Chemo Port

Thursday, at 9:00 am, I will be having another minor procedure done. I'm getting a chemo port put in! I'm actually quite excited. The techs and nurses will be able to draw blood from it and not have to stick needles in my arm. This will also help get the chemo drugs into my body without ruining the veins in my "good" arm (my non-mastectomy arm). This is the only arm I can get blood drawn from, get shots on, and get my blood pressure taken on. Gotta be careful with it!

After the first chemo treatment with Abraxane, the area where the chemo had gone in was bruised and really tender and ouch-y for two and a half weeks. The nurse had taken great care inserting the needle and setting up the temporary port on my arm, but it didn't matter. Chemo drugs are strong.

When I saw Nurse S again and told her about what had happened the first time, she told me that the chemo drugs can harden your veins - not good. She told my oncologist right away, so that we could set up a time to get a port put in. After the second Abraxane treatment, Nurse S took extra care to flush out my veins a few times with a saline IV after the treatment. That seemed to help a lot.

The port was coming. My non-mastectomy arm could only take so much. We have to preserve it as much as possible, so this is a good thing.

They will be using a "twilight" anesthesia for this procedure. They used this type of anesthesia when I had a CT-guided biopsy of my spine and also of my liver. Apparently, they can still talk to you and give you directions during the procedure, you just won't remember any of it.

During the CT-guided biopsy of my liver, I woke up and was aware of the doctor standing next to me and pushing the needle into my side. I felt it. I looked at him, groaned because it hurt, and then I was out again. I DO NOT want that to happen again. I don't want to wake up in the middle and feel any pain. Isn't that a fear people have?

After they are done with this procedure, I have to go for my second cycle of Abraxane. The oncology nurse told me that it would be better to get it done while that area is still numb. Otherwise, I would have to go the next day and the skin under the port would be very sensitive and sore.

Please pray:

• that God would lead the surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurses, and anyone else that's involved
• that everything will go well and that no infection will form (couldn't finish my first round of Abraxane due to low white blood cell counts)
• that I can start this second cycle of Abraxane 
• His peace for my family