May 26 '09 port day

I'm still a little woozy from the drugs they gave me to do the operation. But I feel I must get this down because tomorrow starts my Chemo. The day started at 5am because I was not allowed to eat anything before I had my first Hospital visit to have a lower GI scan. However we then read that I was not allowed to eat anything from midnight for my second appointment, to have a Port put in.

For those who care to know, a Port is a device they insert in your chest so that they can use it to administer the Chemo. It is about the size of a quarter, but much thicker.

This first appointment today took place at DuPont Hospital, about two miles north of the house. We arrived at 7:30am and were told to check in at the X-ray department. There is another name for it, but I can't remember it and I'm sure I couldn't spell it either. Never the less it's where they are going to scan my lower body to see if the cancer has spread to that area.

Now remember I was not allowed to eat anything before arriving. This male nurse greeted me with a 20 oz. cold can of chalk water. At least that's what it tasted like. He said "here, drink this". Now mind you I had nothing in my stomach. It was gross, thick like a thin milk shake, but no malt or good tasting stuff at all. After about 20 minutes I managed to get it down. when I finally finished he came back and said I had to sit there for another hour because it had to circulate through my lower intestines etc.

At 9am a very cute young nurse came and took me away. She told Sharon to just stay put and that she would take over from here. She really was quite good. She gave me about 6 more oz of that chalk junk and said to chug it. She then put me on a table and told me she had to give me an IV that would make me feel warm all over. Now you got to understand about me and being stuck with needles. It's not my best procedure. I have to get Blood drawn about every three months because of my diabetes, so I'm used to getting it drawn, but from the left arm and in a particular spot. She then informs me that she can't take it from my left arm because of the Sarcoma and that I will have to have it drawn from my right arm. Believe me, I've had three or four nurses try to stick me in the right arm. No one, not even a doctor who tried, has ever been able to draw my blood from the right arm. She didn't let me talk her out of trying, she said I'm a professional and I will not stick you unless I know I have a good vein. By God she was right. The first poke got it.

So there I am laying on my back looking up into a closed x-ray machine. I love closed in spaces. I then asked if I could be put in backwards. She started to laugh and asked why. I said because you will get a much better result if you let me know I got my way. I said I'll be good if you let me have my head sticking out of this thing rather than having my head in first. She laughed but agreed to accommodate me. At the end of the 30 minute procedure I thanked her and told her she was the first person to get blood out of me from the right arm. She said she was worried that I would be a bad case, but she said you're right, once you got your way you just laid there like a good boy.

We got out at around 10am and had until 12:45 before the Port surgery. It's crazy, but I'll have to ask Sharon what happened next. I remember I was shaking like a leaf thinking about the fact that they were going to open my chest at the collarbone and stick a Port there and the other part went into my jugular vain. I had three nurses all over me asking questions and poking and prodding me. Then it happened again. They wanted to insert an IV again in my right side. She looked at my arm and could still see the bandage from earlier this morning. She said you don't mind if I put it in your hand do you. In my mind I'm thinking, what I mind is another poke anywhere on my right side. I then got into how good she was with the IV etc. She assured me she would not poke me if she felt she could not hit the vein. She was right, she got me first thing.

They put all kinds of medicine in that IV and finally carted me off to the operating room. After transferring me to the operating table, I again was swarmed by nurses and the doctor. They were very professional however and told me exactly what was going to happen. That still didn't help the shaking. They finally put the good stuff in my IV and suddenly I stopped shaking. He then started poking me with needles that were to deaden the area that was to be operated on. After about three pokes, I could no longer feel the needles. I knew he was poking me but the drugs were taking effect and I was becoming much more relaxed. The operation took about 45 minutes and about an hour and a half to recover from the procedure. Sharon then poured me into the car and drove me home. It was three hours sitting in an upright position before I started to write this blog. It is now an hour later and I can't remember anything else. (This is sharon & I CAN remember....he has a port on his right side and there are two needles sticking out so they can begin chemo tomorrow without having to puncture the skin right away since it will be tender. The chemo doc will remove the needles tomorrow and he will have all day and night to heal befor the next chemo session. He is pretty well bandaged up so nothing happens in the night. I think he will be much better after tomorrow when he has his first chemo...it's the unknown and therefor the fear that gets to you.)

Tomorrow I start Chemo. TA TA for now.