The misadventures of chemo

There are clinical guidelines (similar in most states) as to who and how many attempts are recommended at cannulation before escalation to a more senior clinician.  I believe the recommendation is no more than two attempts before it should be kicked up the line.  
EMLA cream is helpful if they don't mind you bringing your own.  Get them to put a heat pack on for 10 mins prior to trying and drink a bucket load of water before hand..
If all else fails sometimes you just have to jump up and down and say No until they get someone else or the U/S machine

xoxoxo

I explain the pain problem every time and they assure me that they know how to do it right. I have only had monster nurse do the cannula the one treatment. Two other nurses have hurt me. Two nurses are brilliant but are casual staff so are rarely there on my days. Two other nurses again have been great when I had the port but I haven't had them for the cannula yet. Unfortunately being public patients they don't have the inclination to listen to what we want or need and the head lady is the worst of the lot, fortunately she only treats special patients, they are welcome to her.

Have you told the onc that they're not using the port and how painful the cannula insertion is?  Maybe, at the very least, you could get him/her to insist that you have the "expert" for the cannula.  There was one nurse at my clinic who was known for her ability to get a difficult one in and some patients just waited for her to be available.

@sarnicad They couldn't get blood from my port in two consecutive treatments so head matron decided that because I had good veins they would make my port obsolete and wrote on my file it was no longer to be accessed. After all the pain of getting the wretched thing in it was only accessed I think seven times. But they still need two attempts everytime to insert the cannula. Four more weekly taxol to go then herceptin every three weeks for nine months more. I keep reminding myself of the little train that thought he could (kids book). I disliked needles before and people keep telling me I should be used to them. I think I am actually more fearful now. At least the nurse today didn't keep moving the needle around to find something. She inserted it elsewhere with success. AND she hurt me less than any other nurse has. Pity she doesn't normally work my treatment days. Last week I had monster nurse and my face was soaked with tears and I didn't even know I was crying until water started splashing (literally) on to my hand

Sounds like some feedback may be needed @sarnicad.  Some empathy lessons wouldn't go astray, it seems.

@Sister I did suggest they look at the needle but as it worked eventually it must have been in place just needed help to flow. I really should have asked properly what it was they put in 

anyway a lot more pain anxiety and stress that anyone needed. Right down to when I had a headache about 3 they were questioning when I had my pre painkillers before they would give me anything else and then they were the crappy panadol tablets (probably Panamax truth be told or some other nasty cheap alternative)which then had to be broken up into half’s so I could I take them as I find tablets so hard to get down instead of capsules

I also think the public holiday today played into it as well. Nurse kept saying my long session really should have been an am booking so there was less pressure on bloods and timing  I left after 5:30 and they said they had 72 patients on unit for the day and a lot little half hour or hour delivery of treatments

i was there at 12 and by the time all the drama was playing out bloods probably not done until 1 normally a 5 minute job and we hadn’t even started the cap at that stage and they were reluctant to start if they couldn’t get a vein so lots of mucking about. All necessary but made for a much longer session;  they did say for herceptin they don’t need to see the blood redraw in the port so drama of not seeing blood today but being able to get fluid in won’t be an issue for future treatments. 

Very tired red today but somehow need to get packed and away for a weeks family holiday

First time they tried to access the port, I spent 5 hours in tears of pain and anxiety, finally going home without chemo.  Turned out (we think) that it was incorrectly needled but so close that it didn't show on the xray.

Hi. @Sarnicad I know exactly what you mean.
I've had two rounds Tc chemo. All up 10 attempts!  First round ended up in emergency so they could use the ultrasound and doctor, second round radiology also for the ultrasound, but the nurse thought she could do a better job, ended up with the doctor. 
Only two to go, will be a bit more vocal this time. J

Well that's just awful.  Let's hope the port keeps working,
If the nurses had had one attempt I used to just request that the phlebotomist come and do it.  They never miss. Professional blood suckers.  LOL

Hope you feel better soon.
xoxoxoxo