Port Placement

Well, up at 4:30am, showered, and off to OHSU......not my idea of fun but grateful we could go and get it done. We got to admitting just at they were opening up. The admitting clerk was like I've always been.........cheerful and happy in the morning.  I loved it, but I had to snicker to myself  because I remember being the only "morning" person in my family while the children were growing up and...........it was definitely not contagious or always appreciated.




Walking in.......



Dale...........prepared with EVERYTHING!







Signing in...............



Then we were taken back to the pre-op area where I got to put on the "Bear Hugger" gowns which hook up to warm air and ahhhhhhhhhhhh I love them. We decided to take pictures of my "virgin" neck and chest before they cut in to it so here it is.

Ohhhhhhhhhh. poor chest

The Nurse Anesthetist came in and we had a great conversation about how she was going to make me unaware of anything during the procedure............yep! My kind of gal! Here we are "bonding"

"make me not hurt.............."

The surgeon was very informative but I got distracted when I found out he was Norwegian ,because you know..........my mother always told me "Scandinavians are the best",( naturally we are Danish), that I forgot to ask him if we could take of picture of him too."You snooze you lose".  I told him that with the knowledge of his ancestry now I REALLY knew I was going to be O.K.

Anyway, as surgery goes, the next thing I knew it was all over and I was back in the recovery area with my nurse Erik, who is an easy going, take care of business, nice kind of guy. Once again I luck out (or is it luck? I don't really think so). I'm so grateful for all my positive experiences so far!

                                                                 Here's my "violated" chest, never to be the same

                                                      Nurse Erik, Kirsten and Dale

Well I'm happily home now. This procedure symbolizes to me the reality of truly beginning my therapy to CURE my cancer. I am ready.  I may be tough, but I'm getting smarter............I'm headed back to bed!!