PORT!

Hey Guys,

Here's a little bit of news that I hadn't put in my last entry - Wednesday, I had my port put in... for those of you unfamiliar, the port is a small compartment (inserted under the skin) with a catheter that is inserted into a vein (or in my case, the heart). The port helps hook up IVs more efficiently and less painfully and also helps the drugs be distributed throughout the body more quickly.

if you want to know more, here's the wikipedia link

AND here's a picture of a port (without a person)

usually the surgeon puts the port in the chest, right under the collarbone... However, I was able to get the surgeon to put my port under my left arm, so it's hidden right under my bra! So basically, I'm just going to have a tiny scar under my collarbone where they threaded the catheter into my chest... and when I woke up, I had a nice little heart-shaped bandage over the incision! (Thanks, Dr. Brown!)

That's all for now... I start treatments on Monday, so I'll definitely have lots more pictures and stories to share that afternoon!

Thanks to everyone who's already left me messages, it's great to hear from all of you!

Love,

Lauren