Day 57 - Chemo Port Flush
Last week I was reading through all the paperwork we received when I was discharged from the hospital. I happened across the "Power Port" material. Inside, there was a purple wrist band, a card for my wallet and some other marketing/promotional material that also, conveniently, let's the doctor's know I have a chemo port in my body. I noticed that it said "You're port should be flushed every four weeks to prevent clotting."
Wait - no one told us that. What if I hadn't read through the material until week 5 ... or never?! Would someone would have remembered to mention that to us? Would the catheter become clogged and thus not usable, and then what - they would have to remove it and reimplant another? The whole purpose of having it put in when I went into surgery was so I was knocked out when they put it in. I don't want to be awake for that - even though they say people typically are and it's just a local anesthetic they use to put it in ... sorry ... no thanks ... not my preference. If I'm going to be knocked out anyhow -- you might as well do everything at once. Same for the removal -- I'm going to have to be knocked out when they swap the tissue expanders for the implants. They can remove it then as well.
So at the last expansion appointment we asked them about the port and its need to be flushed. Today is exactly 4 weeks from surgery. So we're going in today. I go back to work tomorrow. I can't believe it's already been 4 weeks. I truly needed every day of it.
Wait - no one told us that. What if I hadn't read through the material until week 5 ... or never?! Would someone would have remembered to mention that to us? Would the catheter become clogged and thus not usable, and then what - they would have to remove it and reimplant another? The whole purpose of having it put in when I went into surgery was so I was knocked out when they put it in. I don't want to be awake for that - even though they say people typically are and it's just a local anesthetic they use to put it in ... sorry ... no thanks ... not my preference. If I'm going to be knocked out anyhow -- you might as well do everything at once. Same for the removal -- I'm going to have to be knocked out when they swap the tissue expanders for the implants. They can remove it then as well.
So at the last expansion appointment we asked them about the port and its need to be flushed. Today is exactly 4 weeks from surgery. So we're going in today. I go back to work tomorrow. I can't believe it's already been 4 weeks. I truly needed every day of it.
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