Tuesday, October 30, 2007 - We woke Mady up at 5:30 this morning. She and Chris headed to MGH before dawn to begin the Consolidation phase of her chemotherapy. After 10 wonderful days of near-normal life, treatment starts again.
Today, she'll have her new port or "port-a-cath" inserted in her chest wall to make chemotherapy easier and more comfortable. This will be done in a simple, out patient procedure that requires general anesthesia.
The port is about the size of a quarter, only thicker, and will show only as a bump underneath the skin. There are several benefits to having a port, in lieu of the picc line that it replaces including:
* It's under the skin so is more sterile than the picc line.
* She will be able to swim, bathe, and play sports.
* The port replaces the two picc line tubes that have been dangling out of her right arm for 49 days. Because they went through the skin, these required many painfull sterile dressing changes and had to be covered with plastic whenever she took a shower. She is very happy to be rid of her picc lines!
* The new port requires no search in vain for a vein every time she receives chemo. A special needle fits right into the port, so all you feel is the stick—not the poking, prodding, and false tries in your arm. The nurse will numb her skin first with ice and a lidocaine based cream, to lessen any feeling at all.
* The medication goes right into the main blood supply entering the heart, so it can be sent quickly and efficiently to all parts of the body.
* Some types of chemotherapy can be very uncomfortable if injected into a vein just under her skin. The port avoids this potential discomfort.
* Getting blood for blood tests can usually be done through the port, decreasing the number of times she needs to have a vein "stuck."
After getting her port, Mady will get a spinal tap, and four different chemos on this first day of the eight-week Consolidation phase: Cyclophosphamide, Cytarabine, Mercaptopurine, and Methotrexate.
Whew, it's going to be a long day, but if all goes well she'll be back home with her new port tonight. Keep those prayers and positive thoughts headed her way...
5 comments:
I'll be sending thoughts of love and healing to Mady as she begins this next phase. Buttercup will be waiting at home to cheer her.
love to you all - jeri
I'll be saying some prayers for you, Mady. Hang in there, you're almost done with all this un-fun stuff.
Kathy
Yay!! No picc line!! And you could nickname the port-a-cath Cathy or something, however weird that may sound. Or you could be more creative. Or you might decide not to name it at all.
Good luck with the chemo. It sounds like it'll be so much easier w/o (I'm not to lazy to write "without" - I just think "w/o" looks SO COOL), anywho, w/o the picc.
Hope to see you ASAP. (Jeez...I'm so into abrieviations today. omg!!! No, I actually don't really like "omg"...)
Smiles and laughter galore
sent straight to your door!!!!!
~~Stephanie~~
Mady,
You're a great inspiration for chickens like me that hate getting "stuck"...even at age 48. Keep up the good work!
Your friend in St. Louis
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We love you very much!!!!!!!!!!!J,T,F
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