Same Song, Second Verse

Okay Universe, this is getting ridonculous.   I have been nice about it.  Patient, even (pardon the pun).  I have discussed all of the fabulous, life altering lessons I have learned from the last few years, particularly this last one.  I have tried to see the bright side and all that.  I have even tried to be thankful.

Now, I would like to say:  BACK THE HELL OFF OF ME.  HOW MUCH SHIT ARE YOU GOING TO PILE ON OUR PLATES?  OUR PLATE IS FULL, FULL, FULL, DAMNIT.

Why the angst you ask?   I’ll tell you.  By day 10 of the swine flu (H1N1) I began to get suspicious about why my fever wasn’t gone.  Even with a compromised immune system I should be over the flu by that time.  I was so very sick of my quarantined bed-slash-jail cell.

On day 13 I took off the bandage covering the port-a-cath in my chest so I could shower, and this is what I found.

EEEEWWWWWWW!  And that is a cleaned up version on the first day - you should see it now.  blecchh.

For those of you not familiar with a port-a-cath, it is basically the size of a peppermint with a long tube attached.  It is surgically installed in the upper chest.  One part is “tied” or anchored to a muscle.  The long tube is then threaded through a large vein toward your heart.  It make receiving regular ivs much easier.

To “access” the port, the nurse (or handsome husband in my case) creates a sterile area and inserts a special Huber needle which has a 90 degree angle.

It pierces the skin into the center of the port-a-cath.  Then a bandage covers it and you can easily twist connect the tubing for iv bags.  The needle has to be switched out weekly, but otherwise you are walking around with a tube hanging out of your chest like this:

I had noticed it getting red (like in this picture) after a nurse had to pierce me seven times because she couldn’t find the center of the port.

After two rounds of antibiotics to treat it, it is totally pissed off.  I took my needle out and put a regular bandage on.  As you can see from the first picture, there is a hole in my skin that covers where my port is.  Unfortunately, the infection tunneled upward to the original incision site and it broke through my skin from the inside out.

I went to the surgeon today.  He took one look and said “this needs to come out tomorrow.”  I swear he would have put me under right then if I had been fasting.  Worst of all, he can’t sew me up because it is so infected.  He will leave the incision open and we will have to stuff it with gauze and change it out twice a day.  Big fun.

So, if you are reading this Friday morning, I am probably in surgery right now.  Say a little prayer for me or send me good thoughts, or whatever floats your belief boat.

Oh yeah, and Universe. .  . .I didn’t mean to get all in your face.