Tipping

“I’m not getting a good blood draw. The fluids are going in but the blood just not coming out right. I think we'll have to tip you.” That didn’t sound good to me. I thought I might have to call Great West to get pre-approval for surgery and I was actually hoping they would say no this time. Each cycle starts with drawing blood and doing labs to make sure I’m fit for the chemo. My labs have been very good. They use my port to draw the blood and then I am also hooked up and ready to go for the infusions. I forgot to mention that to begin this cycle the nurse was having trouble drawing blood from the port and said she was going to “tip” me.

I was happy to find out that she was just going to tip me over; get the blood to rush from my lower extremities to my upper ones. The nurse was all of 5’ and a little change. I’m 6’ 3” and 230 according to my driver’s license. It sounded like a challenge but I was just along for the ride.

She took me to the chemo room, had me sit in a recliner, and tipped me back and forth a few times. Sounds easy but she struggled. A few deep breaths later the blood was flowing. I had been successfully tipped and the 5th cycle was off and running.

I completed the last infusion and booster shot for the cycle today. One more cycle to go – I’m anxious to be done. I’ve been feeling much better this time than last and my attitude is much improved. I asked my oncologist about my lack of patience. He said he could give me something for it but I was taking enough stuff as is, the impatience was common to the drugs, and basically told me to buck up.

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