Day 58 - Power to the PowerPort!
Go with the port!
I'm all about ease and simplicity. The chemo port sounds like a really scary thing - and truthfully, you should be a little scared of it. I mean - it's a foreign object inserted under your skin and it remains there for a while. To add to that, it has a catheter that runs into your veins and is relatively close to your heart. (At least mine is anyway). So yes, be slightly afraid of it purely because of its nature. And, not to mention the length of the "special" needle they use to access it -- enough to make you pass out on it's own.
BUT -- with a little lidocaine or other topical numbing cream - it's a dream for people who don't like needles - who don't like being stuck in the arm or on top of your hand. And I'm speaking from personal apprehensions about needles and being poked in the arm. The nurses told me having the port accessed was comparable to having your blood drawn. WELL -- let me tell you - now that I've had it accessed for the first time ... it's better! (mind you, I had numbing cream) It didn't hurt at all, I couldn't feel anything being drained or injected, and it didn't hurt when the needle was removed. OH - and that absurdly long needle, was not inserted it's entire length. It was only put in about a third of its length. Not so scary and not so painful. (And it needs to be flushed every 4 weeks if it's not being used regularly.)
So, this leaves the chemo question still at large. Aug. 5 I meet with Dr. Borges. I guess we should know then. So, even though I'm still hoping she tells me that I don't need chemo, if I do, I'm happy that I went with the port option. Why add the pain and trauma of needles in the arm to the chemo process when you don't have to.
I'm all about ease and simplicity. The chemo port sounds like a really scary thing - and truthfully, you should be a little scared of it. I mean - it's a foreign object inserted under your skin and it remains there for a while. To add to that, it has a catheter that runs into your veins and is relatively close to your heart. (At least mine is anyway). So yes, be slightly afraid of it purely because of its nature. And, not to mention the length of the "special" needle they use to access it -- enough to make you pass out on it's own.
BUT -- with a little lidocaine or other topical numbing cream - it's a dream for people who don't like needles - who don't like being stuck in the arm or on top of your hand. And I'm speaking from personal apprehensions about needles and being poked in the arm. The nurses told me having the port accessed was comparable to having your blood drawn. WELL -- let me tell you - now that I've had it accessed for the first time ... it's better! (mind you, I had numbing cream) It didn't hurt at all, I couldn't feel anything being drained or injected, and it didn't hurt when the needle was removed. OH - and that absurdly long needle, was not inserted it's entire length. It was only put in about a third of its length. Not so scary and not so painful. (And it needs to be flushed every 4 weeks if it's not being used regularly.)
So, this leaves the chemo question still at large. Aug. 5 I meet with Dr. Borges. I guess we should know then. So, even though I'm still hoping she tells me that I don't need chemo, if I do, I'm happy that I went with the port option. Why add the pain and trauma of needles in the arm to the chemo process when you don't have to.
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