Port Posting

Here's what I know about my port installation, it HURTS! I can't even believe how much more it hurts that the three surgeries did, WOW! Not to scare anyone, because I think this is rare, all my other port buddies said it was easy. Just me and that luck I have, and I had a reaction to something. I woke up this morning (well that's a loosely used term since I don't think I slept over 45 min. last night) and was itching head to toe and inside as well. Of course, the hospital said if it was them, then it would have happened earlier, so it wasn't them. But it was something that's for sure. I went online and looked up that this had happened to several other people and they said it subsided after a few days. I am all benadryled up now, feeling less itchy. Now I've done forbidden in writing, told you the end of the story first!

Got to the hospital promptly at 6:30am and did all the usual pay, etc. Then headed to the waiting room. Sigh, I don't like waiting rooms. There were two women from New York in there (mind you it's 6:43 am and no coffee-no anything) incessantly talking and talking so loud they were drowning out the tv that was on for the deaf above my head. One woman was talking about her husband and how she wished he'd "hurry the hell back to Iraq" because he was hogging the bed at night. OMG, what a horrible wife, who would say that, I would be thrilled to have my husband in the states and not at war. She was also discussing (with her best friend) the fact that she had been in a wreck and no pain medication worked for her. Now this is just my guess, but maybe the husband takes it to sleep with her :). So she asked another man in the waiting room, I'm guessing he was in his late 50's early 60's if he took any pain medication that worked. He said yes and I quote "try weed." I almost feel out of the chair trying not to laugh. This waiting room was about as big as a lavatory in a plane, it was jammed packed, no seats. I had just gotten the new Dan Brown book and read the same page four times when they got up because "shit, I'm not going to sit here all morning waiting on him (bad sleeper, war fighter) husband, I'm going to get some McDonalds" (there's one in the hospital) and believe me, McDonald's would not do her any favors, none the less I was glad they left. I should write a book on just people in waiting rooms.

Then I went back to the preop and I had 1) my THIRD pregnancy test in 4 weeks (I have my tubes tied) and 2) weight (yay still going down) and 3) lovely gown and awesomely cool RED socks (never had red before). I had (another) physical with some random Dr. I've never seen before and the nurse practitioner went over the paper work for the 1000th time. It amazes me how many times I fill out the same paperwork and they claim to be going green. I did not know this, but if any of you are ever with me and I need my blood pressure or an iv NEVER can I do it in my right arm, found that out. It's because I have some missing lymph nodes and it's dangerous.

From there, they wheel me into the OR and they begin me on this fun juice, but I never go to sleep. It was a little funny to me, to be awake for the entire thing. I think I prefer asleep, not because it was painful or anything, but because it was awkward. By awkward I mean things like they covered my face so I couldn't see anything. I couldn't feel anything (they numbed it and the iv had something in it) but I could feel fluids rolling down my neck, strange. Then I was bright eyed and bushy tailed when it was over, they send me home a little early. Didn't get to go to the breast surgeon appointment, they just canceled it, I go next week. I think I have six doctors appointments next week.

We get home and I can't hit the vicodin fast enough, but they didn't give me more, I had it left over from last time. I'm thinking that is crazy, this seriously hurts so much worse than the surgeries. I have a hard time talking on the phone, anything that holds my a certain way for so long. I feel like I've been in a car accident. Just sore. AND I've figured out I don't sleep after any kind of anesthesia. No sleep last night, so no nothing for me today. No homecoming game or swimming party, just resting. I'm doing ok with the resting because, have I mentioned, it HURTS????