[swimangel72]

Hi my friends - sorry I've been a bit absent. Two weeks ago I switched oncologists - I just couldn't deal any more with the long trip and the longer wait in the waiting room. On top of that, when I asked the "snippy nurse" if she had given me the Herceptin, she "jokingly" said, "What's the matter - you want more drugs?" To make matters worse - when I asked her if she would be sending my blood out to check my liver enzymes she said, "Noooooo, they only get checked every three months." I then explained to her about the problems with my enzymes in the hospital and how the doctor said they'd be checked every two weeks, but still she said, "Noooooo you don't need it." So I got home and called the oncologist and he said, "She's totally wrong - you definitely need to get them checked every two weeks. I'll write a note in your chart." Well that was the end of THAT! I felt extremely uncomfortable dealing with THEIR communication problem - so I switched to a very reputable oncologist only 2 miles down the road from my house. He agreed with my first onc's treatment plan - the nurse practitioner and infusion nurses are all LOVELY and I'm so much more relaxed! They seem to be extremely thorough - my blood counts will be checked even on my off weeks - and they gave me an EKG before my infusion. I felt in very competent hands!

So last Wednesday I went in to have my blood work done and the nurse practitioner noticed immediately that my port incision looked even redder than the prior week. It also had a small hole that was oozing yellow. So I called my PS and he put me back on Levaquin on Thursday - this morning I saw him and he said, "It's infected and you can't stay indefinitely on antibiotics, so unfortunately it has to come out." He said to be sure I get a surgeon to remove it and IF I ever have to get another port, to NOT use an interventional radiologist!

Fortunately, the nurse practitioner at my onc's office gave me the name of a surgeon they use all the time. He was able to see me this afternoon and said it definitely has to come out, the sooner the better, because an infection could travel to my heart. So I ended up in the ER and he was able to remove the port this evening about 6pm. I feel relieved it's finally GONE - but worried that the Navelbine will burn my veins! Wednesday will tell all.......the onc nurse sounded very confident about giving me the Navelbine in my veins (and I've had at least 5 infusions that way already) but still I'm worried because the last one really turned the vein in my hand from blue to bright red and it took two weeks to feel better.

Thanks for listening to me complain - and please say a prayer I'll get through the last few infusions of Navelbine without needing another port!