Wednesday night - checking out the port site

Well it certainly wasn't ME that wanted to look at it. But I did agree that it probably needed cleaning. And it did. This is pretty gross. There was blood collecting in the bandaging. I started gently removing the tape and found the gauze was sticking to where the port had been draining - right over where the port gets stuck. The stitches are in the insertion wound above that. After taking deep breath and telling myself not to be an idiot,I put some alcohol on a cotton ball and used that to help loosen the gauze from where it was stuck. I thought the area had felt a little swollen, and it was. Below the port there has been a dark spot. It has been larger in diametre, but tonight there was a good bit of blood that had collected there. I was about to pass out at this point, so Mike helped me sit on the ottoman. Without looking I used some pads and gently pressed until nothing else was coming out. Mike had to check all that. Now that it's over and all cleaned, the whole area looks better. Not nearly as red. But I don't know why blood is collecting in that area below the port.

I have to be at the hematologist's at 7:45 in the morning. After doing labs and seeing him, I'm set to get the two IV antibiotics, 2 units of red cells and one unit of platelets. If that goes as planned, I will be there all day. Hopefully the port will look much improved by in the morning!