My mobility is getting even better. On the weekend I tried sitting in comfy, cushy chairs. I was able to do that for a couple of hours at a time. But, even this morning I ate breakfast sitting upright on the couch and now my tailbone is sore.
I got some bad news on Friday afternoon from the hospital. They answered a question I had the day before. No, I cannot swim with the PICC line. Grrr....
That was really depressing since I'll have the PICC line until September just when all the nice water weather is done. I told Erinn I'd only do two chemo sessions and then by late June I'll switch to the chemo pills. That created a bit of tension.
You see, the PICC line is limiting enough as it is. It's basically a hose inserted into a vein in my right bicep that follows its way about 1mm shy of my heart. The reason for this is to distribute the chemo and keep my veins safe as the chemo rots my veins. The chemicals will be instantly diluted when they're ejected right beside my heart and then distributed throughout my body. Because of this, I cannot move my right arm repetitively. In January I was told I could not shovel the driveway or do other repetetive motions regardless of the weight for fear the PICC line moving inside me. Now that it's summer, that would mean paddling or doing weights or lots of swimming. Of course, due to the surgery, I can't lift a goddamn thing until July anyhow.
Later that day we found out there are options. I can have a Port surgically implanted in my chest. It looks like this was the common way to get your chemo treatment until the PICC came along. The nurse explained that it is surgery and it'll be low priority surgery to have the port removed so it may take 6 months to have it removed once I'm done with it. I said put me on the waiting list to have the Port installed and I'll do the first two treatments by PICC line.
Also, in looking on the internet, we found some products that wrap around my arm to protect the PICC dressing for swimming.
So, yesterday, I got my PICC line installed. The nurse there was very helpful and explained that I'm getting a new-technology polyeurathane PICC line. She said I only had the old type of PICC line for one week back in January so I didn't really have it long enough to realize the drawbacks. It would break inside people's bodies after it's been installed. Sounds like a drawback.
The states have been using this new polyeurathane PICC for years but, due to tendering, it has just come to the Ottawa General Hospital the last two weeks. She also explained that I don't need to worry about the PICC line moving due to arm motions anymore so I should be okay paddling but I probably can't do weights because my arm will get very sore very early. Well, that was encouraging to hear. I can listen to my body and stop when I'm sore but I was always worried about having the PICC line move inside me and I wouldn't be aware of it.
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| On the May long weekend, about a dozen to 20 of us head off to Vermont from Ottawa. I had probably been about five times in a row until I started racing a lot in 2000 to 2009. I went again in 2010 then 2011 knowing I would go every year thereafter. Of course, cancer puts your life on hold. My motorcycles have been parked since the April surgery because I can't sit on them. I'll go again in 2013. Mind you, it was so swelteringly hot that being by the pool with the kids all weekend was a great consolation prize. |
So, the PICC line is in and we've ordered an arm wrap from the states to enable swimming.
Tomorrow, I go to the Ottawa General Hospital for my first chemo treatment. The first of eight biweekly. I'll be scratching each one off the calendar.
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