Port In Place

Today was the day that Joe had his port placed in his chest.  We had to be at Duke Hospital at 7am this morning and were there in record time: 6:50a.m.  Not bad if I do say so myself.  But things at the hospital don't always run as timely as the cancer center.  So at 7:51am we were called back to the vascular surgical room to meet the anesthesiologist and nurse who would be assisting the doctor and to go over the procedure.  Then in came the doctor with consent forms and explained the procedure.  Then I was politely ushered out of the room with a buzzer in my hand.  As sad as that may seem for me, it was my opportunity to go to Starbucks and get coffee, which i was sorely needing by that point.  So after getting the largest cup I could get, I sat in the cafe to relax and enjoy my beverage....and talk to my sister....and talk to my brother in law...and talk to a friend.....and then run to the bathroom (I had been on the phone awhile and the coffee had worked it's way through so to speak.)

After my quick break, I headed on back to the waiting room with my trusty buzzer in hand.  I had barely sat down when the little old lady that serves as the information person (we have seen her many times as this is the same lobby we went to when Joe had CT scans before the Cancer Center got their own) called out "JOE LUPTON" and I raised my hand.  She was there to get me to take me back to recovery to be with Joe.  Buzzer never going off.  Not sure what the purpose was if all they were going to do is yell his name.  The little old lady has a good set of lungs on her.  By now it is around 10am so I am led back to recovery where Joe is eating 2 packs of Nabs and drinking a diet Coke.  He was very alert and talkative at that point.  About 15 minutes later he was like this.

Yep, just sleeping away and adding a few snores in here and there.  He later said he was trying to be sexy with the off one shoulder gown, but I think he had little to do with it since that shoulder is where the port was put and the nurse positioned it like that.   But I digress... The nurse, Valerie, came in later and showed me how to change the 2 dressings, which must be done daily and how to either cover the incisions/port with seran wrap or press and seal for him to bathe.  No moisture until it all heals up.  So for the new few days it's sponge baths for him!

By 11:30am they came to release him and wheeled around to the front while I went and got the car.  The instructions had said for him to drink clear liquids, broth or eat jello until he was sure he could tolerate food but since they had given him a diet Coke and nabs in recovery, we just went straight to Arby's drive-thru and got lunch.  After he had eaten and gotten comfortable on the sofa in the family room, I changed clothes and headed on to work.  He has texted and emailed me at the office so I'm sure he has done well, although he was supposed to be napping.  Hopefully he managed to get in a few Z's at some point today.

Thank you to everyone who has called, messaged, emailed and Facebook messaged today inquiring about Joe.  He came through it with little to no pain, however I suspect that tomorrow he will be a little on the sore side.

All prayers and words of encouragement are greatly appreciated and we do feel the love.