#portacath

I went for a 10km run, today. Afterwards, I stopped off at a local eatery where they have goats.

Yesterday, I had my CT scan. The small hospital I was sent to insisted that they needed to poke me twice (to see if they could get a vein) before calling in a nurse to use my port. This pissed me off. I’ll be requesting to go to one of the larger hospitals from now on. Anyway, I told the tech to use my left arm. I haven’t used this arm in years as the veins were done. (The anesthesiologist couldn’t even get a vein when I had my surgery two years ago in that arm.) So, I let the tech do her thing. Well, she got a vein right away and there was no issue. I was in shock. I asked her if veins can heal themselves. lol. Apparently, they can partially heal and even reroute. I was also very hydrated, which probably helped. The body is quite a miraculous thing. I’m still requesting to have my CT’s at one of the bigger hospitals from now on, though.

Tomorrow, I have my bone scan at a bigger hospital. They have their own dedicated IV team so I should be able to get someone to access my port for that.

Originally, I got the port in because it was recommended to me by the nurses. At the time, I was getting monthly IV bone strengthening treatments (now they’re every 3 months). I was also able to get my labs done through the port along with contrast for my regular MRI’s (which I don’t get any more). I also used it for my CT’s and bone scans every 3 months. I was living on the mainland at the time. Things are a lot different on the island due to staffing shortages.

My right arm also had a bunch of lymph nodes removed so I wasn’t supposed to use it to get poked as I was at risk for lymphedema. However, it’s been over 6.5 years and I haven’t got it.

Now, I’m wondering wtf is the point of having the port. It’s easily seen and ugly. It would be wonderful to get this thing out if I don’t really need it. But, then again, if the line of treatment I’m on definitely fails, and then the next line doesn’t work (which will be a pill), I’ll be on chemo and will be relieved to have kept it in. Getting it taken out and then reinstalled can be risky.

So, I guess I’ll wait for now. The day I get the port out will be the day I think I’m cured. Which is wishful thinking...

While I’m wishing for stuff, I would also seek out a competent plastic surgeon and get some boobs put back on me. I miss them and wearing prosthetics suck. I’m still bitter with my plastic surgeon who talked me into implants - only to have them recalled by the government because they caused cancer. I wanted a type of surgery called DIEP flap where you use your own fat/tissue - no implants. She made it out to be an excruciatingly complicated process and getting implants was way easier.

After I went flat, the surgeon told me if I ever change my mind and want them back she could do it (so it’s possible) - but I would never go back to her. She did a good job but I definitely was sad after seeing myself in the mirror. I was sick of surgery at the time and just wanted to move on with my life so I opted for going flat. I had my explant in November 2019. Just over a year after I got them in. I have told myself over and over that having breasts does not matter. I’ve told myself that boobs don’t define who I am. But, I’ve never gotten used to seeing nothing there. However, having those heavy implants in while dealing with my neck fractures/surgeries would have made the pain even worse.

So everything happens for a reason.

After my run today, I had my decaf Americano and a carrot cake. The run felt good but I still get fatigued quickly due to the pain meds. If I didn’t take the meds, I would be in agony so it’s worth it to feel tired.

But there is good news -