News.....

As you know i've been waiting 13 weeks for the PCT to make a decision weather or not to fund some treatment i'm waiting for.

The treatment is a trial (CD25), and it would cost the PCT £3000.

They have taken 13 weeks to turn round and say NO, they will not fund it. Their reason..........it's not a licensed drug! Well of course it's bloody not - it's a trial!

The doctor down at the Royal Free has said he will look into the appeals process, but if it took them 13 weeks to decide 'NO', i'm not very hopeful about an appeal.

I have chemotherapy (that I shouldn't have had to start - only on it because it was taking the PCT so long to decide) on Monday, so I think a long chat with the doctors is in order about where we go next.

Im not so sure I can do this waiting thing again - seeing as I have developed multiple new tumours in the 13 weeks ive been waiting!

No news - are you surprised?

As the title says, still no news on the PCT/getting funding front!
I went for my central line on Friday 9th April, after having a lovely time over Easter.
Unfortunately the consultant had decided I have too much swelling in my chest for a central line at the moment, and decided a PICC line would be best.

Well, this wasn't the best idea in my mind, and when the Nurse told me, I nearly started to cry. All I could relate to was remembering the PICC attempt last time - which was 6 attempts to get one in, and then getting phlebitis and an infection, and having the line removed a few days later...lots of pain, bleeding and bruising......I had already decided this wasn't a good option!

Still, I went along with it, keeping my head turned away the whole time. The local anasthetic stung like hell of course, then there was a lot of tugging and pushing. The Nurse announced it had been successful, and he had got it in on the first attempt. I congratulated him, and went of for an x-ray to ensure the line is in the correct place.
Line in place, I went home to await for Monday 12th April - my next chemo session.

As the weekend wore on and my arm was killing - me unable to bend or straighten it properly - I noticed a bruise a few inches lower than the entrance site, half underneath the statlock (device used to keep the PICC line in place - it is stuck to the skin like a plaster).
This bruise continued to develop, and spread a little way up my arm, and is bloody sore.
It looks like (and a nurse also said) that it was a failed attempt at getting the line in - so really it took 2 attempts, but i didn't feel it because of the local anasthetic!
That bruise is now very sore!

Monday 12th April was my 3rd round of Vinblastine. First of all blood was taken as usual, and the PICC entrance site was cleaned, and the dressing changed.
Taking the original dressing off was not pleasant, and ripped a small patch of my skin off - ouch! The cleaning of the area also stung, because of the chemicals used.
Chemotherapy was straight forward and very non-descript. The worst bit was waiting 3 hours for the Doctors as they were running behind!

Side effects this time are limited to being super extra tired! And of course, my arm is in agony, and it's hard to get comfy in bed because of it!

The District Nurses will come every other Monday (the ones when I won't be having Chemo) to flush the PICC line (this ensures it keeps on working).