ... could always try some high density foam ( upholstery cushion type ) under the shoulder strap / over the port,
to cushion the direct pressure

BUTT ! ..... it would not prevent pain if you are in an accident and the restraint locks with forward body motion
JMO

Cheers
CR

(( ...AND I probably shouldn't tell y'all this ... BUTT .. most modern lap / shoulder belt systems have a "lock-out" option which is used for kids car seats.
basically you pull the belt out to its limit to disengage the free riding mechanism, and gently retract the shoulder belt back to the "snug" limit which secures the car seat in a solid position i.e. doesn't let it lurch forward until it locks ...... SO if you "snug" it so it is a bit loose over the shoulder it would still provide restraint ... BUTT not put direct pressure over the shoulder area.
NOT SAYING anyone could or should try this, just letting y'all know how shoulder / lap systems work.
AND if you are in an accident it will hurt like HELL :twisted: regardless of where the strap is.

REMEMBER once we had NO seat belts ... then they added shoulder restraints and then air bags .... :shock: ))
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

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Robino1
Posts: 463
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 12:09 pm
Facebook Username: Robin.lawthers
Location: Florida

Re: Life hacks anyone?

Postby Robino1 » Sun Jun 24, 2018 8:58 am

For the first month or so, I would use a large clip that you use for a stack of papers (those big black clips for office use) and just clip the seatbelt to my sleeve at the shoulder. I kept it in the cup holder when not in use.

Now I don't use anything. Took a while before it was no longer sensitive
At 54 2014 1st colonoscopy colon cancer detect
Colon resect margins clear. No chemo Stage II
2017
Distend abd, pain in intestines.
CT scan seeding & Ascites
Lap diag - cancer on the omentum
CEA 217; 219
FOLFOX started 6/17
CEA 202
8/29/17 CT melting of tumor.
Latest CT scan shows 2 new tumors and return of ascites.
CEA: (2017)9/30 -109; 10/12 -99.1; 11/4 -90.7; 11/30 -70.7; 12/14 -83.4; (2018)1/4 -73.3; 2/1-84.2; 89.2; 89.8; 88.5; 81.8: 93.5; 107; 119
BRAF V600e

Lee
Posts: 6207
Joined: Sun Apr 16, 2006 4:09 pm

Re: Life hacks anyone?

Postby Lee » Sun Jun 24, 2018 4:08 pm

I put that part of the seat belt behind me. I know, not safe, butt the best solution for me. My port was also on my right side, so when I was the driver, no problem. Generally I am the driver.

We used to have seat belt covers for the kids when they were young. Not sure where I got them or what happened to them. If I still had them, I would send them to you. I would recommend Toys R Us, but I believe they are just a few days away from closing all stores. Good luck,

Lee
rectal cancer - April 2004
46 yrs old at diagnoses
stage III C - 6/13 lymph positive
radiation - 6 weeks
surgery - August 2004/hernia repair 2014
permanent colostomy
chemo - FOLFOX
NED - 16 years and counting!

zephyr
Posts: 363
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2016 7:31 am

Re: Life hacks anyone?

Postby zephyr » Sun Jun 24, 2018 4:44 pm

Lee wrote:We used to have seat belt covers for the kids when they were young. Not sure where I got them or what happened to them. If I still had them, I would send them to you. I would recommend Toys R Us, but I believe they are just a few days away from closing all stores.


If you strike out at Toys R Us, I found some on Amazon (haven't tried any yet).
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Automotive-Seat-Belt-Pads/zgbs/automotive/318324011
Nov-2009 Early stage CRC, routine colonoscopy
2010-2014 F/U colonoscopies, all clear
Jun-2016 CRC during F/U colonoscopy, surgery, Stage 4, KRAS, MSS
Aug-2016-May-2018 Folfox, 5FU, Folfiri & Avastin
Aug/Sep-2018 YAG laser surgeries (Germany), 11 nodules removed
Nov-2018 clean CT scan
Mar-2019 New lung nodules
Apr-2019 Dec-2020 Xeloda/Avastin, SBRT, cont. Xeloda/Avastin
Mar-2021 Forfiri/Avastin
Mar-2022 Ablation & Thoracotomy
Feb-2023 Folfiri & Avastin
Nov-2023 Xeloda & Avastin

Caat55
Posts: 694
Joined: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:01 pm

Re: Life hacks anyone?

Postby Caat55 » Sun Jun 24, 2018 5:49 pm

I have a little pillow with Velcro I put on strap but a bundle of rolled socks wrapped around the strap would do the trick. I don't put it on the port but above it to keep pressure off.
Do at 55 y.o. Female
Dx 9/26/17 RC Stage 3
Completed 33 rad. tx, xeolda 12/8/17
MRI and PET 1/18 sign. regression
Surgery 1/31/18 Ileostomy, clean margins, no lymph node involved
Port 3/1/2018
Oxaliplatin and Xeloda start 3/22/18
Last Oxaliplatin 7/5/18, 5 rounds
CT NED 9/2018
PET NED 12/18
Clear Colonoscopy 2/19, 5/20

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juliej
Posts: 3114
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 12:59 pm

Re: Life hacks anyone?

Postby juliej » Tue Jun 26, 2018 4:57 pm

Like CRguy, I had my port put on the opposite side so it wouldn't bother me when I was driving.

There are some "port pillows" available several places, like the one below. You might have one made with the logo of his favorite sports team or whatever design he'd like.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/592729982/seat-belt-port-protector-custom-seat
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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