PORT PLACEMENT - Detailed description of process
Comments
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I now have clindamycin for the cellulitis and am doing ok. I tried to eat a small fun pack of M&M's yesterday and they tasted spicy to me. I wonder if that means my taste buds are fried by all the antibiotics. Inevitably I also think about the possibility of tumor in the brain as cancer patients often do.
I'm meeting the MO on Tuesday so I can ask a bunch of questions.0 -
Oh--I never had problems with antibiotics before, but I had amoxycillin about 10 years ago and also got a rash from it! It's one of the two drugs I keep having to report as being allergic to me. I'd never had a rash like that before! UGH. It just popped up all over!
'Hope the rash and the infection clears up now, treelilac! And I hope the odd taste things go away. Chemo definitely makes things taste odd--so it's most likely just the odd chemicals in your system at the moment. good luck!
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Tree, I'm so glad you went to the doctor and know what is going on.
Good luck with your onc and let us know how it goes.
Liz
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Treelilac, You said your plan was to start Chemo tomorrow. Remember Chemo can affect healing. Generally many people have been given chemo the same day or within a few days of port insertion and do fine. But you had a questionable infection. Delaying your chemo until no evidence is a safest approach. Your chemo is adjuvant and your pathology report has been downgraded. It's your decision of course. Just trying to give you the right info upon which to make a decision.
This link is to a thread done by Rock. It's the go to list of everything about a chemo trip>
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/706846?page=1
Many people have added their thoughts over time.
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Update: So I finally met with my oncologist, who discussed the pathology report in details with me. That's when everything began to dawn on me... (I only heard a rough version from the BS earlier.) The lab sectioned/stained my breast tissue and couldn't find invasive carcinoma. There was plenty of in-situ this, in-situ that--but no invasive kind. So the conclusion was that the core biopsy must have gotten it all! The MO said the tumor maybe only 0.4 mm in size. Huh?
I said I still wanted to consider chemo, knowing triple negative is aggressive and mets-happy. I went home and took a "deep" nap, thanks to the antihistamine I've been taking. I woke up hours later and was told that the BS' office has been calling and left messages. They want me report to the surgery room first thing tomorrow morning to remove the port. I'm guessing due to potential infection since the area still looks reddish and I had a low fever at the MO's office. (I assume the doctors talked to each other...) Huh??
As you can see, I'm very confused now.
Thank you ladies for your encouragement!
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TreeL, Odd- Odd, By this time I'm guessing it's done. If you aren't at a NCCN center google your nearest location. Get a 2nd opinion on plan of treatment.0 -
Hmmm... Well if there IS an infection in your port, you probably do have to get it out. Let's hope you don't have to get chemo, in that case! They can also place another port if they need to, later on, after your infection is cleared. I hope you hear that you don't need to have anything done... but stuff happens. I wish you the best!!!
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tree, I am sorry you are having such a horrible time with all this. I will keep you in my prayers. I hope you won't need chemo that would be wonderful but if you do I hope you will be able to deal with all the side effects super easily. And I pray for no more complications for you.
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TreeL. Any update? Your case is pretty complicated. One side triple positive, the other side triple negative. In my prayers Hugs sassy0 -
Waiting to see second opinion next week. Thank you ladies!
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Hi Treelilac, have you seen the doctor about your port? I am also having a problem with my port, but I am hoping it is not serious. I had my second infusion last week and noticed a blue bruise on the site. I didn't think much about it since the area was just stabbed with a needle and decided to just keep an eye on it. One week later, it is worse and sore, it is also more reddish and purple. I asked the infusion nurse today, and she thought it could be due to heparin. I asked my doctor and she thought it was blood that escaped into the tissue when the needle was pulled out. She recommended having the nurse apply pressure after removing the needle. She said it did not look like it was infected. This is only my second infusion using the port, the first time was fine and barely hurt. The second time was much more painful. And of course it hurt today because of the big mess of a bruise. Ouch. Could it have been the way the nurse put in the needle the second time? Is this a common problem? Should I get another opinion from the surgeon who placed the port?0 -
CRS: My "symptoms" are more like itchiness and red bumps. The bumps still show up sometimes and clear on their own without a reason. Maybe amoxicillin allergy takes a while to wash out of the system. The BS said the redness near the port is cellulitis and she changed the antibiotics. I hope someone with similar experience to yours will answer soon. There are other threads about ports here and there on this site. In addition to the surgeon, I think you can also call the PCP's office and ask at least if they think it's serious.
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CRS, I recommend having the surgeon look at the site. They've seen the most, besides they put it in. PCP's are okay, but the are medical. It's not that they can't diagnose wound problems, they can. But the surgeon has a vested interest in the port. It's their handi-work.0 -
crs- I had a bruise over my port the whole time it was in. I was very skinny and had to get a pediatric port placed. It hurt like crazy everytime they poked it. Mostly w/full size needles. Finally some nurse suggested the lidocaine gel to apply prior to each chemo. Well I can say it was like night and day- no pain what so ever. So be sure to ask for an Rx if needed. I had it removed after the end of 6 months of chemo. Reluctantly they removed it. It just showed on my chest where my shirt closed.Never got infected though.
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Thank you ladies, I will call the surgeon in the morning and have him take a look at it. GrammyR, I'm sorry about your port experience, one of the trade offs for having this thing inside us is supposed to be a more comfortable chemo experience, and this is more painful than a vein poke
. I will ask about the lidocaine gel. Do you think giving it an extra week to heal and getting chemo in other arm would help? I go in every week, so it doesn't get much of a break. I have to have it in for 6 months too. Thank you!0 -
crs003, it kind of sounds like the bruising may be related to how the needle was inserted or maybe removed. I would check with the surgeon and your MO. Is this the first time you had bruising on or around your port?
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I had a big bruise around my port somewhere between 2nd and 3rd weekly Taxol. The MO didn't seem concerned. He only said to be on the lookout for red swollen rash, which could be an indication of an infection.
My bruise eventually went away, gradually
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Just a quick question as there seems to be some very knowledgable people on this thread. I have had a power port for 20 months now with no problems. It has been accessed over 80 times for weekly chemo and multiple times for scans etc.
I had Taxol on Tueday and since then I have increasing discomfort around the port area and in the chest area above it going up to my neck. I don't have a temperature and there is no redness. I do have some decreased movement and it almost feels like a muscle strain ( I did do Pilates yesterday).
Is this something I should be concerned about? Or should I just monitor and mention at chemo next week.
Your advice is greatly appreciated
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Hi Shazza, Sorry you are having trouble. I have some thoughts. You are very experienced with your port. As a result it makes your observations important. Not that anyones self report isn't important. But you have extensive background on how your port has behaved throughout the use of it.This needs to be investigated. You did do pilates yesterday, but your change in symptoms predated that activity.Your symptoms are very specific. Check in with your MO. An ultrasound of the area and a chest xray would be able to determine if a pocket has formed around the port. Either from something brewing or leakage of chemo. No pocket--great. Hope this helps.
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Thanks Sas, I've just got home from work and my temp is just shie of 38. It's very red along the vein in my neck and getting more painful around my port, although it's not red there. I'm guessing an infection in my port. Looks like a trip to the emergency room for me.
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ShazzaKelly- yes, it needs ti be looked at by a doctor. Its possible that a little leaking inside around it has occurred which may not be serious but infection must be ruled out quickly. Hold off tbe Pilates until you know for sure.
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ShazzaKelly -- Best wishes in getting your port problem sorted! I hope it turns out to be nothing.
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Well it looks like I have an infection in my port. I've been admitted for a few days of iv antibiotics.
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Shazza, sorry about the infection. Bummer after all this time. Dislike to raise concerns, but please, think about your last port access and the access before that. You are experienced in knowing proper technique. Was they're any breach in technique? Ask the infusion center if they're has been any other infections recently? They will close ranks very fast. Again with having as many port accesses as you have, something changed. The Infectious Disease doc should do the inquiries to the infusion center. Ask them?
Did they do blood cultures before starting you on antibiotics? Should have as the situation of having a implanted device calls for different studies. You described a temp. A temp says they're is a systemic response verses a local infection. The blood cultures will confirm if you are on the right antibiotic. Blood culture direct from catheter and one other site. Usual draw site is the antecubital.
If it comes to the point that the port has to be removed, protocol is for the tip(usually about 3 inches) be sent for anaerobic and aerobic culture and sensitivity. Remainder of cath is also sent to the lab. Also, Culture and sensitivity of removal site.
Please, let us know about your progress. Hugs, Sassy
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@tbird57 Thank you for all the details. My surgeon was going to place a port while doing another procedure today for which I was fully under. I'm not sure about the port (I don't know yet how much chemo I'll have and when, and a very good friend who had chemo told me yesterday that she went without it, and she said it was fine and that her oncologist had actually recommended against using a port). So I asked the surgeon not to do it right away, even though that would mean I might have to come back for another procedure later if the non-port option doesn't work out for me. This gives me a very good idea of what to expect without complete anesthesia. Not sure I like the sound of it - I think I'd much prefer to be "out of it" myself - but at least you knew what was going on every step of the way, and since it seems that is what you wanted, that's good!
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Mom2 Hi, Tb has been here for several years. Several folks watch this thread for people wandering in. Within the last couple of pages, I posted my opinion about ports. The original post was a bit of a rant, but you can read if you like. I covered the pro's primarily ----you'll see I'm very pro port. TBirds topic post box is excellent start to finish. It's they way it's been done since ports were first started.
I'll watch to see if you have any questions --sassy
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sas-schatzi, you are a wealth of knowledge and so very helpful to those on this thread. Thank you for being here. I watch this thread to see if I can offer any help but you always beat me to it.
You are amazing!!!
Thank you from all of us.
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Momma thank you, what a nice thing to say
......... I appreciate you too. Many working together can create calm out of chaos.0 -
Shazza, just thinking of you and wondering how you are.
I hope that you are feeling better.
Liz
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I went to back to the surgeon a few days ago and he took one look and said its just a bruise. I was glad to hear that, but I still feel like it is not right. The color has not changed in 14 days, it is still a deep red color. Normally when I bruise, it will start to change to purple, then blue, green, yellow, so I don't understand why it is taking so long. I don't know what else to do. Should I get tested for heparin allergy? The doctor doesn't think so. But I'm still concerned.@mommacat4- Yes, this is the first time it bruised, it was my second infusion. But this bruise is not acting like my normal bruising. My platelet counts are good, so I don't know. Should I ask them to poke it a certain way?
@BBwithBC45-What color was your bruise and how long did it take to mature and change color?
@Shazza-I'm sorry to hear that it was an infection, I agree with sas-schatzi about being a detective. Hope you are doing ok.
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