Lymphatic treatment and having my PEG out

(To read my cancer story from the beginning start here – April / May 2018 – You Have Cancer)

By February 2019 I was feeling pretty good apart from the fatigue and the swelling around my neck.

Fatigue is hard to explain if you’ve never had it, I’d previously assumed it was just a form of tiredness till it hit me, although not to bad now, I still got tired easily, I tended to shuffle when walking and just felt strange at times, very similar to that felling when your ears are totally blocked, almost like being in a bubble.

The swelling on my neck was no longer painful, just a bit annoying if anything

I went to my first Lymphatic treatment at Myton Hospice Warwick where I met a really cheerful Lymphoedema Massage Therapist.

She gave me a general check over, explained about lymph nodes, the lymphatic system and that because some of my lymph nodes were damaged by my surgery and the radiotherapy she would massage me to direct the lymph fluid to a different route.

I was then on the couch having a facial massage, no idea if it was doing any good but it was lovely.

For the 1st couple of massage sessions she wasn’t really massaging the swelling much, but more near the back of my neck an around by clavicle bone.

She told me her little analogy (which she obviously liked as she said it a lot, which we joked about later) “It’s like a traffic jam, we’ve got to get the far cars out of the way 1st before trying to move the closer ones”

On the 3rd session she gave me a compression garment to wear at night (a bit like a bra on my head I told her), I was a bit sceptical about this, but wore it that night, woke up the next morning and was amazed by the result.

The main swelling had completely gone, not completely dispersed away but more spread evenly around my face, which was really good because I was a bit hollow on my right cheek from the parts my surgeon had removed.

Later in February I had another meeting with my consultant where not only did he say our appointments would be extended to every 8 weeks, but also I could have my PEG out 🙂

I was surprised to receive an appointment through the post a couple of days later to go and see my gastrostomy people 2 days later.

Wow, that’s quick I thought and was a bid sad to think I would be without my Peg as I’d grown attached to it and felt a little dependent on it.

I got to my appointment all prepared for having my PEG out to find it was just a meeting to talk about having my PEG out. 50 minutes each way journey, half hour finding a parking space, all for a 5 minute chat about having my PEG out 🙁

My actual appointment came though in 1st week of March, just after a big delivery of Fotisips turned up on my door (I already had about 8 boxes).

Off I went to have my PEG out, which I had been dreading, not only the having it out, but the being without it.

The procedure was remarkably simple

I just lay on the bed was told to relax and was told what would happen

He would just take the fittings of the end, wait a few minutes, then yank it out.

I won’t tell you when I’m going to do it he said, it would be reasonably pain free, like having a punch in the tummy, he would put a plaster on it and that’s that, it heals itself.

I go myself comfortable, he undid the fittings, hen YANK it was out just like that.

I hardly felt a thing, it bled a little but that apparently was a good thing as it meant it would seal up quicker.

After he got it out I said I have a strange request “can I keep it and take it home” 🙂

Story Continues Here – Cancer Free and no more PEG

Cancel reply

top

Lymphatic treatment and having my PEG out

Leave a comment

Cancel reply

Recent Posts