Into The Home Stretch. Review. Details of TPN

I have only two more radiation treatments to go.  It will be all over on Monday. 
To recap, I originally found a lump in my face on the left in front of my left ear. There was also a small nodule in my left parotid (salivary) gland. Surgery and imaging showed one or two involved lymph nodes in my neck on the left.
After the surgery, I had radiation treatment only to the area of involvement. At that time, I was advised that the chance of complete eradication of the local disease was 80%. However, there was a 50-50 chance that the disease would appear elsewhere. If fact, I was on the wrong side of those odds, and the disease reappeared as a mass adjacent to my lower esophagus. An experimental treatment of a low dose of radiation was attempted in the hopes of stimulating my immune system to destroy the mass. 
A follow-up CT scan showed the mass only slightly smaller, but a new tumor mass appeared in the small bowel. This was removed by laparoscopic surgery.
We then proceeded to chemotherapy and after 3 cycles of Cisplatin and VP16, the tumor was barely identifiable. No other tumor site could be seen.
The residual tumor site was treated with radiation and chemotherapy used to enhance the radiation. This was Taxotere. After 3 doses of the Taxotere I was too sick to continue taking it and it was stopped.
The result of all this is that, to my knowledge, there is no residual tumor in my body at this time. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
I am recovering from the Taxotere gradually. My WBC have risen to 2900 from 1900.  My Hemoglobin has decreased to 9.9 gms, and I was given a shot of  Procrit for that. In my last post, I talked about inability to eat. I have been on TPN (Total Parental Nutrition) which is basically intravenous feedings.
On the first night after 3 days of 2 liters of fluid replacement and TPN, I developed ankle swelling. This rapidly resolved with elevation of the feet. I was having severe pain and burning in the lower chest when eating or drinking. This has largely resolved. I have had episodes of diarrhea, which have not resolved. Food tastes terrible, as if I have anorexia nervosa. This is due to the chemo and should begin to resolve. I am drinking 2-3 bottles of Boost Plus daily adding 700-1050 calories per day. Yesterday, I had 2 eggs. Today, I ate macaroni.
I expect no more than 3 weeks total of TPN.
This TPN is no simple matter. It began with delivery of 2 large boxes of material for one week's supplies. This included 7 bags of the fluid which looks like pale skim milk and has an odor almost like breast milk. 7 vials each of vitamins and other additives also were included. These  need to be refrigerated and removed 1-2 hours before use. I set an alarm on my iphone to remind me.
A small infusion pump about the size of a paperback novel provides the power.It runs on a 9 volt battery which needs replacement daily. A disposable device is to lock in place which is part of the tubing that goes from the bag to my Medport. The procedure is as follows. The vitamins are added to the bag. The tubing is locked into the pump. The pump will often complain that it is not locked correctly. The pump is then primed. The port is flushed, and then the tubing attached to the port. The infusion is then ready to start. Needless to say, many things can go wrong. One night, the infusion pump thought it was still pumping from the previous night's residual and delivered only about 30 cc instead of 1800 cc.
I finally have it figured out, but a person untrained in medical procedures will find it easy to go wrong.
I also need to check my glucose 4 times a day. The device for that needs little blood. It is almost painless, but the first night, after 2 tries and error messages, I deferred further testing to the next day. I think I am still doing something wrong or there is a flaw in the device as far as sterility is concerned.
More on this in my next post.
I learned about the "Donut Hole" Because I have reached the donut hole in my Medicare Part D insurance, I am paying the full cost of this TPN. In another post, I hope to discuss the complexities of the donut hole and the inability to get straight answers from providers, one of whom told me it would be $4 per day and then called back and said $100 plus daily not including supplies. Total about $1000 per week. I can afford to pay (in spite of the falling stock market), but it is a powerful incentive to get off the TPN as soon as possible.
What happens to those who don't have the money to pay?