Where do they put the IV? Is it the same person? Are your veins tiny or hard to see? They could try the antecubital “inside the elbow area” and splint your arm.

Hi Kelly. This puzzles me somewhat as they definitely should be using your antecubital site which is the big vein in the bend of your arm ( typically the same one they would use for routine blood draws). Also the amount of contrast injected is so small they definitely should be able to accomplish this for you. Ask when you arrive for someone experienced with iv starts. Good luck.

Sandra

Let your tech know about the blowing veins, they can slow the rate the contrast is pumped in (from approx 2mm/sec or more DOWN to 1.5 or 1.7mm/sec. During screening ask if you can drink water before scan. We do tell hard stick people to stay hydrated. Hope this will help. And hope you get good results !

Thank you. Yes going to drink lots of water the evening before. Hope 3rd time is a charm.😉

Agree that the AC vein is bigger than a hand vein. Maybe yours just deep? Hope the chemo team can do it. They do have a gizmo with a blue light to help find veins. Lots of water, dependent position and warm compresses? Good luck.

I had exactly the same problem because of small veins. The veins in my elbow are too small to use too. Last time the chemo nurse put the catheter into the back of my hand because the technicians who do the scan struggled. And then they reduced the pressure of the injection and were successful first time.

I've also found it helps to drink plenty before hand - more than I think I need, and I have the heated car seat on going to the hospital to make sure I'm warm.

I had the same problem and they used the veins on my hand.

I’m an RN -have them start an antecubital IV. Veins are big. Shouldn’t blow. The dye shouldn’t be the problem

Hi Kelly!

I had the same problem with blown veins...I was told to tell them to slow down the machine...😀 Good luck! I go in at the end of January!

Call your onc's office, speak with the nurse who works with your onc, and ask if you should get a port and have it used for contrast. A port is a gizmo that is placed under the skin, often on the upper chest, a bit below the midpoint between collar bone and shoulder, and is attached to blood veins and is used for IVs to protect our veins. The ones used now are called "power ports" and can be used for contrast, though they need to be accessed by somebody trained to do that. Many of us who have been on IV meds have them and they make IVs so much easier than needing to have a vein in our hand or arm connected to the IV. I have a pre-power port port that can't be used for contrast, and I haven't been on any IV drugs for close to a decade but my onc and I decided to keep it in place because I may need IV meds in the future. I've never had trouble with it and have loved having it. I just get it "flushed" every six to 8 weeks. I hope you can have the CT without incident and that the results will be what you are hoping for! Some of us with an E + cancer do very well for a long time. I've had mets since first diagnosis in March, 2004. And I have met a 30 year living with mets woman at a mets conference.

I wish I had some good advice. They have a really hard time finding a good vein on me but they typically don’t blow. Glad your TMs were good. I just got the results of my tumor markers yesterday and both were lower and one more than half lower. Scans for me tomorrow. Good luck and I hope they figure it out.

Kim

Thanks Kim. You will be in my thoughts & prayers.

Kelly

Praise God!🙌 I was able to get my CT Scan done. Finally, after the 4th stick. Praying now for good results.

🙌 Praise God I got my results back & they were good. No new spots. Tumors reduced by 50%. I have Liver Mets. I am so Thankful that the Ibrance @ Falsodex combo is working.

Another scan in 3 months.

Hugs to all,

Kelly