Tuesday, July 14, 2009

My new friend, the port

Another day, another surgery... Yesterday I had my new friend the port installed. According to wikipedia, a port (or portacath) is a small medical appliance that is installed beneath the skin. A catheter connects the port to a vein. Under the skin, the port has a septum through which drugs can be injected and blood samples can be drawn many times, usually with less discomfort for the patient than a more typical "needle stick".

Ports are used mostly to treat hematology and oncology patients, but recently ports have been adapted also for hemodialysis patients.

The port is usually inserted in the upper chest, just below the clavicle or collar bone, leaving the patient's hands free.

So the good thing is during chemo, I will be hands free just like driving while on a cell phone. I am thinking that I should name my port since we will very close for the next 5 months. Any ideas? Penelope? Preston?

So all and all it was not that terrible of a procedure, just two new incisions, a lot of pain and a new lump that better go away!


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3 comments:

  1. barbaratburkeJuly 14, 2009 at 8:58 PM

    Jodi,
    You could call it your "Bong", after all it does delivery drugs directly into your petite, precious person!!
    Love,
    Mrs. B.
    PS Is this too much information from the 60's?

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  2. VitaminDeeJuly 15, 2009 at 10:29 AM

    Jodi,

    So I went on a search (since you were heading in the "P" direction it seemed) Polyxena from Greek Mythology means "many foreigners" sort of appropriate.

    Love,
    Dee

    Though I do sort of like "Bong" :)

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  3. CrystalJuly 17, 2009 at 1:30 PM

    I think we should call your port 'Bella' as in 'portabella' - since you love yourself a good one. Plus, bella in Italian means 'beauty' and that's what ya are no matter how gross you think it looks. However, the gross-ness would apply to a mushroom being a fungus. And if you think of 'shrooms' you think of being high and they say marijuana is good for cancer patients. Oh dear, I really spun that one around!

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