The PIC sisters.

I know they sound like a band of some sort, but these wonderful nurses walked me through the PIC line procedure without hiccup, or pain- just a little squeamishness, light headedness and general fainty feelings!!
It was probably all the gowns and gloves and green drapes which did it- or maybe hearing the words 'ooh your veins are over 1cm deep in your arm', ' now we will just slide the tube up towards the heart', 'just rest your chin on your shoulder as sometimes the wire goes into your head and this will stop it taking a wrong turn'.............. eeek
Nigel was also suitably supportive, but even for him there were moments when he rather wished he had eaten more breakfast!! But the nurses sprang to and gave us cups of tea at just the right moments and jollied us along most professionally!
Anyway, it is now in, and I am all taped up. I have an enormous yellow glove (a vet's one!) which goes right up to my shoulder and apparently if I secure it with an elastic band and clingfilm I can shower in relative normality!!! I am not quite sure what is normal about wearing a luminous glove in the shower! Alternatively I can pay a relatively small amount for a plastic waterproof cuff which just covers the patch. Hmmm - dilemma!!

We also discovered that I am not carrying the HER2 receptors- which means I am not suitable to take the wonder drug Herceptin. Have to say that I was a bit disappointed by that, but apparently it could be an indication that the tumour is not as agressive as it could be- as the receptors are more commonly found in very agressive cancers. So, I am slightly consoled, and still praying for the lymph nodes to be clear- I get the results on wednesday 9th.

Chemo starts tomorrow and my anxiety is lessened by having the PIC line in- I worked out that I have at least 18 more occasions where they need to give drugs or take blood, so my morning's procedure will hopefully save a lot of digging around!