Oh The Pain! (to quote Dr. Smith)

(Note - sorry about not blogging, I've been trying to do everything to get ready for my hospital stay)

It was a knife wound to the heart (my teeny-tiny heart)!

Grace was right. You know how it pains me to say that. It hurts my fingers to type the words.

Today on the first day of my incarceration here in Tufts/NEMC they put in my line/port. Now this is the second time I have had this sort of procedure. Last time I was taken into Outpatient Surgery and was there for about four hours. No one could come in with me. So when Grace said she was taking the day off to come with me, I told her that was silly. I told her that I would take a cab from my parents house to be there at 7:30 am as ordered. Then she could join me around noon with my bags and laptop (the all important connection to the outside world!). Grace was insistant and unfortunately my mother told me to just go along, it was Grace's time to waste. Then when we told my Dad about going to Grace's to watch the SuperBowl, he suggested I just stay over and let Grace take me here this morning.

Well? What could I do? I went along.

Last night was fun. I made blueberry cobbler and some appetizers - fried stuffed wonton and chinese sausage. Grace had fudge and nuts and Coke. So I was very happy. And the game was good too, lol.

Dave drove Grace and I into Boston and we were here bright and early. I was called in for my procedure and turned to Grace to say goodbye when the nurse said "Your friend can come." Grace laughed. I introduced my sister and gave Grace the eyebrow. Turns out Grace got to stay with me for everything except the hour I was having the line placed. And it only took that long because they couldn't do the subcutaneous vein placement. The vein was too deep and too close to my lung. So once again it's in my neck, but not as high. We discussed it later with Denise and I was explaining that they were trying to push some flesh down and away while they used the ultrasound near my clavicle. Grace joked that they couldn't get there because I am too well endowed.

During and after the procedure, Jane, the nurse stressed that I should go have a big salad before heading up to the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit since I have to go back on the low bacteria diet.

Then Grace and I headed up to check-in to the unit. My room is one of two suites on the floor. Two regular chairs, a Geri chair and a couch that folds out. Kind of ironic since I have restricted visitors to my father and my two sisters and my brother. LOL! Well my few visitors will be comfortable! But I am not changing my mind, I do not want people to see me like this.

Oh and can I tell you that last night I FINALLY got an honesst reaction to my head??? Last Thursday we were in Dr. Miller's office and one by one Denise, Kate and Dr. Miller came into the room and said how great my hair looked. I called BS on each of them in turn. Turns out that I do not have a head that was meant to be bald.. Kinda squarish and big. I look like the stereotype of a brutish lesbian. Are the people coming into that office such fragile flowers that they must be bolstered with false platitudes?

I am no fragile flower. I know it looks bad, but I know it's temporary.

Anyway, last night on the way to Grace's, Jen and I were talking about my hair and wigs and scarves. Jen had not seen it at this point. She was chiding me that it couldn't be that bad. Perhaps some gel? Or mousse? I just laughed. Once we were settled in Grace's house I removed my cap.

"Oh. Yes. Well." We all laughed. Now that was refreshing.

So, here I am, for the next 21 to 28 days.