The one thing I know about the medical community, when you are in it or caring for someone in in, is that you have to advocate for yourself or the other person if they are not capable. And it can encompass everything, from watching and asking what medications they are giving you and why, to why certain treatments vs. others, to even watching the saline drip and making sure it's right. It's unfortunate because when you are in the hospital or dealing with doctors and nurses, it's not normally when you are feeling your best and everything is going right and your stress is minimal - quite the opposite. But it is still imperative that you do it.
So I go to chemo today and wait for the nurse to try to find one of my poor, disgruntled, hiding veins. She's all, okay, show me your access, so I show her my arms. She's all, ohhhh, no, the Dr came in the other day and said anyone getting adriamyacin has to have a PICC line or a port. Well, I have neither. Too late for a port while I'm sitting there and I have refused a Picc line for a number of reasons. I will tough out the sticks until I deliver and then will get a port. So I heard her talk to one of the other nurses who said something about me "just being against it" (ummm, yep. No PICC line with a 2 year old, plus I have seen and taken care of other people's PICC lines and seen too many infections, they just get dirty, plus I could have clotting issues due to being pregnant - so NO PICC LINE!) insuating I was just being difficult. So she was all flustered. She brought over the charge nurse, who knows my whole story, and she was like, okay, let's look at your arms, I'll take this one, no problem about the Picc line, I totally understand, got a good vein, annnnd done. So, there you go. You really have to learn to assert yourself at all times, for everything. And chemo went completely fine, not even the slightest skin reaction this time, in and out, great.
Glad it went well. I was thinking about you all day Monday. Are you still as tired this time around?
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