Nothing Comes Easy

As you know, I got the IV port installed on Tuesday.  There was a problem with a kink in the line and it caused a little more manipulation than normal to make sure everything was working, but, being in "La La Land" caused me not to notice till I saw all the bruising the next day.

Turning over in bed or raising my left arm was cause for pain and, as I said before, don't know what I thought they were going to do, but I didn't think it would hurt so much.  Just a wimp I thought.  Even John agreed maybe I was being a little whiney, so, I went about daily activities as best I could, but I just didn't feel right.

On Friday, I noticed the large incision was red and slightly inflamed.  I showed it to John and he said, "Let Leslie look at it today when she comes."  Sweet Leslie and her girls, Caroline and Sarah Ruth were coming over for lunch and a visit.  Leslie would have a good eye with her medical background we both agreed.

Leslie was here just a short bit when John asked her to look at my incision.  He thought it looked worse.  Leslie looked at it closely and said there was inflammation and it was Friday, doctors will be more difficult to contact on he weekend.  "Call you doctor and let him know, it can't hurt anything.  We can email a photo if they need it," she said.  So I go inside and call the office.  "Come right in for us to look at it," the nurse said, so off I go.

Sat and waited and waited.  Being worked into a busy schedule, waiting is expected and finally, Dr. Brillant comes in.  He looks at the IV port and says, "You did the right thing by coming in.  It is red and shows inflammation.  If it is infected they cannot start the chemotherapy treatments on Monday and we may have to take this port out and start over."

WHAT! I couldn't be hearing this.  Take this one out...no, we have to get my treatments started as soon as possible.  I didn't want or need any more delays.  Every day that I wait, mentally, I see my growth getting bigger, gaining ground.  I don't want that.  The sooner we start bombarding it with the chemotherapy the sooner I will feel like I am in control again, even if it makes me sick while it happens.

Dr. Brillant wrote a prescription for an antibiotic and his nurse, Melanie, told me she would fax it to my pharmacy in Snow Hill.  As I was driving out of the parking lot, I thought, I should have gotten a hard copy of the prescription.  It's Friday and if there is a problem....well, I didn't feel good so I didn't turn around, I went on home.  Got home at 4:45 and promptly called the pharmacy.  They had not received a fax from my doctor.  Called the doctor's office and went through the extensive phone tree trying to get to Melanie.  After several transfers, Melanie was on the line.  Yes, she had faxed it but she would fax it again, just to be sure.  Meanwhile, John called and asked if there was anything I needed from town before he came home.  He didn't know I had gone to the doctor so I filled him in and asked if he would stop by and pick up the prescription.  "Sure," he said.  He called back in a few minutes.  "They don't have the medication he prescribed."  "What do you mean they don't have it?" I said.  "Just what I said, they don't have it.  They have called to several other locations and it will be Monday before they can get it in," he said.  "Okay, just get the hard copy of the prescription and we can run to Target or somewhere to get it," I said, and hung up the phone.

John called back in a few minutes, "They can't give me a copy of the prescription because it was electronic."  "Do what?" I said.  "They can't give me a copy of the prescription because it is electronic, legally they can't, they're still trying to see what they can do, I'll call you back in a few minutes and let you know what's going on," he said.

When we hung up, all I could think about was the the stinging pain in my chest from the IV port.  I had to have the antibiotics, I had to have it soon so we can get rid of the infection.  I don't need anything else to side track this process.  I never even thought about an infection, or maybe having to have the port removed.  How long would all that take?  We just need to get the medicine and get it now.

The phone rang, it was John.  The pharmacy was able to contact the doctor and he had issued another prescription for a medication they had in stock, he would be home in a few minutes.

As soon as he came in, I went and took the medicine.  "Thank you," I said, "sorry it was such a problem."  "Not to worry," he said,  "you sent the A Team didn't you?"  He was right.  John always finds a way to get to get it done.  One of his colleagues at a previous job told me, "You know, if John hits a brick wall running full speed, he will be thinking of a way to get over, around, or through it before he hits the ground."  I have always remembered that and have seen it to be true so many times.  If I was picking a team for anything, John would always be my first pick.  Guess that's why I love and admire him so much, that dogged determination.  He always figures out a way to get things done, especially for me.

PCQ