Yesterday was a day for decisions, and not the pleasant kind. While deciding to get a semi-permanent port instead of a temporary PICC line (multiple PICC lines actually) was the right decision for me and my lifestyle, it still sucked. Try as I might there's just no other way to describe it.
I've known Dr. Hulka for a few years, ever since she took out my gallbladder (isn't that how all great friendships start?). She is awesome, just plain awesome at what she does. Friday rolled around and with it my appointment with Dr. Hulka to discuss port placement. She did everything she could to reassure that the they would use a "low profile port" so it wouldn't be as noticeable and it would be super easy to access whenever I needed it. Dr. Hulka also showed me where she thought it should be placed, about two inches below my left collar bone, and it was the same spot I had chosen. All signs pointed to yes so I booked my surgery for next Friday, May 6th at noon. I already had a CF clinic appointment that day at 8 A.M. so it will actually work out perfectly. I'll go to my clinic appointment as usual and then check in for my surgery at 10:30. I decided on Renown this time instead of St. Mary's, so we'll see if that's my new home hospital.
The surgery only takes about thirty minutes and is an outpatient procedure. When compared to the anxiety, discomfort, and consciousness of a PICC placement, the port is a clear winner. That doesn't mean I'm not nervous about it, I definitely am. That's the downside of making a choice between two unpleasant scenarios, I'll never be completely comfortable about it. Hopefully by this time next weekend I will have only good things to say about my new port (fingers crossed).
A friend of mine also played a huge part in this decision. Tabitha, a fellow CFer has a port and couldn't say enough great things about it. She also hates PICC's and suffered nerve damage from them. Not only did Tabitha reassure me that a port is less traumatic than a PICC, she also told me about everything she is able to use her port for. She has been a huge help and I've only known her for a week! My dad actually met her at a fundraiser in Winnemucca and she found me on Facebook. Gotta love Facebook!
The more I talk about the port the more at ease I feel about everything. This is going to be a good thing, I know it.
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