Hi all
Thought I wou do a quick blog on the new addition to my body, just incase anyone else is planning to have one and is worried or doesn't want a PICC line. I am now the proud owner of a Bard Port or Implanted Port, the veins in my hand are whooping it up with joy that they won't be prodded and poked anymore when I have my chemo.
I decided that as I'm a clumsy clutz, I would always be fiddling with a PICC line, or would keep catching it. Yes I was one of those childern would couldn't resist peeling wallpaper off the wall once there was a little bit loose - much to the annoyance of my father!!! and if I have a plaster I am forever fiddling with it wanting to get the damn thing off, so I was worried about the PICC line. Luckily my Mac nurse suggested the portacath which lies under the skin, they inject into the the port, so no sticky plaster and doesn't need flushing if its used once a month.
So on Wed I toodled down to West Suffolk Hospital to see the anaesthetist who was lovely but late - good job I had nothing better to do. They give you a local anaesthetic and make two small incisions, one by your collar bone and the other on your chest, so that the port can be placed under the skin and the the catheter attached to the vein. They also offered me a mild sedative to relax me, lovely - well my hand didn't think so at the time - but I lay there without a care in the world aind in fact was wrried about how I was going to stand afterwards. The only strange bit, having a green sheet over my face so I couldn't see - mind you as I'm not a contortionist I wouldn't have seen anything but the scalpel - aahh maybe the green sheet was a good idea. The stitches are disolvable, but you have steristrips and the dreaded sticky plaster which has itched - a lot!!
Then had to go for an X-ray to make sure it was where it was supposed to be, before going back to the unit to have the canula in my hand removed.
Had a bit of bruising on my chest and my neck ached that evening but apart from that no real problems. I'm now praying that they will be able to use in for my 2 dose of chemo on Wed. I'll be hands free!!!!! yippee. I know sad how small things please me.
Will update after chemo.
Best wishes
Carol x
