Suited Up

To administer chemotherapy at home there is a real protocol.

First you put on one pair of gloves. Then you get a second pair on. On go the glasses, the large apron/coat, the mask.

You assemble the syringes of saline, the heparin, and the chemotherapy drug, which is kept in the refrigerator in a secure plastic container. Prime the syringes, get the bubbles out.

Carefully you scrub the port access cap with special wipes. Thirty seconds. Hold that clean!

On screws the saline solution. Draw back, push in, draw back some blood. Push in. Unscrew, keep the port clean...

Next the big stuff. On goes the tip of the chemo syringe. Push, wait 30 seconds, push, wait, push, wait...Count, count. Unscrew. Ed feels a little queer.

Screw on the second saline syringe, flush the line. Gentle pushing.

Now the heparin. Same push, wait, push wait, but not 30 seconds. Unscrew, cap the port cap, undress. Into the bio-hazard homely yellow container goes the entire attire and equipment.

This is "consolidation."

I've done it twice now. Yesterday and today. I've had a professional looking over my shoulder each time.
Tomorrow I do it myself, with Ed coaching me. He will.

My fears of doing medical procedures are melting away. 

I still need prayer.