Day 167
Yesterday, John had his "Hickman line" put in. Delivering chemotheraphy "poisons" and all the months of blood and platelet infusions by IV would wear out all the veins you could find in a patient. To prevent that and simplify the process of delivery, they now install semi-permanent IV lines into the body with specially designed plugs to connect up with instead of using needles.
"Everyone who is anyone" at the Clinic has one and the lucky ones get theirs installed by Dr. Hickman, the inventor of the leading method. Dr. Hickman is maybe 70 and comes in one day a week to install his ports. He has a humorous bedside manner and took the time to show John how the port works. (Reader Alert - Anyone with a weak stomach should skip the next paragraph.)
A tube is inserted under the skin in the chest and threaded up to the neck, where it is inserted into an artery and run down to the opening of the heart. At the point where the tube exits the chest, it divides into two lines with twist-on plugs for connecting to whatever the clinic needs to give you. The lines have special failsafe clamps and are kept from dangling by a lanyard around the neck. After a week or two, the entry point heals over and you just have these tubes hanging out of you. Apart from things like lines opening up by accident or shifting around in the body, the biggest risk is from infection that can enter through the port or collect there. The reason that it leads to the heart is to be able to infuse chemotherapy to the point where it can be most quickly dispersed without collecting in one place and damaging the area. I should have mentioned that this is done under partial anesthesia.
Today we go for training in the care and use of the port. It has to have anti-coagulant shot into it daily and other treatments that are administered outside of the clinic. I did the Heparin anti-coagulants for John's arm port for several months, until he took them over for himself.
It looks like John will have radiation treatments on Monday. Otherwise, his schedule is about the same. Debbie is back and halfway over her jet lag, and Courtney is participating well with John's medical schedule.
Ted Kingsley included a thoughtful news item on John in his monthly ACC news article in the Fulton County Daily Report. He mentioned the good that can be accomplished by being tested as a potential donor. It's a nice feeling to find that people you know or have worked with can be so caring and thoughtful. It's one of those things that is always a surprise and that you never really get used to. I could mention a number of others who have passed on kind thoughts, but they deserve their privacy. We all appreciate them though.
"Everyone who is anyone" at the Clinic has one and the lucky ones get theirs installed by Dr. Hickman, the inventor of the leading method. Dr. Hickman is maybe 70 and comes in one day a week to install his ports. He has a humorous bedside manner and took the time to show John how the port works. (Reader Alert - Anyone with a weak stomach should skip the next paragraph.)
A tube is inserted under the skin in the chest and threaded up to the neck, where it is inserted into an artery and run down to the opening of the heart. At the point where the tube exits the chest, it divides into two lines with twist-on plugs for connecting to whatever the clinic needs to give you. The lines have special failsafe clamps and are kept from dangling by a lanyard around the neck. After a week or two, the entry point heals over and you just have these tubes hanging out of you. Apart from things like lines opening up by accident or shifting around in the body, the biggest risk is from infection that can enter through the port or collect there. The reason that it leads to the heart is to be able to infuse chemotherapy to the point where it can be most quickly dispersed without collecting in one place and damaging the area. I should have mentioned that this is done under partial anesthesia.
Today we go for training in the care and use of the port. It has to have anti-coagulant shot into it daily and other treatments that are administered outside of the clinic. I did the Heparin anti-coagulants for John's arm port for several months, until he took them over for himself.
It looks like John will have radiation treatments on Monday. Otherwise, his schedule is about the same. Debbie is back and halfway over her jet lag, and Courtney is participating well with John's medical schedule.
Ted Kingsley included a thoughtful news item on John in his monthly ACC news article in the Fulton County Daily Report. He mentioned the good that can be accomplished by being tested as a potential donor. It's a nice feeling to find that people you know or have worked with can be so caring and thoughtful. It's one of those things that is always a surprise and that you never really get used to. I could mention a number of others who have passed on kind thoughts, but they deserve their privacy. We all appreciate them though.
