PowerPort: I am MEGATRON.

The very first week I was diagnosed was a blur.  One of the procedures was to implant a port in my chest that accessed my heart directly.I thought it was wicked cool.  The port goes under your skin and is implanted and sutured into your chest.  Then they run the tube up to your carotid artery and drop it down into your heart.  I was in and out and walking out of the OR in an hour.  It was crazy!  I even went to my daughters school performance on the way home. 

It is implanted between the collar bone and nipple (if you have one.  bwahahaha!)

To access it, the nurse rubs across where your port is and feels for the three nubs and makes a triangle with her fingers.  Her target is the silicone port in the middle of all of that. 

She then sticks this giant and I mean I felt like it was a harpoon, into your port through the skin.  If she nailed it, it was only a quick poke.  But if she didn't, it was like an ice pick.  One of my nurses, Jayme, nailed it everytime like it was nothing.  I had a couple of nurses that went home with black eyes. Not really, but ohhhhh man!

 I could keep it accessed for days if I needed to.  I just had to flush it.  But usually they only accessed it for chemo and other IV therapy.  I had it removed with my first reconstruction.  A decision I regret.  I still wish I had it.  My veins are shot!

You could see the port under my skin and the tube that ran up inside my neck, over my collarbone and then disappeared down into my heart.  It was really scary for my kids.  So I told them I was a transfomer!  It worked like a charm.  They told everyone I was Megatron but I like Arcee better.  She is fast and agile and bad ass!  And rocked the pink!