Yesterday was a tough day, and I’m glad it is over. After waiting all day without food or drink, then delayed an extra hour due to an emergency which took all my nurses away, they finally installed my portacath, a/k/a “port.” It’s a smart port (I didn’t know there was a dumb one). The catheter accesses the larger vein in the neck, which causes less problems than overuse on the smaller veins in the arm.
I had an excellent surgeon, but the nurse kept making me cry. She didn’t mean to, mind you, as she was very nice. I liked her, but she hurt me when she took my blood and when she put in the IV (the MD Anderson nurses are better). I think I was just overly sensitive yesterday. My body was drained and it all came out my eyes. The first IV she installed infiltrated (didn’t take), so they had to install another IV while I was under the sterile shield waiting for the surgeon. That nurse has been at it for 18 years, and thankfully she knew all the tricks like warming up my arm – it didn’t hurt and she found a good vein.
All the relaxation exercises and Scripture I have memorized throughout the years seemed to go out the window. I was nervous! I couldn’t remember one passage. I’m not sure why, really. I think I had a “sense” that something was going to go wrong. I wasn’t sure what, but just felt it would happen. I know, it sounds kind of superstitious, but after it was over I felt much better. After the “Red Man Syndrome” from the Vancomycin was resolved. Wow! What a strange sensation to feel this redness and tingling sensation come over your body, hot and firey, itchy and burning, starting with the head and moving to the torso, but no rash. Just redness and blotchiness. It’s not an “allergy” per se, but certainly a reaction to the medication. I thought I would scratch my head off! Benadryl to the rescue. A child’s dose was sufficient and after a bit more waiting time, I got a nice ride in the wheel chair to the car where Tim toted me home.
A few things did go “wrong,” at least they did in my book, but all in all those things were small in comparison to the relief I will feel when they can access the port instead of my smaller veins. At the end of the day, all is well. I have lots more to be thankful for than I have to feel upset over. God is good, and He pulled us through yet another day at the hospital.