A Little Levity
sangora
Member Posts: 213
I went today to have my CT scan done so we have results tomorrow when I see the Oncologist, have my lab work and then my infusion. I get there to discover that there are 2 CT scanners out of commission and at 10:30am, they are already 2 hours behind. Ok, no big deal I have nothing else to do and after 18 months of this I never go anywhere near the hospital without a book and my tube feeding basket for the next meal in the event I am running late for the next feeding.
After I sit in the lobby for an hour, a person, not a nurse, comes out and calls my name. I follow her to the little cubicle where she asked me the same 10 questions they ask me every 10 weeks. She then wrapes me up in 2 warming blankets to keep me comfortable. One of her questions was did I have a port. I said yes and she ask if she could see it. I said sure and unbuttoned my shirt. She then asked if I wanted them to use it or a vein in my arm. I said, assuming you have someone who knows what they are doing, using it is fine. She goes away and in about 10 minutes she comes back with a big smile on her face and says that someone will be around to access it soon and lays the access needle package on the tray. I asked if I might see the package and while looking at me as though I had three heads, she handed it over. I said, this will not do, it is a 1" and my port uses a 3/4". She says, all we have are 1 " and I said fine, but you aren't going to use that on this port. I was very gracious and sweet but firm. I said another nurse in the begining of this path I am on insisted that a 1" would work and by the time she got thru I was in the back of an ambulance heading for the ER and bleeding like a stuck pig. She says let me see what I can find. I go back to my book. In the mean time they are steady pouring contrast die down my tube. Just about the time I thought to myself if they don't access something soon,I will never get the CT scan, here comes the young lady, very proud of her self and rightly so, because she had located a 3/4". We both were pleased. She then went off to let the nurse know I was ready for her. In another short while, a male nurse comes in, introduces himself and asked to look at the port. I pulled my now unbottoned shirt open and he looks and asked if it was a double or single? I decide he isn't doing it if he can't look at my chest and determine how many bumps are there. I said nothing but he must have sensed something because he left and shortly another nurse sticks her head in and says as soon as she washes her hands, we'll get started. Its about time. I have now been at this over two hours and I am getting ansie. She comes in with the sterile supplies, opens the kit up, spreads everything on the sterile barrier and looks at the port. She comments that the triangle is easy to see and was I satisfied that the area was numb from the cream. I said yes its fine. She then says to herself, I forget, do we leave the butter fly wings on or take them off. I thought, please god, and said, you leave them on. She says ok, how long have you had this. I said, I have had a port for 18 months, this is the second one. She says oh, then do you know what this is for? It was the tape that one puts over the cut off valve so it doesn't dangle on my chest and get caught in my shirt. She says, I haven't seen one of these before. I replied, when the time comes I can show you how to deal with it. Had I not been about over it, I wouldn't have let her access the port either, but at this point I really didn't care as long as they got on with it. I did ask if she had ever done one before and proudly she said oh yes about 10 years now. I took a deep breath and suggested we get on with it. I have to say, even though she have had no clue what to do with all the parts, she had the best access technique of anyone I have ever had stick. I didn't even feel pressure when she went in. She was great. When the blood began to flow back as it is supposed to she seemed so excited as was I because sometimes that is a problem. I said now let me show you how to put the protective tape on. I did, she watched grinned and said good job. Thank god they came for me to have the scan before this dear thing started taking photos. What a day!!! Sam
After I sit in the lobby for an hour, a person, not a nurse, comes out and calls my name. I follow her to the little cubicle where she asked me the same 10 questions they ask me every 10 weeks. She then wrapes me up in 2 warming blankets to keep me comfortable. One of her questions was did I have a port. I said yes and she ask if she could see it. I said sure and unbuttoned my shirt. She then asked if I wanted them to use it or a vein in my arm. I said, assuming you have someone who knows what they are doing, using it is fine. She goes away and in about 10 minutes she comes back with a big smile on her face and says that someone will be around to access it soon and lays the access needle package on the tray. I asked if I might see the package and while looking at me as though I had three heads, she handed it over. I said, this will not do, it is a 1" and my port uses a 3/4". She says, all we have are 1 " and I said fine, but you aren't going to use that on this port. I was very gracious and sweet but firm. I said another nurse in the begining of this path I am on insisted that a 1" would work and by the time she got thru I was in the back of an ambulance heading for the ER and bleeding like a stuck pig. She says let me see what I can find. I go back to my book. In the mean time they are steady pouring contrast die down my tube. Just about the time I thought to myself if they don't access something soon,I will never get the CT scan, here comes the young lady, very proud of her self and rightly so, because she had located a 3/4". We both were pleased. She then went off to let the nurse know I was ready for her. In another short while, a male nurse comes in, introduces himself and asked to look at the port. I pulled my now unbottoned shirt open and he looks and asked if it was a double or single? I decide he isn't doing it if he can't look at my chest and determine how many bumps are there. I said nothing but he must have sensed something because he left and shortly another nurse sticks her head in and says as soon as she washes her hands, we'll get started. Its about time. I have now been at this over two hours and I am getting ansie. She comes in with the sterile supplies, opens the kit up, spreads everything on the sterile barrier and looks at the port. She comments that the triangle is easy to see and was I satisfied that the area was numb from the cream. I said yes its fine. She then says to herself, I forget, do we leave the butter fly wings on or take them off. I thought, please god, and said, you leave them on. She says ok, how long have you had this. I said, I have had a port for 18 months, this is the second one. She says oh, then do you know what this is for? It was the tape that one puts over the cut off valve so it doesn't dangle on my chest and get caught in my shirt. She says, I haven't seen one of these before. I replied, when the time comes I can show you how to deal with it. Had I not been about over it, I wouldn't have let her access the port either, but at this point I really didn't care as long as they got on with it. I did ask if she had ever done one before and proudly she said oh yes about 10 years now. I took a deep breath and suggested we get on with it. I have to say, even though she have had no clue what to do with all the parts, she had the best access technique of anyone I have ever had stick. I didn't even feel pressure when she went in. She was great. When the blood began to flow back as it is supposed to she seemed so excited as was I because sometimes that is a problem. I said now let me show you how to put the protective tape on. I did, she watched grinned and said good job. Thank god they came for me to have the scan before this dear thing started taking photos. What a day!!! Sam
0
Comments
-
what a brave lady you are
Hi,
Thanks for the laugh, like you said we need some levity. You are braver than I am. I was always told if they don't act like they know what they are doing, don't let them near your port. I am a 1" and not a 3/4" and have had many a serious discussion with nurses over using a 1" because anyone who used a 3/4 had to do it over. But you hung in there like a trooper. Sometimes, all you can do is see the humor in the situation. Many days of levity are wished for you!! take care,
Donna700 -
Wow, what an experience. No
Wow, what an experience. No matter what procedure I am having done at my hospital, they send me to the infusion area to be accessed by the experts. I can't imaging going through what you went through. From what I gather, using the wrong needle can actually screw up the port. M0 -
Thanks for the education
Sam,
I always have my port accessed by the infusion nurses at my oncologist's office. I did not even know that different ports used different sized needles. That is good to know. Next time I go I will have to ask the nurse what size my port uses.
When I get my scans done they always want to run their own IV. I think they are afraid of the port.
Maybe that is a good thing
Best Regards,
Paul Adams
McCormick, South Carolina
DX 10/22/2009 T2N1M0 Stage IIB
12/03/2009 Ivor Lewis
2/8 through 6/14/2010 Adjuvant Chemo Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU
Two year survivor
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!0 -
You're correct Paulpaul61 said:Thanks for the education
Sam,
I always have my port accessed by the infusion nurses at my oncologist's office. I did not even know that different ports used different sized needles. That is good to know. Next time I go I will have to ask the nurse what size my port uses.
When I get my scans done they always want to run their own IV. I think they are afraid of the port.
Maybe that is a good thing
Best Regards,
Paul Adams
McCormick, South Carolina
DX 10/22/2009 T2N1M0 Stage IIB
12/03/2009 Ivor Lewis
2/8 through 6/14/2010 Adjuvant Chemo Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU
Two year survivor
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!
I have learned over these months that many people who don't use the ports regularly are uncomfortable using them. If I have to, I can get mine accessed at the infusion center but it is a distance from the main hospital so I avoid that if at all possible. I don't mind them using a vein, but my veins are getting mushy from all the chemo so the nurses are leaning on the port more. I thought you all might get a giggle out of this experience. Sam0 -
When I had my portpaul61 said:Thanks for the education
Sam,
I always have my port accessed by the infusion nurses at my oncologist's office. I did not even know that different ports used different sized needles. That is good to know. Next time I go I will have to ask the nurse what size my port uses.
When I get my scans done they always want to run their own IV. I think they are afraid of the port.
Maybe that is a good thing
Best Regards,
Paul Adams
McCormick, South Carolina
DX 10/22/2009 T2N1M0 Stage IIB
12/03/2009 Ivor Lewis
2/8 through 6/14/2010 Adjuvant Chemo Cisplatin, Epirubicin, 5 FU
Two year survivor
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!
When I had my port installed, they gave me a little wallet card that tells the type of port, serial number and exact access procedure including type and size of needle. I keep it with me at all times.0
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