Fun with Needles

The last 12 hours have been fairly interesting.

A couple of days ago, I noticed a slight discomfort in my left arm. My left arm is where my IV port is located. It was temporary and quite mild, so I didn't think much about it and, in fact, soon forgot it. Yesterday, I noticed again. Ever since I got the IV port put in, I've been acutely aware of that part of my body. (It took a couple of weeks for me to not feel the catheter running through my vein all the time.) I just figured it was more of the same.

But, last night, as I was getting ready to go to bed (a little too late at night for my own good, I might add), I became aware that my arm was feeling pretty tight... particularly when I bent my elbow. It occurred to me that it might be swollen, so I decided to measure it. Sure enough, it was about an inch bigger around than my right arm.

So, I took a closer look and noticed that my hand looked pretty swollen as well. As I was comparing left arm to right arm, I suddenly became aware that my entire arm below the IV port was discolored. It looked like I had a sunburn!

This kind of freaked me out, so I immediately called the after-hours number for my doctor's office. Of course, I got an answering service and they told me that they'd page the doctor on call and have him call me back. I was a bit surprised when the call I got half an hour later was actually from my doctor.

After describing the symptoms to him, he surmised that I had a blood clot around my port. My grandfather died of a stroke, my grandmother had angina, and my mom died of an aneurism... so this news was a bit unsettling to me... particularly since this vein runs directly into my heart. That was sort of the point of the IV port.

My doctor felt that it wasn't a big enough emergency for me to go to the ER, so he scheduled me for an ultrasound on my arm for first thing this morning. Sure enough, I have a clot... and it seems to be blocking blood from passing through that vein.

My options to deal with this were to remove the IV port or to go on blood thinners. My doctor recommended the blood thinners. That ensures that the clot is dissolved and doesn't break off and head for my heart or lungs. I chose to follow my doctor's recommendation.

That's when I found out that the blood thinner I'll be taking (Lovenox) is taken daily by subcutaneous (under the skin) injection... that I give myself. Yikes!!

This kind of freaked me out when I first learned about it. I know that diabetics do this all the time, but I always wondered if it was something I'd be able to do. It turns out, yes.

First, the needle is teeny tiny. And you poke yourself really fast, so you don't even feel it go in. And, you don't have to go into a vein, so placement isn't an issue either.

Before giving me the prescription, the nurse gave me lessons on how to give this shot to myself. She told me to think of throwing a dart when I give myself the shot... except I don't throw the needle, of course. But the wrist movement is the same quick wrist movement you use when throwing a dart. She had me practice with an empty needle in the office.

I had mentally prepared myself as she went through the instructions, so I thought I was ready. But when she handed me that needle, it changed everything. I got really nervous and anxious about it. But, then I took a couple of calming breaths and just did it. (Remember "feel the fear and do it anyway?") I didn't even feel the needle go in. It was easy!

So, I immediately got the prescription filled, went home and gave myself the shot. The liquid stung a little going in, but my neulasta and red blood cell shot (I always forget what it's called) are much, much worse, so it wasn't really a big deal.

So, now you can add self-administering daily shots to my cancer journey. I never know what interesting new places this journey will take me... but I keep finding out.