My new Smart Port

Warning ~ Science Nerd Alert! ~

Funny, I don't "feel" smarter, but I AM more and more fascinated! 

My Smart Port

Since I'll be hooked up to IV's 3x/week (maybe every week) for 12-16 weeks, I get my very own port installed in my chest and here's what I know so far... this is so cooooool!

I completely nerd out on science stuff, so you might get bored and skip this!

Ultrasound IV

For me, the second hurdle to surgery became the IV.  After my kidney removal, my heart is gratefully not pumping through the stage 4 tumor, so my blood pressure has dropped back to lower-than-normal lows and I'm learning my veins are considered small.  Add to that, they're getting pissed off being unsuccessfully and repeatedly poked.  Sigh.  They can't get a vein for the surgery IV, but instead of keeping on poking, they call the "pick team."  In rolls the ultrasound and Batman Danny lets me quiz him.  He shows me multiple veins on the ultrasound that are like an inch below the surface (I was geeking out too much to think to grab a photo), then shows me the one he's going to use.  Marks the path on my arm.  Sprays my arm with some kind of nitrogen freeze and in he goes.  The attending nurse even agrees to my begging for photos because this is all new to me and I love new!  Danny says no, but he finally agrees too, just not him in the photo.  Deal.  I am hypnotized by the ultrasound!

Ethel, he has Batman on his ultrasound machine!

Shopping for the vein.

Marking my arm.

Nurse Sarah got a pic of it going in!

Im all hooked up!

Next up is my looovely-voiced surgeon Dr. Mitchell.  (And all that with a paper mask on!  Nurse Sarah confirms he's got lots of admirers around the hospital 😉.)  So Doc M, my bartender and the other surgeon (yikes, title gone!) all make trips in to say hello, walk me through the details and answer questions.

Doc M says no cycling for at least 10 days, except on the trainer and that needs to be sitting up so there's no pressure on my chest muscles.  Little did I know that even getting on the trainer this next week wound up NOT on my wish list.  Good thing is he knew what cycling involves and even knew what aerobars were when I asked if they would let me ride sooner.  (no)  Here we go.

Arrival.

As they get me settled in the surgery room, they constantly reassure me "I am covered" and took me a bit to realize they're talking about my breasts being covered and "I" was thinking they were talking about my warm blankets, so I kept agreeing yep, I'm covered!  (Randos don't really have much modesty left and it's not like there's a lot there anyway.)  But the Q&A about the equipment, the tools, timing, etc was awesome.  I lamented not getting pictures and talked surgeon 2 into at least sharing a photo of "my" table.  Keep telling everyone how important my annual calendar is to me.  He said no at first too, but they always come around (wink wink!)

"My" surgery table

Bartender.

My anesthesiologist asks if I prefer to be out cold or not.  Never given that option before, so yes, I'd rather be somewhat aware.  Afterwards, he tells others how I quizzed them non-stop with my questions.  Even got to pick my music, but THAT is the one thing I can't remember.  Bartender did good.

It's Time.

Ok, seems like I worked my ass off to make the damn port happen and now that I'm here, it really is fascinating and my 4-some is cool with my engagement, so I go as far as they'll let me.  Everyone draws the line at any photos of the procedure itself (grrrr) but Doc M says he'll think of something.   Doc M really was very cool about walking me through things during and answering my questions... and texting me my X-ray!

• After the local, ultrasound is used to locate the jugular vein and decide on his point of entry.
• Incision is made below my collarbone and he has to cut through some muscle and connective tissue to create a pocket for the port.
• The port is "placed" (felt more like shoved) into the pocket.  Doc M let us discuss placement and he placed it more to the center, so there would be zero interference (rubbing, etc) with my sports bras during this.  Doc M did good :) 
• New incision is made above my collarbone to feed the catheter tubing to the jugular.
• Tubing is run from the port, over my collarbone (under the skin) and into the jugular.
• Cleaned up and glued with derma bond.
• Took maybe 45min after getting into the OR.  Completely comfortable and fascinated the whole time.
• Removal? - ARGH, I forgot to ask details, so will have to go to Google.

This is me!!!!

As the bruising and swelling goes down, the tubing over my 

collarbone is more pronounced, but this is cool! The small 

darker "dot" below the lowest incision is the center of the port.

And these items are what we do each time I go to chemo to get hooked up, so these are why I needed the port installed.

• Plastic on the lower right lays against my skin, over my port.  
• Plastic on the lower left is the "plunger to push the needle through my skin, the port and into the catheter going into my jugular.  
• Then the white plastic on top is screwed into the plunger (after it's inserted) and provides the connection to all the IV tubings.  And that's how I get my drugs.  
• For my blood draws, I "think" the white plastic piece will instead be attached to syringes to collect the blood.  Lots to learn!

So now I have an AngioDynamics "Smart Port"!