PORTS

You're not sailing off of this port.

I don't know about you but I remember having larger veins. The doctor said that the disease can actually take a toll on your veins and cause them to shrink. When they do, it becomes harder and harder for the doctors and nurses to access them. Inevitably making the experience harder for you and sometimes more painful.

Who wants that? Not me. Thank you very much.

This whole experience was starting to become a bit overwhelming by the time my cancer doctor sat me down and talked to me about 'Installing a Port' I wasn't to keen on his language- But ended up getting sold on the whole idea.

Without all of the 'medical language'

Let me break it down for ya:

Ports sometimes called portacaths or subcutaneous ports are often used when treating cancer patients. They cut your treatment time, in most cases, in half. I would arrive and be finished with chemotherapy treatment in a little under 2 hours. Others would be stuck in that horrible hospital anywhere from 3-7 hours!!! If you're not sold yet- Just by the treatment time- Your doctor will also explain that your chance of 'complications' with chemotherapy will be decreased. This means- Less chance for an infection or god knows what else to go wrong in your veins to make it unaccessible and they would only have to 'install' one anyway.

The procedure is usually Out Patient Surgery. A wonderful thing- I have talked about before. You go in for your surgery, and leave the very same day. I went into the hospital and checked in. Soon the nurse was calling my name to leave my mother and get changed into my hospital gown and little booties. It is always freezing in a hospital (because there is less chance for bacteria) So even with the booties I grabbed 2 hospital blankets and tucked myself in for my nap. They asked me to count back from 10 and I do not even remember saying 10. I only remember being annoyingly woken up from my perfect slumber to hear monitors and my doctor telling me everything went great. Usually you see a plastic surgeon with this type of 'installment' because of scarring. But don't worry about the scarring when its being installed. Its going to have to come out again anyways.

The surgeon writes out a prescription for pain medication & antibiotics and dissapears forever. Well until your checkup appointment he schedules (just to make sure to wound is healing well and there is no infection) I was in pain and the nurse gave me a perkecet. Only to tell me once I swallowed it that I couldn't leave the hospital for another 45 minutes to monitor my reaction to the pain medication. Word from the wise: Deal with the pain and take medication at home.

Once home I couldn't shower for about 3 days. I took baths being very careful not to get the dressings wet. And I cleaned the stiches daily. But I forgot to take the last 2 days of antibiotics and got an infection. My port itself wasn't infected (which can happen so once you get yours make sure you get it flushed every 4-6 weeks once you're out of treatment) My stitches were infected. I went to my cancer doctor and he prescribed me another round of antibiotics. One week later and I was set. My scar was bigger now from having been infected- But it was coming out again. So don't get worried. When removing the plastic surgeon will always try the best he can to minimalize any scarring.

The port itself looks like a thick quarter. Mine was placed on my chest right above my left boob. I wondered why I had bandages on my neck as well and once it was all healed I felt around and realized the port was connected to a major artery in the neck. The only thing you can feel is the small little tube is you push around your neck and look for it. Dont worry: You cant actually feel it in your throat. You hardly know its there at all. Unless you're bored and have a bit of free time on your hands to poke around your chest and neck surveying the land.

Once healed I was all ready to begin my chemotherapy treatment.

When they first accessed it I was so nervous thinking about how my body was going to handle the chemo I wasn't even thinking of how the port felt. All I remember is that it feels like a mean little pinch and then thats it. Sometimes when you receive chemotherapy through your arms- some people have tingling or burning sensations while on their drips. But none of that for the PORT LOVERS!! One part of this horrible experience I can forgo. Whoo Hoo!