Monday 16 December 2013

Day 97: Veins

Hair schmair. After dropping off the kids at school this morning, i went for my day-before-chemo blood test. This is the one the oncologist has ordered to check on my white and red blood cell and platelet count plus liver function and myriad other things. Blood tests have become routine for me over the past few years preceded by years of donating blood in my healthy youth.  Sure I had some times when I suffered from low blood pressure and couldn't get the pint required, but usually it's ok.

Not today. Scott got one vial out of the usual vein in the inside of my elbow, but then it stopped. Since we needed 2 vials, he found another vein and got the rest. The first one is slightly bruised, which hasn't happened to me for ages. Nick pointed out that I did have a few drinks on Saturday night, then stood on the beach in the heat on Sunday morning for a few hours and then drank sangria for the afternoon. Dehydration maybe? D'oh. I've had about 10 pints of water since.

This minor incident made me conscious of the bigger possible issues. If finding a suitable vein proves too difficult, nurses recommend the installation of a "port", a temporary under-skin access to a vein around the collarbone. Apparently it makes the IV process quicker, but I'd like to avoid that if possible as is quite noticeable and it is summertime. Then there's possibility of the veins around the IV site getting hard or the chemo drugs leeching from the entry vein and harming the surrounding tissue.

I think I'd prefer the anguish and annoyance of pulling out another handful of hair thanks (there's that perspective thing again).

No comments:

Post a Comment