Got My Power Port Out - Oct. 29, 2014

Having a power port has been a great blessing.  It was a ton less painful to use the power port each time I did chemo, had a blood test, etc. rather than have an I.V.  I.V.'s never work on me and they end up poking me a zillion times.  The power port never let me down.  It's a little metal and rubber device that was implanted below the skin in my chest with a tube under my skin that fed into my jugular vein in my neck.

My chemo oncologist and radiation oncologist both said I could get it out, so when Dr. Tormey, the surgeon said she could take it out immediately I was thrilled.  Then at the last minute (the day before surgery), I had second thoughts and worried that I might need my little buddy again.  I called Dr. Haslam's office to double check and they said "yep, get it out".  So I did.

The surgery wasn't too bad.  The anesthesiologist was Dr. Ivie.  He gave me two options - general anesthesia or light sedation.  I elected to use the light sedation method instead of general anesthesia.  It still put me to sleep, but I didn't feel anything and I snapped out of it so much quicker than with general anesthesia and there were no side effects afterward!  Would definitely recommend it.  I just have a super glued incision about 1 3/4 inches long.  It's been 5 days since the surgery and it doesn't hardly even hurt at all.  No stiches to get out either.

One funny thing did happen during the surgery.  I woke up toward the end and said "Is Dr. Ivie here?  My son, Garrett, works as an anesthesiologist aid at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City"...mumble... mumble and then went back asleep.  Funny!  (Proud Momma)

I keep my power port as a souvenir.  It's hard to give up my little buddy.  But glad to check that surgery off my list. 

Saying goodbye to Cliff already to get "lightly sedated"