Port Placement

Thursday was a pretty quiet day.  I tried to get some work done and managed a couple hours, but was struggling.

The next day was the port placement.  We had to check in by 7:15 so we arranged to drop Robb off early.  It was similar to the node surgery a couple weeks ago.  Same check-in process, same location, even the same doctor.  We sat in the prep room and waited while they did their prep stuff.  I even got a semi chest shave; at least they went all the way across so I wasn't uneven.

They wheeled me back to the next prep area and Katie and I hung out for a bit.  Again, just like the node surgery.  I wasn't feeling too worried.  It seemed like a straight forward procedure, lots of people have had it done and, most importantly to me, is that it was another step in the road to start treatment.

The nurse came back to get me and wheeled me into the operating room.  I remember climbing over to the table and laying down, and that was about it.  Whatever stuff they put in, really does the trick.  I remember waking up in the recovery room with Katie and trying to figure out where I was.

Everything seemed to go fine.  They made two incisions, one at the top of my right peck and that's where they inserted the port.  From what they tell me, they then ran a little tub toward my neck (over my collar bone) and tied it into the vein in my neck (where there is another incision).  I was pretty sore Friday afternoon, but I was home by noon.  I was hoping to work a bit, but ended up sleeping most of the day.  It felt like when I was a kid and my brother Mike would punch me in the shoulder.  But constant.  Not terrible but uncomfortable.  And having the port under my skin was creepy as anything.

I spent the weekend recovering and felt pretty good.  I was walking better and with a little less pain, but my leg is still really swollen and my knee is still hard to move.  But walking better definitely helps.  Sunday went by quietly as well.  It was just a relief to be at home and not have to lie still in bed.