My Portacath

Last Wednesday (when I actually started this blog post)  I went back to CMC Pineville for outpatient surgery to get my port-a-cath installed.  "Installed" sounds so weird, like i'm getting a new car stereo installed.  Does this thing come with bluetooth?  I'm once again impressed with the staff at CMC-Pineville.  Seriously folks, if you need surgery, go here.  They rock!  My doctor is a rockstar too - Dr. Thies.  The staff spoke very highly of him, and I think my dad has a little man-crush on him.

So I've got this thing in my chest now.  It's a catheter to my heart.  It's beneath my left collar bone, right at the place where my bra strap hits.  Check out the pic below of what it'll look like when the insertion scar heals.  It's this round plastic thingy that they will insert a IV into and it's supposed to be a ton more comfortable than getting pricked in the arm.  Plus, it's easier on the veins.

Well, it's a bit uncomfortable right now.  I really hope that the soreness goes away soon.  This will help significantly in the distribution of the chemo, since it goes to the best distribution method of my body, the heart.  Weird, huh? Over the last couple of days, my body has made it very clear that it knows there is a foreign "something" in it.  It's healing slowly, but the bruise is crazy.

I've been applying this awesome salve that my brother and sister-in-law made a few years ago for Christmas.  It's with Arnica and Calendula and other awesome herbs.  And then my friend gave me some Lanacane cream that's super powerful.  Both have been really helpful.  But man, they placed it in the most inconvenient place - right where my bra strap falls, like 2 inches from my armpit.  Being a chic sucks sometimes - pfft :)