Cora had surgery on Monday to remove her mediport! The port has been sitting under the skin in her upper right chest with a line fed into her external jugular vein. We are so relieved that the surgery went smoothly. The same expertly skilled hands of the surgeon who put her port in on June 4, 2020 were the same hands to safely remove it. She had the same anesthesiologist this time as well. Sitting in the same spot of the hospital surgery waiting room, I couldn’t help but feel how full circle the moment was. I also felt deep gratitude for sitting there with something to celebrate instead of grieving what was just beginning.
Cora was so brave about the whole thing. After many trauma-inducing, painful failed attempts to get an IV started that very first evening of admission following her diagnosis, Cora quickly learned to view her port as a faithful friend that spared her excess pain during every blood draw, anesthesia, chemo, or other med infusion. She was initially not very excited to learn that it was time to have her port removed, especially since she will still be having frequent blood draws for years to come. But in true Cora fashion, she quickly accepted this next step and found a way to look forward to it. Shortly before her surgery, she declined the “goofy juice” from the anesthesiologist that is normally given to help kids relax and not care about the separation from parents and all the unusual experiences of entering the OR and being put to sleep. Cora said she was excited about the moment and wanted to remember everything. And she did!
Cora’s still really sore from the procedure, so today is a good rest day to spend all day in the car heading to the mountains for her last dose of chemo celebration. She currently has only one more dose of methotrexate to take tomorrow evening and 3 more daily doses of 6MP, with her last chemo pill to swallow on Saturday morning! Bell ringing in 3, 2, 1…
