*** BEGIN SUMMARY ***
* Got my mediport this morning
* Wasn't bad at all
* Boring details below
*** END SUMMARY ***
This went off without a hitch. Here's link to a mediport page (you'll have to use your BACK button to get back here, blogspot doesn't seem to open in a new tab for some reason). This is the same spiel my surgeon gave me:
http://www.markfuscomd.com/port.htm
Adding a mediport will allow them to administer chemo without poking the top of my hand. The beauty of it is that I can shower, swim, anything. They just poke through the skin, through the silicone, into the port and admin your chemo, draw blood, whatever. When they pull the needle out, the silicone seals right back up.
Here's the IV they gave me this morning, for instance.
Getting conventional IVs repeatedly over a short period of time causes problems. Plus they are painful. One every couple years is no problem. But when you are going to have several over a short period of time, you can have problems, including collapsing or rolling veins, infection, bruising, etc. Not to mention that your hands feel like a pincushion. Not like I know, but this is what I was told :).The chemo is rough on your veins and it can become very difficulty to get a conventional IV in your hand. The mediport solves a lot of problems and is a real godsend for the patient (and the Drs. and nurses, as well). The surgeon told me she had a patient that had one in for 9 years!
Really the only maintenance is to flush them w/heparin or something so you don't get clots. This has to be done monthly.
I had no problems with this surgery. I think I got the twilight anesthesia. I don't remember anything beginning shortly after they wheeled me into the o.r. Went in at 9:00, surgery at 10:00, I think I was home by 12:30, even after stopping for a bag of bagels. No muss, no fuss.
Right now, about 2 PM, I'm watching the Tour De France and 'blogging w/no problems. Feels like maybe I got punched in the shoulder, but it's really not too bad.
This port will be in for the duration which s/be 2+ years.
Here's a lousy picture of it. After the bandage comes off, I'll try to post a better picture. This
picture somewhat distorts the location, I'd say it's 1 & 1/2" below the collarbone and about 3" from my armpit.Here's the biggest pain of the day, the sorry-ass slippers they make you wear. They made me feel like a girl (nothing against girls, I love girls).
No comments:
Post a Comment