Chemo on hold for gallbladder removal & then DVT in upper extremity. Ugh.

[k0chr]

It's certainly been an eventful 30 days. The day I returned the pump for my second cycle, I wound up back at the infusion center crumpled in a wheelchair puking my guts out in pain. Gallbladder tests ensued and, eventually, out it came (I hate, hate, hate outpatient surgeries). Four days after removal, of course a Saturday, my left arm swelled, became painful, and turned blue. The on-call surgeon told us it wasn't likely to be bloodclots & was just probably "something with the port." Something with the port, indeed, where that something is DVT. By the time Monday rolled around and we talked to oncologist who sent me to get an ultrasound, the radiologist found

[N]oncompressible thrombus in the left internal jugular vein. The thrombus extends into the left subclavian and axillary veins. There is noncompressible superficial thrombus in theleft basilic vein in the upper arm.

Positive DVT in the left upper extremity involving the left internal jugular vein, subclavian, and axillary veins with the superficial thrombus in the left basilic vein.

So, now it's daily Lovenox injections likely for the remainder of chemo according to the onc. I also get to wear a nice compression sleeve on my left arm. So much for trying not to spread the news about my diagnosis around. This whole thing has certainly gone downhill rapidly.

[Rock_Robster]

Hi K0chr,

Really sorry to hear this - our DVT experiences are so similar though I had to post something. My catheter tip spontaneously migrated after my 2nd cycle of chemo, from my vena cava up to the subclavian vein on the opposing side from the port (my left). I took a load of FOLFOX into this vein without knowing, and it immediately became swollen and painful. Both my surgeon and oncologist said it was on the “wrong side” for a port problem, and suggested I see a physio. The physio was worried and suggested my GP. The GP ran bloods, x-Ray and a Doppler, found the stray catheter and a large DVT - running subclavian, brachial and cephalic veins. Geez they’re painful!

Anyway the good news from this story - they removed the port straight away, I started on clexane injections twice daily, and spent 2 nights in hospital monitoring for PE. It didn’t delay my chemo at all, and 2 months later the clot had completely resolved on Doppler. I went on to have a liver resection and rectal resection without clotting/bleeding issues. I started seeing a haematologist (once I was clear my surgeon knew little about this stuff), and she’s been great. She kept me on the clexane for 6 months during treatment out of an abundance of caution, and just this month I switched to oral anticoagulation. Neither of these have been a problem for surgeries.

Anyway, I hope your aftermath and recovery is as benign as mine was.

Rob

[boxhill]

Good god, that sounds awful!

The variety of things that can afflict us never ceases to amaze me.

The on-call surgeon sounds like a bit of a twit, BTW.

[TinaFish]

Seriously, you dealt with that s*** from Saturday to Monday? your doctor should have told you to go to the hospital!

[Rock_Robster]

PS: if you’re looking for some positives in all this, there is some research suggesting anticoagulation therapy may inhibit cancer metastasis... So who knows, maybe this has all been a gift (that’s what I tell myself, anyway!)