A day of new experiences

This morning I had a “line placement” appointment. This is the line that will be used to circulate my blood while extracting the stem cells, to be restored later.

So, I somehow imagined it would be something along the lines of a glorified IV, but I was wrong.

My first clue should have been when the appointment details included the phrase “vascular access.” A big second clue was the fact that I was actually admitted to the hospital for the procedure, even though I didn’t have to remain in the hospital.

At any rate, it ended up being a morning of “firsts” — my first time being wheeled through hospital corridors from the prep room to the procedure room; my first time having oxygen tubing placed at my nostrils (just in case); my first time receiving IV sedation; my first time getting a tunneled catheter placed in a vein near my heart(!); and, finally, my first time being pushed in a wheelchair by one of the attendants to the parking lot afterwards.

All this was on top of yesterday’s rush of packing, the drive down, and afternoon appointments. Needless to say, I spent the rest of today in rest and recovery mode.