Starboard, No Port!

A little sailor humor for Bill.  I've been silent again due to another infection and just days and days of low grade temps.  I've  had super fatigue and my joints have been so sore I felt like my legs had Elephantitis.  They didn't of course.  So I was being monitored, and after two doses of antibiotics, things clear up and then lingering temps.  So Bill and I head to another follow-up appointment on September 19th with Dr. Hammond.  It's a 7:30 appointment and we are dressed to head to work right after.  We took separate cars.  Trying to stay positive!  Anyhoo, 8 vials of blood, 2 more drawn for sterile cultures from my arm, and 2 more drawn for sterile cultures from my port and don't forget urine.  We meet with Dr. Hammond and he tells us that 1 in 20 people develop bacteria with a port.  I am lucky because I have had it long time - over a year.  Some people reject them and sometimes a of high dose antibiotic can't clear them up.  So again, very fortunate am I.  We got back to the room and as he is explaining the scoop he tells us he'd like the port out.  I only have ONE chemo left - September 29, 2011 (YAHOO) and I can still get via and IV.  Bill asks when was he thinking of arranging this, and Dr. Hammond looks at his watch.  Bill says "today?!"  I didn't need Dr. Hammond to answer to know what he meant.  He calls my surgeon Dr. McKee while we are in the room and tells them what I need.  We know the routine enough that we also know it's surgical day for Dr. McKee so Dr. Hammond wants to be fit between cases possibly or at the latest by the next day.  I get my orders for a chest x-ray and off to imaging we go.  We are on call to return to the surgeon's office when they holler.  We both make arrangements for our work schedules and then got to run home, change into something more comfortable, and then go back.  I wasn't real excited to be awake for the removal.  UGH!  So a full ativan later we return.  Dr. McKee and his nurse Linda are wonderful.  Bill had the camera at the ready and Dr. McKee had his stories and good humor at the ready!  It was creepy and not as quick as I hoped.  Bill said "it was kind of like popping a zit."  Um I don't think so.  It's been challenging this past month, but I still remain thankful for my better health.  My amazing, wonderful medical team keeps me going and pretty soon it will just be for check-ups!