Hugs, prayers and more POWER of positive thinking. . .
Lidocaine is basically Novacaine.
They use it for most local anesthesias.
I even have Lidocaine cream (EMLA) leftover in a tube from when I used to put it on my lifeport when it got irritated from all the puncturing during chemo...
plus those Lifeport access needles (like a huge thumbtack with 'butterfly wing' grips) are big and thick and feel like ice picks.
A little EMLA cream put on the port and covered with saran wrap (only works while liquid), a half hour ride to the Oncs and I couldn't feel a thing when they accesssed my port.
I'm glad they're numbing his pain, and making him more comfortable.