After a crazy long week of ups and downs of the cancer rollercoaster we ended with Daniel having midweek surgery to remove his double lumen broviac was uneventful and actually quite humorous as Daniel awoke with quite colorful vernacular. He even shocked hi recovery nurse who I forewarned thatt Daniel awakens talking like a drunken truck driver. He is nasty and funny at the same time with a potty mouth like you wouldn’t believe. Daniel always has been used to waking up in an isolation room . because of his neutropenia or his risk of exposure to germs but no more. He is good to go in the general recovery which unfortunately for him meant crying little ones right next to him upon waking up… or should I say unfortunately for them. Yep he woke up enough to hear them and his mouth opened up and those nurses couldn’t move the little ones way fast enough. See I am used to it from the many times I have heard it. I have been tempted time and time again to videotape him and post it on line with all those funny people who just got their wisdom teeth out, but nope, it would never pass sensors. I was amused but the nurse was more shocked. I am just grateful it only happens when he is under the influence. Daniel only had one request for the doctors. He wanted to see the catheter once it was removed. Typically this is a no-no because all things that once were attached or had been inserted or growing are considered biohazard, but they did allow us to see it after waking up. I really thought this was so funny because I remember trying to explain the central line with ‘chester’ the training dummy and he flipped out not wanting any part of it. The first week with the line was miserable but he came so far over the past 18 months. He ultimately took full responsibility in the past months for all dressing changes because he particularly didn’t like the way I did them and with only a few (several ) reminders everyday from me he would do his own daily flushes. That line save him from many needle sticks and trips to the hospital for blood draws because I just learned to do them and could conveniently do them before school and just take blood to the hospital without him. So needless to say when the day came to get this out of him he was so excited he couldn’t imagine waiting another day to get it removed. After a few days of recovery today Daniel got into the shower with no tedious preparation of taping up and protecting his port from getting wet or dirty. This is such an small thing to you or I but to Daniel this was enourmous. Truly one of life’s little pleasures that most of us would take for granted. Unfortunatly, we will see how much he may miss this easy access when Monday he needs to have blood drawn like the rest of us. Guaranteed he remembers how much he once hated needles but my guess is he will quickly toughen up to realize the alternative and how much worse he has been through.