More than just a bag lady

I finally got a new Hickman line on Friday and I've made it home after 12 days in hospital.  I got all excited on Thursday afternoon when the nurse came to tell me that Interventional Radiology (IR) had just called to say that they were able to squeeze me in for a new line. There was a mad 10 minute scramble to get me in a gown and complete the theatre checklist before the porter arrived but then by 3.30pm I was down in IR. But when I got there they weren’t really prepared for what a difficult case I was going to be. They suggested having the line inserted with just local anaesthetic and no sedation.  Ha! Absolutely no bloody way that was happening.  I’ve had 15 Hickman lines in the last 10 years and each insertion creates more and more scar tissue in my chest wall from where the line gets tunnelled. The last line had to be inserted under a general anaesthetic because it was too painful so there was no way I was agreeing to have this one put in without sedation. Wanting sedation cr