The Port Placement

7/08/2014 The Port Placement

My mom of course was down again (THANK YOU).  In the morning we had a meeting with the Genetics Counselor to talk about the different options we had for testing.  We still are deciding on what kind of test we will do for this.

Then we headed off to the hospital to get ready for the port placement.  We arrived there at 12:30, and Andy met us shortly after he was done with work.  It took 3 different nurses to get an IV started for me.  They each only get one chance, I told them 3 strikes and there out!  So luckily I was getting the port, because if that happened every time I went in for blood work or Chemo, that would have sucked.  Not that this journey alone doesn't SUCK!  Now we were ready and waiting for the surgery which was supposed to happen at 2:00.  Needless to say, my Dr. was in a surgery that was taking him a little longer than expected, so finally I got wheeled down for mine at around 3:30.  Of course, I didn't feel a thing because they put me under for it.  Andy and my mom said that the surgery went really fast, as they were waiting and watching the colors change on the screen for what stage I was in throughout the surgery.  However, they were getting a little nervous because I was in the recovery room for a really long time.  I don't do well with anesthesia so I felt pretty sick to my stomach.  We finally got back to my room around 5:30.  All I wanted to do was get home and sleep, but I was so dizzy.  I made one attempt to walk down the hallway, and that didn't go so well.  They made me lay back in the bed for about another hour.  It wasn't until after 8 before we left the hospital.  I did get sick in the car and once at home.

My dad was waiting to see me at home before they left for their trip.  It was comforting to have him there and embrace me with his arms.  I know that he hasn't been able to be down for a lot of the different appointments, but I know that he is constantly thinking about me and always wanting to protect me.

The port itself was sore for a few days, and definitely felt weired having this foreign object now inside me.  But for the most part people won't even know that I have it, and it will be a tremendous help with my treatments.  I attached a picture so you can see what it looks like.  The bump area on my chest is the actual port and where I get my treatment.  Then there is a catheter that runs up over my collar bone to my jugular.  It's a pretty slick devise, I just hope I get used to having the port in.  I feel when someone tries to give me a hug, I'm reluctant to get to close because I want to protect it from getting hit.  That should be no problem with 3 little kids that come jumping on me:)