Went to Weinberg OPC (outpatient clinic) for my follow-up blood draw 11 days after avastin treatment. They run labs to see if all is o.k. Nurse Karin stuck a needle in the medial port but it refused to give blood. So she added TPA (kinda a rotor-rooter liquid that is supposed to clear the blockage) and we waited for it to work. No luck. Added another dose of TPA. Waited. Again no luck. So stuck a needle in the lateral port (essentially there are left and right accesses in the one port). It, too, refused to provide blood. By this time the lab guys were gone so no more TPA. So I suggested we try a vein in a hand. Numerous chemo treatments have done a number on my veins so after providing a little less than one tube of blood, the vein "blew." So Karin called nurse Pauline in to help. She managed to find a cooperative vein inside my left elbow. Got two vials of blood. Finally. Yeah! Went home with multi-taped guaze over the various holes. Am surprised I didn't have bruises. Hopefully with two doses of TPA percolating in the medial (inside) port, it will give blood when I go for treatment on 8/25/11. Fun and games in the OPC.
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