Port Is In!

Author: Shannon Miller

So I have to say, I was pretty nervous about the port surgery. Would it hurt? Would it be obvious? Would my son be bothered by it?

My coach, Steve Nunno, had a nickname for me during much of my gymnastics career. Yes, I was known to him as “Chicken Little”. Apparently the sky was always falling in my world. If I couldn’t get a skill right the first time or couldn’t quite keep up with the older girls, my world came tumbling down. I’ll never forget being at a competition overseas when I received a 10.0 on my beam routine! It was amazing, but as excited as I was, I could still pick out two errors I felt I had made.

Of course, the beauty of gymnastics, and life, is that we don’t have to be perfect to be happy. It’s been a tough lesson for me to learn and I’ll always be a perfectionist. But one thing this past couple months has shown me is that I need to pay attention to what is truly important.

My husband doesn’t care if I have another scar and, while it’s only been a couple days with my new accessory, the port hasn’t really bothered me. (Thank you Dr. Roberston!) In fact, in some warped way I wear it with dignity. It’s a symbol that I am taking an active role in my health and ultimate successful outcome. It means I’m one step closer to starting the treatment that will give me the opportunity to be here and healthy for my family.

I hope everyone will continue to share your stories and helpful hints. We have to fight these battles together. Whether you have been through chemo, have a family member dealing with it or you’re going through it yourself, know that you are not alone. We can and we will get through this, together!