Adolescence Redux

Well, not quite adolescence, but I didn't know what else to say. But my body is changing each day:)

I went to see the plastic surgeon today. She said everything looks awesome, healing looks wonderful, my range of motion is superb, and then she said, "so, let's expand you." When I saw her a few days after surgery, she was talking about starting the expansions at my NEXT appointment, so that took me a little by surprise. However, due to starting chemo again in 3 weeks and the fact they don't expand during chemo treatments (or only at the end of each cycle when blood counts are the highest), she wants to get as much expansion done before as possible.

The act of expansion is kind of creepy. There's this hard balloon thing in there. It's certainly a lot harder than a balloon. It's more like softish tupperware. The port is magnetic so they use this stud finder kind of thing to locate it. Let's be blunt here: although I appreciate my ports (and I now have three), the concept of them squicks me out. Needles used to access ports are (a) LONG and (b) LARGE. It doesn't hurt, but it's not a sensation I appreciate.

Oddly enough, I'm mostly numb where my expander ports are, but I still feel this odd sensation. Who knows what lone nerve is functioning there. For my chemo port (aka Portia), I slather on emla cream so I feel only the pressure of the needle.

I had no discomfort today. In fact, while she was expanding me (that, too, sounds odd), on the right side, I couldn't feel anything. Nothing felt different. So, we went for a second syringe of saline. Still, I felt nothing. Did the same on the left side and it felt like the heaviness that accompanies bronchitis. But I got over it. Let's just get this done. I have to be expanded about 30% or maybe a little more than my goal. At this rate, we'll be done before I start chemo.

Oh, and I can take baths now, too, which I'm going to do as soon as the teenage boys leave my domicile and head to school.