I did not meet my goal :(

It was not a happy day at the doctor's office today.

First nurse, who was called in to get me last time (she had the successful third stick) started. She tried twice and induced a really serious amount of pain.

She got another nurse who tried once and said she didn't want to try again.

She got another nurse who said she "can get anyone." I am her nemesis. She tried twice, to no avail, then recommended Ativan, an anti-anxiety pill. So they got a script for it, TJ went and got it, I took one. I think the nurse tried again too soon after me taking it (12 minutes), so it didn't do much, and she missed.

They called to have a PICC line put in right away, so I went for that.

The PICC nurse had been one of the ones to try back in May to get in an IV, and she remembered me and my veins. In any case, she was fabulous. The procedure was pain-free. Even injecting the anasthetic didn't hurt, and that usually burns like mad.

I went back to the infusion room and got my chemo, ending only an hour after the office was supposed to close. (Thank you to whichever doctor stuck around 'til I was done!!) So I was there from 10:30 'til 6. Long day, fraught with much pain and anxiety. :(

The PICC line will stay in until my next treatment. After that treatment, they'll take it out. It's a different kind than the last one I had. If I need a scan, I'll need a separate IV, because this won't accept those kinds of injections, don't know why. But I don't think there will be any scans, so I don't think it matters.

The results from the ultrasound yesterday came back negative - there's no perceptible clot. But I'm still swollen, so I think there is still something in there. In any case, I'm still on the bloodthinners, to help prevent a clot from this new PICC line, so they'll continue to help the other arm as well.

Two more weeks, no more needles :) At some point, I'll take a picture of the PICC line so you can see what it looks like.