Hi, hope you're all well.

This is a helpful, encouraging and positive thread - so know that you're helping many, even if they aren't posting, they're likely reading  ; and they're going through this journey too, and following your updates is really uplifting.

Just a quick question, have the option of a Port or Picc line starting FLOT pre surgery and been recommended the port - and wondered what you guys had ... 

Thanks for the help.

21...I feel like it most of the time until this Last year!

41 yes but feeling much younger apart from the stress! 

Happy Wednesday folks...

Lee

Hi redski... unfortunately my Dad has been diagnosed with stage 4 and inoperable...so surgery hasn't been an option for us.

Lee

Hi Redski,

My husband had a picc like. I know a friend who has a port but don't really know the difference? I do know that the picc line goes to a central vein. Hilts  may help being an ex nurse and all that! 

Re FLOT ask away, I am a concerned onlooker. My husband coped pretty well. Yes there were side effects but he managed them. He had a heat pad for his throat as he had a slight reaction to the Oxaliplatin. At least it's warmer - winter when he had his FLOT and during lockdown! He drank lots of water and took warm boiled water in flasks and a cup for when he woke up at night. Seemed to help him. Hope all goes well. Cancer nurse should be able to explain pros and cons of port or Macmillan nurse. I used their help line. I found nurses good, emotional support not as good. Although sharing your feelings/fears with a stranger can help.

Keep the faith #Hilts

Milly

Hi redski,  my Dad has a cafeter fitted just below his left shoulder- everything goes through there eg. Weekly blood tests,  chemotherapy,  pre scan drugs ect

My Dad has not had any issues with this and easy quite easy and straightforward 

Hi

Milly glad to hear your husband is on the mend. Its a long slow road we are on.

Hilts glad to here the husband has returned back to work a bit of normality for yourself whatever that means in this mad world

BFG good luck with the final 4 this Thursday it will all seem a distant memory very soon.

Leechap definitely not the nicest thing this chemo but for a bit of constipation or even tingling the benefits outweigh anything else we just have to grin and bear it and be glad we have strong family's supporting us.

Redski

I have had a Hickman line (central line) and also a PICC line (on my second PICC line now), I believe the port version is the Hickman version, my understanding is some staff  prefer this version due to it not blocking as easy for administering drugs and taking bloods, In my experience the PICC line is a lot easier to install and remove, my personnel issue with these lines is my body tends to rejects them and gets infected and i end up on antibiotics.

Hi Redski

I didn't get a choice and had a Picc line.  I had a dvt with my first one last December on my first flot round,  which resulted in blood thinners for a few months, but they moved it to my other arm (radiologist was impressed,  saying it was the longest ever picc line for him). So I'm currently on my 3rd picc for my 2nd round of flot.

Other than the dvt which is not uncommon, I've not had any infections - but there are others in this chat who have.

Picc is relatively hassle free,  just need to ensure the end is covered and strapped back onto the arm to stop it irritating in between cycles.  They gave me an elasticated cover - nothing fancy - to protect it in the shower.  Nurses paid a visit day after chemo to remove the pump,  then a week later to flush, and then to take bloods before the next cycle. 

As others have said,  ask away - we don't really shy from providing our experiences, side effects and occasional gory details. 

Lee, Milly, Ray and BFG ... that's really helpful, appreciate you sharing - makes sense and is exactly the sort of intel I needed - thank you.

Also, sharing your experiences has really helped knowing what's ahead, including all the bumps in the road - but that there is a pathway through it all, thanks.

Hi y'all

Welcome to the club Redski- as you can see we are increasing by the day/ week. Full details please  for nosey Parker (me). Or can I take a wild guess bloke, 50-60, trundling along, then bingo, bit 'trouble swallowing- endoscopy, expecting maybe ulcer or 2- then a ticket for the 'biggest' rollercoaster in town!

yep, this board has kept me going through all the 'rollercoaster'. I know this sounds weird, but it really help knowing that you/ us are not alone, for better & worse.

I'm am not sure if OC is actually on the increase, or its that we can find each other these days on places like here.

Millie- Didn't know there was a programme 'keeping the faith' mine is not a religious thing,, but a saying from my 'dissafected' long past youth.... scooters, bank holiday runs, northern soul, ska, and the one and only Stranglers x. It was a bit of a 'scene' saying. Always together type of stuff. No matter what -type of saying.

Redski- I digress ( a lot). Don't think my husband was given a choice. He had a PICC line x2 behaved itself until the 7th cycle, but managed to keep going to the 8th. I used to be a nurse, yes, but that was in the 80's. I'm not sure any of these longer term lines were even invented! So everything I know has been from the 'lived experience' All the chemo and especially the surgery is/was nothing like I remember it or imagined it to be. It is incredible how super slick the whole thing is.

A sense of humour is something to really hold on to. If you can't laugh what can you do! Even during the 'yuk' times, we had such a laugh watching really un PC stuff on you tube etc. 
 

what can I say all - current meltdown over, feeling more chilled and as ever 'keeping the faith'

Hilts