KATIE'S PORT IS OUT!!!

We left the house this morning at 6am to go for Katie's port removal surgery. Once there, the nurse asked their barrage of questions and then the anesthesiology team came in and asked all the same questions. So annoying!

Once through all of that, they wanted Katie to drink a "sleepy medicine" drink that would make her more relaxed and groggy, but she flat out refused to take the medicine. So, they offered to let me go into the operating room with her until she was out. We thought that would be a good idea until I was the one restraining her on the operating table, shoving the gas mask on her face while she was screaming bloody murder and flailing her head around. UGH! That is not something I EVER want to do again. Once she was out, a nurse walked me out to the waiting room where Mike was already waiting.

We waited impatiently for about an hour before the doctor came out to let us know that everything went fine. He also handed me Katie's port. I asked when we could go in to see her and he told me that a nurse would come out to get us when she woke up. I questioned if we could go back before she woke up because I didn't want her to wake up alone, but he said they would come and get us when she was "stable".

I didn't accept that as the final answer and I called recovery myself and insisted that they let us sit with Katie while she recovered from surgery. I questioned every reason they had for not letting us sit with her and explained that I didn't want her to wake up alone. Eventually they reluctantly agreed to let us come back into the recovery area to wait with Katie. She woke up about 1/2 hour later.

10am - We were headed home! I couldn't believe how soon we were going home. This was quicker than some clinic visits that we have had!

Katie BEFORE surgery -

Katie AFTER surgery - eating a grape popsie!!!

I am SO GLAD to have that behind us. This really is the end. She may have 2 more scars on her chest, but she is done with treatment. I still don't think it has fully sunk in yet for me. I have waited for 25 months to be on "this side" of her treatment and now that we are here, I am having a hard time finding my way in the "new normal". I kind of feel lost in the "what ifs" of post treatment life. In general, life for us is really quite different than it was 2 years ago when this all started. Somehow I have to find my way back to a balanced life. I am hoping the New Year will bring that for us. But, for today, we are celebrating :-)