Constance Ore is a retired Teacher, Choir Director, and Organist. And a formidable cook.

March 4, 2006

Filed under: — Constance at 10:43 am on Saturday, March 4, 2006

A Port
B Catheter [tubing]
C Subclavian vein
D Superior Vena cava
E Pulmonary vein
F Aorta
G Heart

Today is the last of ten injections of Neupogen, and for three splendid days, I will not have any needles. When the nurse from the Med Center called, she asked, “Do you have a port?” and blessedly, before I could reply, “No, we live in the country” she went on, “or do they stick you every time they draw the blood?” I told her that so far, no port. This led me to ask about ports, and I found out that there are several types, but the one preferred for me might be the surgically implanted Subcutaneous (under the skin) catheter. One end of the catheter is fed into a large vein leading directly into the heart. The other end is attached to a small chamber called a portal. The portal is made of either metal or plastic with a rubber top that seals it and is placed under the skin. When blood is drawn through this, a special needle that has a tube attached to it is entered through the portal, and the job is taken care of that way.
Apparently, after a while the skin over the port becomes very tough and insensitive and one doesn’t feel anything.

That led me to consider the possibilities of “ports”. One can easily imagine lots of the little things discreetly placed on the body; one to house the tiny iPod, perhaps, one for a cell phone, or little fingertip cameras. Just think of the convenience!

As these days pass from winter into spring, I think about thoughts and prayers and their power and presence in my life. My latest way of attempting to visualize this is as great threading of thought that makes up the security blanket that wraps me round. In spite of the incredible ups and downs of spirit and physical being, at the end of the day I feel calm and hopeful, able to count and see the incredible blessings that are mine – a loving and caring God, Charles, children, friends, doctors and medicines and therapies – on and on. . . even Alphie, with his need to run through the woods insuring my exercise and connection to the beautiful place of my abode.

3 Comments

58

Comment by Susan Pfabe-Wiggans

March 4, 2006 @ 1:14 pm

Dear Connie,
Recently I was talking on the phone with Kristie and she asked if I had seen your website. I said “Yes, and I am surprised how much I have been thinking about Connie lately.” She replied, “Well, she spent a lot of time mothering us when we were growing up,” as we spent so many hours in your home.
The last couple days have brought memories of times in your home. As I smelled bread baking in our kitchen this morning I remembered the many times I smelled bread in your kitchen. As I was sewing something for one of my kids yesterday, I was wishing that I had paid more attention to the sewing lessons in our Sew and Grow Goobers 4H Club!
When I read about your weariness and fatigue, it is quite hard to imagine! It reminds me of the times when I worked at Children’s and saw patients on the oncology floor. I often wondered how parents could put their kids through the chemo regime with all the horrid side effects. I think it took until I became a parent to realize why – it is for the HOPE – of more days, weeks, years, that they can spend together. I am glad to hear that you can feel calm and hopeful. Prayers of hope are being said for you from our family, also.
Love and hope to the entire Ore family,
Susan Pfabe -Wiggans

60

Comment by irene Beethe

March 4, 2006 @ 8:12 pm

Congratulations on your three upcoming “needle-free” days! That’s great! Our prayers continue! (Oh, talked to my sister in Texas this morning – it was 98 degrees this week for a day or so! Nothing like rubbing it in…the warm weather stuff…they even have flowers blooming!We still have snow!) Ah, but we have “the 4 seasons!”
Joy in Jesus,
Irene

61

Comment by Mary Hewitt Jones

March 5, 2006 @ 12:32 pm

Connie,

I learned about your website today at First Plymouth.
My husband Gary was diagnosed with MDS in October 2004. We had many visits to UNMC with Dr. Lori Maness, the very youthful MDS expert. If I can be helpful to you in anyway, in terms of information, short cuts, tricks I learned, please call upon me. We went thru chemo (fludarabine, cytoxin & rituxin; 4 cycles, 3 days on; 21 days off), vidaza, and I rattled UNMC so hard they were willing to funnel revlimid to us even tho it wasn’t approved for Gary’s subtype. What could it hurt? Gary’s MDS impacted the red cell line primarily and underlying it all was chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Gary’s hemoglobin was rarely above 8 and he had 67 units of packed red cells (transfusions) in 65 weeks. We organized a bone marrow drive at First Plymouth last year in February and maybe someday one of those 63 new possible donors can save a life.

The Bach piece was pure joy today.

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