Speaking Up Port 101

Today I had an unexpected event. I went to get my labs drawn via my port. My usually peeps were not there. I used to do my own port care as you all know... But my doctor as of now doesn't want to get me supplies through home health pharmacy for just a lab every other week. (You see, I can not do my own labs at home... I have to go get them done.) I can access my own port a cath. But it's been pointless since off daily Infusions. (Until today) So I go and I put my trust in others. But today really caught me off guard. My new nurse 

Put a dirty germy file on my "sterile field". I should have spoken up then. But I am tired of being the patient who is always speaking up. (You know the pain in the butt one) I knew that was not good nor safe. But I let it slide. Then my nurse brought all of my port supplies and opened them & sat them right on my now dirty field. (From where my dirty file was sat, opened, and roamed through.) She then proceeded to grab my sterile port needle with her bare dirty hands. She touched the needle itself with germy bare hands. Those needles are to be sterile for a reason. I asked her to put gloves on that very second... In hopes she would realize she was contaminating all of my supplies. She assured me she would. But first opened all supplies that are sterile with dirty bare hands. She touched everything. Then put gloves on? I should have refused. I should have left. But I did not. I did not because I am so tired of fighting with Heath care professionals to do their jobs right. They way to not endanger (Me)) the patient. It sounds simple. Just don't let them harm you. But it's not always that simple as the patient. Sometimes they let you second guess yourself. (I had spoken up a few weeks prior & it seemed pointless) Sometimes we don't want to be the bad guys for once. So I had a dirty needle stuck into my heart. Right into my bloodstream. (Dumb) I could go septic over this. It could kill me literally. But hospitals do not have to do these things fully sterile anymore. For reasons beyond me. Because it's dangerous. But the actions by my nurse today were completely inexcusable! That was not partially sterile at all! That was fully germ infested! Pure danger.  So I second guessed myself into thinking it would be okay. I was overreacting...But the truth of it is... It is so NOT okay! The nurse just put me at a huge risk. And if she did it to me... How many others are getting the same treatments? Not all patients know central line care protocols. They just trust those very same nurses to care for them safely. But they are not doing it safely at all. Not there. I can now become very ill. I pray I will not. I'm still mad at myself... So now I will report it so they can hopefully get the training needed to not kill future patients. I will also be more bold in the future & stand my ground. I won't care about the nurses feelings. I will argue my case. I will get eyes rolled at me. I will be scoffed at some more. However, I will be safe and not sitting here worrying I'm going to go spetic. I know what I know. What's the medical world coming to when you constantly have to force nurses to do what they should already be doing in a serious nature? This is my bloodstream... I always wonder in these situations, if that was your family member would you have just done that so carelessly? It's truly frightening. Don't let any medical professional harm you. Take a lesson from my mistake today. Speak up. -Chelle