Well that was a Doozy...Port Placement Story

 Whew! This has been a week! I had my port placement surgery on Wednesday morning. The procedure itself went just like it should. The staff was so very nice and comforting as I was quite nervous during the prep and check in process (I have a touching story about that at the very end.) 

I was actually quite anxious about the procedure in general. There is truthfully just something disconcerting about the idea of having a port under the skin attached to a catheter threaded through a vein in your neck. Plus, I had read online that they sometimes just give you a bit of local numbing and do the procedure without you all the way asleep which horrified me. Yes, I know, several of you have warned me against going to hunt things online. I have learned my lesson...at least I will try to stay off of just open google search. 

Thankfully, I was not awake during the procedure, and they gave me a bit of something extra to calm me on the way down to the OR. I remember glancing around the room and saying a quick prayer of praise for that as I noticed all the piles of operating equipment. It was like a dental office on steroids to be sure! lol

The next thing I remember, I was being wheeled into the recovery room, told things had gone excellently, and I had this new alien friend hanging around in my chest. Thankfully my little Alien dude isn't like the one in that iconic scene bursting out of John Hurt's torso. He is more like this annoying little guy

 (174) El Chombo - Dame tu Cosita (Official video) | Alien Dance Complete Video - YouTube

(Have fun getting that song and dance out of your head for the rest of the day)

Initially I felt really well heading home but like most surgeries the next few days have been a bit rougher. I had a setback this morning as I developed a hot red rash. It was comforting to hear from the surgeon that my incisions still looked great and that she doesn't think it is from any brewing infection or complication. She thinks it is just a reaction to the pain medicine I was prescribed so no more of that, Tylenol it is for the rest of this recovery period.

So that is the update. My alien is placed, I'm trying not to annoyingly dance around the house, I feel a bit knocked down...BUT I am on the mend, can check this part of the process OFF my list, and can see the light at the end of this part of the tunnel. 

Now for the WOW story...

As mentioned before. I woke up the morning of the surgery really anxious. In addition to the googling and just feeling weird about having something threaded through my vein, I think mentally it also was marking the beginning thing that will say on the outside "I have cancer." It is a lot to process and emotionally and mentally hold. It all kind of came to a head on the ride over to the hospital. When I got there, they had me go to patient registration then over to the lab. Why in the world they want you to not eat or drink after midnight but still be ready to pee in a cup and give blood in the morning is beyond me but nevertheless, I found my anxious self-sitting in a blood drawing chair with the sink water flowing to help set the mood (a nice gesture by my phlebotomist to be sure.)

Anyway, as she prepared to draw my labs, she asked what I was in for and how I was doing. I told her I was really anxious, but I was there for a port placement. I had recently been diagnosed with cancer. Immediately her eyes softened, and she pulled down her shirt just a bit to reveal a port scar. She told me she was 5 years cancer free and that I could do this. She got my draw on the first try (another reason why I just loved her) and then she asked if it was ok to pray with me. Right there in that lab chair she took both of my hands in hers and said the most perfectly worded, just what I needed to hear prayer over me to our Father. I felt a wave of calm just wash down over me. When she was done, we were both teary. I looked at her name tag, Leslie. 

I told her, "Leslie, I am never going to forget you and how with that simple act of seeing me and responding you helped shape the way I start this journey today, thank you." 

She did a little dance and acted like it was no big thing...but in her eyes I could tell she so understood and KNEW it was. She commented that we are survivors, and we stick together and show up for each other, we are never in this alone. Then, she unclipped the little wooden cross that was attached to her nametag lanyard and hooked it onto my purse.

 "Take this", she said, "Keep it as long as you need it then, when it is time, pass it on to someone else. You will know when and who" 

Y'all I was seen, right there in the blue lab chair and...it made all the difference.