In 2007/2008, I started my chemo infusions with RITUXAN which took somewhere between 4-6 hours and I always started the day of those infusions with LAB WORK and then a VISIT with the Oncologist; my arrival time was 7:45 am and I usually left the cancer center somewhere between 3:00 and 4:00 that afternoon. Back then, when the patient was there during the lunch hour, each patient got a full meal but there were not many of us... no more than 15-20 when there was a full house.
My IV was connected into my left or right forearm for 10 years until one morning when the needle being pushed into the vein hurt like hell, I decided that I had had enough and would ask my Oncologist to arrange for me to have a port installed. Up to that one morning, getting stuck, NEVER HURT... For over 6 months, every month I had to keep the needle in my forearm overnight because I was getting back-to-back infusions... and, while I remember it being rather uncomfortable especially when I needed to take a shower, it was never really that much of a hardship, but I am glad that I no longer have to deal with that...
There is a numbing creme that is put on the port (covered with saran wrap) that after an hour prevents the needle going into the port from hurting... a small price to pay to be pain free... especially since that port access needle is not small.
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