Went to my hospital appointment today for my pre chemo blood test. The nurse looking after me says that we are going to "access the port" for the first time. Sounds like something off of Star Trek!
What actually happens is that she peruses her stash of "gripper" needles (needles with a plastic butterfly grip attached - for easy grip during heavy duty pulling...) before determining that the one inch long one will be sufficient.
She asks me whether I have been given the numbing cream. Erm, no, I haven't. Oh. Usually they recommend applying that to the port site half an hour before accessing it, so too late now, in other words.
I tell her to go ahead anyway, relying on the fact that a) I have very little feeling in the nerves in that area since my op anyway and b) as long as you're not stabbing my actual arm then you can do pretty much anything, love. Bizarre, I know, but the arm thing is just not for me, never has been.
So she grabs her gripper needle in one hand, grabs the port in the other hand (remember it's situated on my chest underneath healed over skin now ladies and gents) and sticks the needle in where she considers the middle of the port to be.
It didn't hurt. Had you going for a minute there though with that build up, didn't I?!
She flushes the port through then siphons off what must be AT LEAST 4 gallons of blood...
Then she gives me numbing cream supplies for next time and also reminds me that if I am ever in A&E I can let them know that the one inch gripper needle is the appropriate one for my port. As that will be at the forefront of my mind in an emergency situation. Perhaps I will have those instructions tattooed near the port site.
How big is a tattoo needle, again...?
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