Port line

That was quick!

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That was quick! This morning I received a call with an appointment for my port line to be installed. This is scheduled to happen on Thursday February 17 at 7am. The procedure takes about 45 minutes and is done with conscious sedation. I’ll be there for about 3 hours and won’t be able to drive myself. I should be able to make it to chemo later that day, and the chemo nurse should be able to use the port that day for chemo #22. We know that things can get rescheduled, especially during COVID, but the plan is for me to get a port in just over 3 weeks! That means that this coming Thursday may be the last time nurses need to hunt for a vein to give me chemotherapy. Very exciting! Very grateful!

(Summer picture to remind those of us in cold places that warmer days will come! #hope)

Advocacy matters!

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What a great healthcare team! Yesterday afternoon four skilled and caring nurses give great care at my chemo appointment (you can read that blog post here), and yesterday evening my terrific oncologist, Dr. Garth Nicholas of The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, read that blog post and reached out. We exchanged messages so I could ask questions about the pro’s and con’s of ports and PICC lines. I was pretty sure I would go with a port line before messaging with Dr. Nicholas, but it was good to hear his thoughts in addition to the information in the brochures the nurse gave me yesterday afternoon. Even before the conversation he thought I would want the port line because he pays attention and knows me well enough to know.

Yesterday evening Dr. Nicholas submitted the request for a port line, so it’s already (!) in process and I’m very thankful. There are no guarantees since the request needs approval from the appropriate team for the procedure to take place. I’m very grateful to Dr. Nicholas for submitting the request so quickly and advocating for the port line in that request. Health care providers matter. Advocacy matters. Thank you, Dr. Nicholas, for being an advocate.

Dr. Nicholas (photo taken before COVID-19)

#urgency #hope #survivorsmatter #advocacymatters #healthcareprovidersmatter #thankyou