2009 was a far better year than 2008. I continued to feel better on average, but the neuropathy continued in my feet continuously, and in my hands periodically. I continued to have balance problems, and my weight was high, adding to the problem of persistent weakness in my legs. I began swimming regularly for exercise - balance wasn't a problem in the water.
One problem I continued to have was periodic difficulty in getting a draw-back of blood from the Porta-Cath installed in my chest. This small device needs to be accessed and flushed with fluids every 4-6 weeks. The flushing part went smoothly - saline solution went in easily enough - but every now and then they couldn't get a blood return, which indicated platelet accumulation/clotting near the entry of the line. When that happened they needed to inject an enzyme that dissolved the clotting material and wait an hour or so for it to work. They did this a few times in 2009, and then sent me for a dye-diagnostic test at the hospital to see if the line was kinked. It wasn't. Although I was able to go off blood thinners by the middle of the year, they put me back on them for a short while during the second half of the year due to this problem.
They still periodically have trouble getting a draw-back during my regular flushes, but they can always make it work eventually. I hope this continues working for as long as possible - I don't want to have the porta-cath removed any earlier than necessary. It's really a great thing to have for IV's, especially if you have problems with collapsing veins, which often happens to chemo patients. So far so good, at any rate.
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