01.09.96 - Getting an Upgrade

Tuesday
 
Trading In My IV 
Despite how much I endured to get an IV, it was only temporary because it wasn't long before I received an upgrade! It's kind of like going from that beat up car your parents gave you in high-school to your first, new, drive off the lot car- not only can you drive somewhere in fashion now but you won't have to plead with it to start in the morning. I was going to be the proud owner of one brand-new double-lumen, Broviac catheter! No more annoying attempts to get blood out or for that matter, needing warm packs to ease the pain of blood and platelet transfusions.  

A little cancer patient showing off her Broviac.

There's a reason you always see tubes and IV poles in photos of cancer patients- it's because they're always hooked up to something. In my case, it was going to be A LOT of things. When you are scheduled to have multiple concoctions pumped into your body around the clock for the next few months, a Broviac is a great option. It allows nurses to pull blood easily without having to use a needle and makes the administration of fluids, drugs, and blood products as easy as possible- all of which I required.  


Surgery
I was a little nervous as I was prepped for surgery. The doctors "expected that I would do great" but there's no guarantee when you're getting general anesthesia. I was transfused again overnight with my second bag of PRBCs to make sure my counts were adequate and I could afford to lose a little blood.  

As I got ready to head to the OR at 11:15 am, the overwhelming feeling of nervousness suppressed any feelings of hunger. My parents smiled and tried to assure me that everything was going to be fine, but I could sense that they were more nervous than me. How could they not be? I convinced myself that I had some control over my outcome but they knew better, as parents usually do.  My parents knew that they had little control and that my outcome was largely in the hands of my physicians. As I left the room, my nurses hooked me up to another pack of platelets that transfused as I was en route to the operating room.

I remember the OR being cold and everyone being way too nice. The next thing I remember is waking up with tubes hanging out of the left side of my chest. Although I was in the OR for less than an hour, it was a big procedure. "It's official," I thought as I woke up with a pain in my left arm, "I am definitely sick."

In hindsight, I had no idea how bad it was going to get but that naiveness permitted me to mount a pretty good mental attack on the disease.  After the thought of death startled me earlier in the day, I managed to safely pack it away somewhere so that I could regroup and prepare for battle.  After all, tomorrow was going to be a big day...