Port

Today is port day.
7:45 Go to hospital
8:00 Check in
8:15 Go to lab - get labs drawn
8:20 Go to waiting room .... wait


8:30 check into Interventional Radiation to get settled. Visit with the SUPER chatty nurse. She was sweet. I told her I wanted to watch. Not possible. No pictures of procedure either.


BUT she had a guide wire that she showed me. This was put in my jugular to guide the port tube. Thick, eh??

She described the process. A slice at the neck to access the jugular and place the tube in that will be connected to the port. Then create a small pocket for the actual port and burrow a tunnel under the skin and the two places are joined. I don't know if the place the port then burrow the hole and pull the tube through or put it in the vein first then connect it to the port. I suspect the latter as they did show me the port and there was no tube connected.

Anyway. There was a lot of waiting while they were waiting for my blood work. Blood work finally came back at 9:30 and I was pushed across the hospital to "the" room as I waited in the hall....


Looking at the door.


My thoughts on being in the hall waiting!! Ha! Looking lovely in my hat 😳

Then the pictures stop. It was a operating room with an X-ray or fluoroscope or something to track where they were placing the end of the tube. The end of the port is placed close to the heart. Lots of screens and such.

I was moved over to the smaller table and arm holders were put in place - like little half round plexiglass that keep your arms from falling down. (those are nice options on a thin table) I was hooked up to IVs and drugs were started to take the edge off. Ahhh drugs. Ha!

I was then draped and the drape was stuck to me and there I was facing left and looking a blue drape and not a lot else. I could see to the top where the IV pole was so it wasn't closed off and the nurse could poke her head in. Agatha was her name.

And I waited again for the doc. I never even MET the doc. He didn't even put his face down where I could see him. Apparently I was quite chatty and he had them bump the drugs and that was that. I was zonked!!

I woke to the nurse or the assistant stitching me up. All dissolvable stitches so I don't have to go back to see them AND per the request of the cancer center they left the needle in so I won't have to be stuck again for my infusion tomorrow.


The green is the needle access for tomorrow. The bandaid is where they accessed the vein. Pretty sure that will be a huge bruise below the bandaid.



All smiles because I'm still numb as 💩 and I have my poop to keep me company 😄


And we're home! Now to relax and chill for the day.

Oh and the IV stick was horrible. She didn't get it in the arm. She missed and I have GREAT veins on the side she tried. Then she tried in my hand and it was iffy if she got it or not, but it worked. Good enough. Worst IV I've gotten in a while. Did I say I'll be happy with a port as I won't have to worry about inept sticks for a while!!

It's tiny. Like quarter size and about 1/2" thick. It was much smaller than I was anticipated!! Nice!!