‘Cheers to Pete’: An Ode To A Cancer Port

February 10, 2021
Marissa Holzer
Marissa Holzer

Marissa is a 40-something "flattie" in sunny SoCal living with metastatic breast cancer, her boyfriend (and high school sweetheart) and the memory of her not-so-mini schnauzer, Heidi, who was taken too soon by canine lymphoma. She enjoys reading, stress baking and roller skating. She hopes to inspire others with her stories about life with cancer.

CURE, CURE® Spring 2021 Issue,

A cancer survivor pens an ode to her port that has made her journey much less stressful.

Meet Pete, he’s my port.

Makes my lab draws very short.

Use the cream,

it works like a dream.

No pain.

Thank you, lidocaine.

My ever-ready vein,

keeps those nurses and lab techs sane.

Easy-Peasy.

Never queasy.

Should have done this years ago,

instead of having my veins blow.

So, this is Pete.

I think that he is pretty neat.

He works like a charm,

since I only have one good arm.

A power port,

it’s my last resort.

Oh, the metastatic breast cancer life.

Once again, I’m under the knife.

Hoping to make things simple,

although Pete, he looks like a giant pimple,

implanted under my skin

because I’m thin.

But he’ll get the job done.

Multiple poking now becomes one.

Digging no more.

Labs are no longer a chore.

Cheers to Pete,

for keeping things short and sweet.

Such a relief

to save so much grief.

No heads shaking,

no arm aching.

Now I’m less stressed,

thank you, Pete, you’re the best.

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