Port-less!

Hi Team,

I felt a bit melodramatic after posting that last post, as it actually is a fairly routine procedure, and everything went just fine.  Although I have to say, it didn't hurt that I took a few valium.

So I went into the Dr.'s office and they cleaned the area and gave me a few local anesthesia shots in my chest near my port (you know, like when you get a filling in your tooth) and then chiseled away at it for a while - 2 hours exactly, to get it out.  She said my body had quite taken a liking to the thing, since normally it only takes a half hour to take out - and normally only one incision but she had to make two, one where the port was and one near my jugular vein to pull it out of the vein.  But all in all, not bad.  I got to hear all about my surgeon's recent trip to the south of France and her restaurant recommendations for my upcoming trip to Chicago.  Overall quite a nice chat, although I would have preferred that we do it over a glass of wine than with me on an operating table. 

I did, on the suggestion of one of my friends, ask if I could take it home.  She said no, they have to send it back somewhere since it's a medical device.  I told her, I wanted to used it as a paperweight.  To which she said, it's not really heavy enough for that.  I told her I don't really  use that much paper, working at an internet company.  She said, it would probably be better to make a bracelet out of it.  What a great suggestion!  Anyway, I didn't get it - but I did get a picture of it!  This is the actual port that was in my body, giving me all that chemo and herceptin treatments.  Whew.  So, I am now port-less.  Yay!

Love,

Amy