My chemo port was installed today. I had to be at the hospital at 6am to make sure paperwork got done in time.
Imagine my surprise when they told me that their intent for it was to put me in "twilight" but with my BMI, it wasn't an option, and they didn't have orders for being able to use general anesthesia.
In other words, I'd be awake for the entire procedure, with "moderate sedation".
Since my Oncologist, the scheduling nurse, the nurse who called to go over pre-surgery instructions, and the nurse who called with my appointment reminder told me I'd be awake for the entire procedure with "moderate sedation" I went into this thinking that's what was going to happen.
So basically they did what they'd been telling me they'd do, not the "Surprise! Twilight!" that I was told they couldn't do.
Would have been a nicer surprise than sparkling vampires, but I digress...
They didn't give me anything for relaxation until I was in the OR. The entire time my brain still freaking out as it has been since the Oncologist told me about the port.
The meds definitely helped silence the part of my brain that was freaking out. The "beesting" of the lidocaine injection was the most painful part of the procedure. It was a pretty quick procedure, and a 45 minute period in 'recovery' followed before they let me go home. I was home by 11am.
SIL drove me home, and I felt well enough to want to go ahead and work, but I behaved myself and took a nap instead. Needed it after not sleeping the last two nights. 😂
I'm up and about, have taken some aleve, and put some ice on it. The area's tender, but, doesn't look too bad. I did panic a little bit when I looked at it because the entire area was blue. Took me a few seconds to realize that the entire area was blue. I mean from my jaw down to mid-ribcage. Bright blue. I guess it's a bit of color so they can visually see what areas of the skin surface have been sterilized? Either way, at first I thought there was some very serious bruising going on (thus the little bit of panic). It wiped off pretty easily too.
I have to leave the tagaderm on for 3 days. It's waterproof, so I'll be able to shower. No submersing it in liquid though.
If you don't have tagaderm (or some variation) in your home or travel first aid kit, I highly recommend it. I was introduced to it a few years ago and it is some amazing stuff. Not quite as easy to apply as a bandaid, but incredibly flexible, comes off without ripping off your skin, and lasts for days.
Relatively inexpensive on Amazon too.
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