Remedial Veins

When I opted out of receiving chemo treatment through a port embedded into my chest back in January, I was accepting the fact that somewhere down the line (ha, ha) my veins would start to slack. Choosing to stick with IV treatment was not a decision I came to easily. (Although actually seeing one really tipped the scales in the favor of needles. I didn't envision a compatible relationship between dancing and something floating around under my skin.) Ultimately, I was not interested in anything else involving the words "surgical" and "procedure," and with treatment doses spread out by two weeks I hoped that would be enough time to let them chill out between infusions.  (Sounds so serene and spa-like, doesn't it?)

I began requesting lidocaine injections with my IV about a month ago. By numbing the area around the injection site, it makes treatment and subsequent side effects much more comfortable. Why not, right? Enter my treatment room last Monday and you would find a nurse highly trained in vein navigation doing some serious digging. Talk about elusive. After wiggling around in my left arm for awhile (I alternate arms each treatment.) she moved on to my right arm which was already exahusted from the past two weeks. Success at the expense of my poor right arm: all lumpy and hardened as I write this post. My nurse kindly reminded me to get some electrolytes next time. Hydration makes for a healthy vein, and even though I really try to drink tons of fluid before treatment, my efforts pale in comparision to the mighty chemo drug.  Hello Gatorade!