Wednesday, October 13, 2010

13th - Under the Tent, Dreaming

Special thanks today to my brother Doug (middle brother of 3 boys) for getting up at the crack of dawn to take me to the hospital.  This is becoming a bad habit, as Doug also drove me to my first knee surgery a few years ago.  I hope I never repay this particular type of favor to you Doug.

Next, let me apologize to CMC-University, which in a moment of anger yesterday I referred to as a "B-level" facility.  Everyone was great there this morning and I successfully had my port placed.

This was another surgery performed under mild anesthesia (a.k.a. "Twilight")...so although I do not recall everything, I feel like I was very engaged...which you know the doctors and nurses loved.  As part of the preparation for the surgery, a sheet was taped to the base of my neck and then used to create a "tent" where a nurse could sit beside me and neither of us would see the real action going on.  This nurse, Charlotte, and I talked about music, work, my upcoming chemo and many other things as I prodded her for additional narcotics.  I was done in about 75 minutes, then spent another hour or so in recovery until I was discharged.














The port is under the large piece of gauze.  The smaller piece of gauze is an incision they made to help guide the catheter into a vein headed to my heart.


You can see the "port" below the scar (this photo was taken in March after a few months of healing).  It has several "bumps" to guide needles into it.  You can also see the catheter running up and over the clavicle, then into a large vein that then runs to the heart.

Chemo starts tomorrow at 10 AM at Dr. Frenette's office in Ballantyne.  I am scared, but find confidence in the fact that I have chosen the right doctor and that all of you are thinking of me and praying for me.

Bring on the Red Devil & Friends (sounds like a bad children's TV show)!

4 comments:

  1. Thinking of you, Dan. Good luck tomorrow. I hope the side effects are mild for you. Hugs to you and Stuart. btw - This blog is great. I love that your humor is still shining through.

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  2. Wait a minute! The picture isn't coming up! I feel cheated! Dan - it's just not polite to tease the audience like this. However, I must give you made props, as the Dave Matthews reference in the title was quality. And now, if you'll excuse me, I see all the little ants are marching...

    Last thing - if you make any Edward Cullen references when mentioning "Twilight" - our friendship will be in jeopardy...just sayin'...

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  3. Hey there - just got caught up on your posts and I think this is going to be very therapeutic and at the least - all of us get to laugh...

    Good luck tomorrow - will be thinking of you and saying all of my special fighting no-more-cancer mojo prayers - they've worked on a 10 year old for the past year, so they'll be working for you!

    And don't forget - women think bald guys ROCK!

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  4. Shelley - so far so good on side effects...more to come in tonight's blog

    Sam - I reposted the photo just for you...and I'm with you on the Twilight references...not for me.

    Kim - thanks again for following! I hear it will be about 3 weeks until the world gets to see my ba(l)d self...

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