So last week I had my port taken out of my body. It was in my right chest, for those of you who are wondering. I was so excited to get it taken out, I was sobbing as I walked into surgery. I think I made all my nurses cry too.
I woke up faster than expected and we were home before dark, a big one when it comes to driving +3 to the hospital.
But it is afterward I wish to talk about. For I always felt like my port was somehow an invisible ball and chain keeping me connected to my chemo. I guess I never really noticed just how much I physically felt the dumb thing either.
Like, after the wound healed (well over a year ago) I still couldn't sleep on my stomach. It never hurt, it just felt like someone was pressing on the mussels in my chest and I could never sleep that way. So I gave up even laying on my stomach. Now I am tentatively experimenting with it again. My body finds it odd after over two years of no stomach sleep, but I suppose I will get used to that as well.
When I had my port placed, they put a huge bandage over the site and it took a few weeks before they just pulled it off. Now they have gone back through the same scar and have only little piece of something and the rest was all skin glue.
So my new normal today includes finding some glue on my side from the heart monitor (which I somehow missed for two days on my body after I changed twice!) and scrubbing it off with viciousness the task did not require.
My new normal also includes being gentle with the site as a yellow skin has formed around it and is sensitive.
On a side note, I hope I am allowed to swim next week.
-Rachael
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