I got to take my port home.

[LAURIE]

I think my surgeon was surprised when I asked him before surgery today if I could have my port to take home. I have been explaining to people for a year and a 1/2 what my port was like. Now I can show them. I am so glad pathology said I could keep it. I am a little sore and still light headed but they game me lots of anti-nausea meds this morning. Its out, lets hope I don't need it back.

[madubois63]

Congratulations on this step back in to normal life!!!!!!!!

[Sheila]

Laurie
Congratulations on your new found port freedom...I think its great that you get to keep it....what a conversation piece!!!!!Get it molded in a hunk of acrylic.....accessorize with the darn think...it is a piece of art for what they cost!

[Mary Anne in TX]

Congratulations! Next!!! What fun thing will you do now? Have a great celebration. ma

[Audrey]

Hi Laurie,
Congrats on getting your port out AND on getting to keep it! I had mine out a few months ago (finally, after 5 years) and wanted to keep it, too, but they told me "NO". Oh well. I'm happy it's out and I'm sure you feel the same way.

[Mary Jo]

I'm happy for you Laurie. One step closer to normalcy. That is such a good feeling.

Sending gentle hugs tonight. Sweet dreams.http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin/images/icons/icon7.gif

Mary Jo

[sassy]

Congrats Laurie!

[lexigirl]

Yay!! Great news Laurie. Definitely on the road to getting back to normal!

Lexi

[tousled1]

Laurie,

When I got my first port taken out I too asked for it and got it. My family members kept asking about it the entire time I had it in and I was then able to show it to them. It sure opened their eyes!

[Bill]

Congratulations, Laurie! It's always good to hear stories like yours. Now go celebrate the best way you can! Love, Bill

[caya]

Congrats Laurie - What a great idea! My last Herceptin is scheduled for May 8th, I guess my onc. will want me to wait about 6 months to take it out. I will ask if I can take it home too - sort of like a trophy!

all the best
caya

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

LAURIE -- DO YOU HAVE A CURIO CABINET??? FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES. DRAPE IT ON A PICTURE EASEL. LOL.

KATE -- ARE YOU THE ONE IN THE RED SUIT? I SURE CAN SEE YOUR HAIR IS COMING BACK...

Andi

[janet11]

Wish I had thought to ask for mine too. Good for you (*grin*). (p.s. I DID ask to see what they removed when I had my hysterectomy in 1983. My dr thought I was wierd, but brought it up in a bucket of formaldehyde to my hospital room after pathology was through with it (*chuckle*)).

[Chelee]

Laurie, I wanted to take my port home too when it was removed and planned on asking for it. But every thing went wrong that day and I forgot to ask for it. I can understand why you wanted it...after all its a big part of our body's for so long. Like you...I HAD SO MANY people ask me how it worked and what it looked like. So I wanted it for those same reasons. I'm glad you got yours...now you can have "Show and Tell's" when needed. :) Congratulations on getting it removed and moving on. Its a good feeling.

Chelee

[nitewind]

Laurie, what a great day for you, congratulations. I can vividly remember the day I had my placed now I'm anxious to get it out too. I've planned on asking for mine too. Onc wants to wait a month or two he tells me not to be so anxious, he's not the one with the "button" stickining out of his chest!
Hugs and congrats again.

[dhealey]

Laurie, Congratulations! You deserve to celebrate. I had my last herceptin this week and my onc wants me to keep my port in for another year. Oh well. Just glad to be done with treatments. I noticed you are from Massillon, Ohio I grew up in Canal Fulton, Ohio ( jsut down the road from you) Moved to North Carolina 23 years ago. Some of my husband's family still lives there. Small world. Best of luck to you!

[Lolly]

Congratulations Laurie! It's fun having the port for "show and tell", but be sure and keep it in a ziplock baggie so people aren't acutally able to touch it, mine still had fluid in the resevoir when I took it home. They had put it in a special ziplock bag with orange and black marks and "Biohazard" written on it, which I was glad for. It was fun for awhile, but I eventually gave it back to my main oncology nurse, and she was happy to get it as she planned on using it for a demonstration for a class she was teaching.

<3 Lolly

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Okay, I'm not reporting you -- this time! Biohazard... Not good. My surg asked me as he was removing my port in his office if I wanted to see. I was looking away and said, If I could wait in the waiting room, I would. I did not want to even look at it. HEY THIS IS REALLY COOL. COME ON. TAKE A PEAK. No thank you. Just get it out and let me go. Thank you for everything, but I could skip this part...

Now -- I would have liked to have seen. A chemo nurse had one semi recently and showed it to me. It wasn't MINE, so somehow I was fine. Interesting. I am on Port #2 (since '98). BARD PORTACATHETER. I like it. It likes me. We have a good relationship. No issues.

When I had my kidney stone that it took 10 wks of serious effort to pass on my own, at my insistence, refusing surgery, before lipto... I wanted to have it made into a ring or something. I was so proud! But, better to have it crushed and analyzed so they knew what was causing the larger than life thing that ripped my urethra to shreds and caused Hawaiin Punch to color my pee...

A port is a great invention and a super aid in accessing veins otherwise determined to remain undetected, collapsing, blowing out, rolling over and befuddling all nurses who were sure they had a good one. I love my port... The simplest things in life make me happy... Andi