PORT PLACEMENT - Detailed description of process
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crs003 -- It's possible to have a reaction to some chemo that might have somehow affected your port area. I had a little red dot right where the needles went into my port and at first the nurses worried it might be a sign of infection, but it stayed the same for many weeks and they told me it was probably a bit of chemo affecting it. My port has been fine since it was put in in December, red dot and all (I think it eventually faded).
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I'm very glad to have my port! My first MO thought I didn't need one, but I left that guy behind because he was skimping on just about every aspect of treatment (their standard tests didn't include a breast MRI or PET, he didn't suggest Perjeta to be added to TCH, etc. --I left for a different insurance plan and all new doctors and they totally suggest I should have a port).
I also know someone who didn't want a port, but the chemo totally messed up her veins and she had to have one placed after that.
But I got 6 cycles of chemo and am getting a year of Herceptin infusions, so I knew I'd be using my port a while. Plus I ended up needing many weeks of IV drips and it was much nicer having it go through my port! I'd have been driven mad to have an IV in my arm all that time!
My BS asked if he should take my port out, but I'm keeping it for my year of Herceptin... I'm keeping it until I don't need it any more and I go longer than a month or so without using it...!
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Hi guys sorry I haven't replied earlier. I've just got home from hospital after 4 days of IV antibiotics. I did have an infection in my port. I also have another 10 days of oral antibiotics and no chemo for two weeks. As a stage 4 on long term chemo I'm very attached to my port so I'm hoping that will do the trick
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ShazzaKelly --- Good luck in kicking the infection asap! Long term chemo... I can definitely understand being attached to your port.
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crs300 - my bruise started from very pale, barely there yellow and in a matter of about a week turned very dark purple. Then it started fading into lighter purple, green, yello over a matter of maybe a week and a half if I recall correctly. It was never red however.
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Went for my vein assessment and was told, politely, that they were crap. I dont know how that happens? But they placed three ivs during LX before they got it right. Port placement is day before first chemo. I'm terrified.
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Tresjoli, Please, ports are an invasive procedure, but a surgeon or internventional radiologist(IR) are skilled at insertion. It is done under twilight or general anesthesia. It is a sterile procedure, therefore, the surgeon/ IR and scrub nurse will be gowned and gloved. There are risks that they will explain, but the risk are a small percentage of all insertions. Express your concerns to the surgeon.
Ask your doc for some Ativan. It is an anti-anxiety drug. It is usually very well tolerated and GET's the job done of reducing anxiety. Please, avoid Xanax. It is a sister drug of Ativan. In my many years of experience with patients, I have seen patients have dependence problems and other side effects with Xanax that the other drugs in the benzodiazepine family of drugs don't cause.
You will learn to love you port. If you have read here you know I wrote a description of the different I. V. routes. I'll link the last page that it is on.
Please, keep coming here until you need us on this page no more. There are several members here like myself that will give you support for the questions and concerns that you have. HUGS sassy
https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/721889?page=29
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Tresjoli2 -- I thought the port placement was a breeze compared to the LX. I don't think you should worry at all. You aren't put entirely asleep, so there should be few or no affects from anesthesia. I had more anesthetics in me for a colonoscopy than for my port placement. There was no pain at all. One tiny incision. Quick healing. My port was accessed for chemo the very next day!
My veins aren't easy to access, but they can still be used -- and they ARE all the time, even with the port (for putting in tracer fluids for scans and for blood-draws and for IVs -- I had IVs placed in my veins for my LX, too). The thing is, you don't want to mess up those veins by shooting harsh chemo through them.
If you really, really don't want a port, you can refuse it. Personally, I was much more terrified of blowing out my veins from chemo than I was of getting a port. I mean, getting a port wasn't a picnic... it's weird having this little foreign body in you... but it's just right under the skin and they will take it out when you don't need it any more... it's not there forever. Anyway, I hope you are OK whatever happens. I'm sure you will be!
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I don't want to refuse it. They stuck me three times for the lx. I don't want drama finding a vein every week. It's sedation I hate. I had trouble with my breathing during the lx and it took a long time for me to wake up...I hate the sleepy part...
I found out this week I am getting a power port.
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hi there
Glad I found this thread. Anyone have head pressure problems when bending over? A feeling like oxygen is being cut off?
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Wino, a few questions ? Did this occur after the port placement? No symptoms in normal position? Do you feel any pressure in the neck region? Any changes by moving head right , left, back, and down? Deep knee bend or bend at the waist? Is the feeling of oxygen being cut off, relieved when you return to a normal position?
The reason for the questions is it can help you to define for the doc the full extent of what's going on.
Your symptoms are unusual, but I've learned over time anything can happen. Murphy's law. First and always something unusual should always be discussed with the surgeon doing the procedure. It sounds like something is putting pressure on the flow the vessel or perhaps flow of an adjacent vessel when you bend.
The oxygen issue is most likely related to anxiety. The brain will interpret how it wants when something happens. Anything that interferes or changes something for the brain, all kinds of signals are sent from the brain to the body, and to other parts of the brain to correct the problem. The brain is being protective of itself. From an anatomy view, they're four vessels carrying oxygenated blood to the brain. There are four vessels taking blood away from the brain. The relative momentary bend is not long enough to deprive the brain of oxygen. But the pressure is enough to activate all kinds of protective signaling. Anxiety is just one of the protective signals. I's warning you that something is messing with you.
If bending is your only issue, then avoid bending or modify it in someway as to not create the pressure. Sounds stupid, but I modify lot's of things b/c of long standing issue's. Orthopedic issue's are one of my problems. One modification, is I hired someone to clean the house.
Can't say how the doc will respond. Guessing. He may have you bend and ask you questions. He may take another x-ray to check placement. The ideal, but would be incredibly, incredibly hard to do is have an x-ray in the position in which the symptoms occur. That would show if the catheter is putting pressure in an unexpected way. This sounds good, but I've been in radiology enough to know that this not likely accomplishable.
Did any of this help?
Wino please, let us know what your doc says. Sassy
Wino if this predated the catheter placement, then it's a different issue.
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crs003, one thing to remember is that now your immune system is much lower possibly non-existent so the bruising is going to take longer to heal. I got a bug bite and it took about 3 weeks and oral antibiotics to heal. I also put topical antibiotic cream with a band aid. The band aid tore my skin when I took it off. This was months ago. I still have a red mark from the band aid. I know it sounds weird but your whole body is compromised when you are on chemo.
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well...port is in. Ironically they had to stick me 3x to get an iv to put the darn thing in. I'm very sore...how long before the pain/ soreness goes away? They left it accessed for my first chemo tomorrow
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Tresj, So happy for you. The soreness varies, but usually from 1-3 days directly for the incisions. Others have a different experience that varies with the actual port. Your story will be written when you have completed this chapter. The fact that it took three sticks to get the vein tells allot. Those nurses work daily in pre-op. Sticking is part of their schtick. I guarantee each one of those nurses was as frustrated as you. I was one of those stickers. We prided ourselves on our sticking ability. Does that help in understanding how important this port is to your right arm veins. For the rest of you life, you should avoid sticks on your left arm. With the amount of usage that the right veins will get in the future, you have taken an immense step in protecting them.
As you go through the next few weeks, with each nurse ask them to teach you about proper access for a port. The usual is that they ask you to look away as they access. My recommendation is that you ask for a mask so that you can watch. By knowing as much as you can about port's and technique, plus, watching all steps---you will be your own advocate. If a step is missed or technique is broken tell the sticker to stop.
In the future you will have many labs and diagnostic tests that require IV access. Please, ask that all sticks be done through your port. Always ask for a port certified person to access your port. You will learn the ropes on this. There may be times when you go to a facility that does not have a port certified person. Then your right arm will be used.
Let us know how things go-----Hugs, sassy
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thanks! Port came in handy today for sure. And I discovered that the pain I was feeling was from my bra strap putting pressure on the port. Removed strap by changing bras..and voila! No more need for pain meds!
My first taxol injection...that's a different story. I have never had an allergy in my life. But apparently taxol doesn't like me. Poof I couldn't breathe and my face swelled...
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ohhhh Tresj not nice.... at least you know the culprit. Nice problem solving on the strap. Now may seem obvious, but good pickup
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Tresjoli2 -- Glad a differently positioned bra strap has fixed the pain. I had my port placed long enough ago (November) that I can't remember how long I had pain. I don't think I actually had pain... but I was very careful of that side for a long time and didn't want anything pressing on it. Unfortunately, the seat-belt often hits it. Not fun at first, but now it's still a little sensitive, but not terrible. I just try to shift it around so it's not cutting right at that area...
Yikes--not good to have a bad allergic reaction!
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Bump
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I have the seat belt issue as well. I usually rest my elbow on the seat belt so it doesn't rub my port.
tresjoli2, I am so sorry to hear about your allergic reaction to taxol. I hope they gave you something else.
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I bought one of those wrap-around pads for my seat-belt. It helps keep it off my port, which is still a bit sensitive, even after all this time (placed in November '14). --You just have to watch to make sure it doesn't make the seat-belt not retract so that it catches in the door!
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I was bruised the entire time I had the port. Medical personnel pointed it out to ask if I was having trouble with it, but nobody suggested that it was remarkable.
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KSusan Hi, What is/was your platelet count? Were/are you prone to bruising in other areas?
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We finally solved the mystery of my red bruise (we think). It began fading and disappeared two weeks ago after one of the infusion nurses placed pressure bandages on it. It kind of looked cracked and dried up before disappearing. They think that it could have been frostbite from the cold spray they apply to try to numb the area. Have not been using the spray and have not had any other problems. I now just use an ice pack to numb before and hold pressure for 3 minutes after and ice a bit too after. I'm afraid to use Emla, and don't really need it, since my pain threshold is high and it doesn't hurt me that much, I also like to be able to feel my body and am concerned with nerve damage.
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My platelets were normal, and I had no bruising elsewhere, just the port. Every new nurse or doc commented on it, but nobody was concerned. It was bruised no matter who accessed the port, pressure, EMLA, spray, etc.
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Thank you. This was very helpful to me. I am waiting for my surgery, should be coming up within the next week. You made it sound less scary.0 -
Bobl, Tbird57's topic box is perfect. If you have any questions come on back, they're multiple members that watch this thread to help outKsusan, once all other stuff is ruled out, the pressure of a dressing sounds logical. Glad they're is no trouble
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Good to know that bruising for an extended period may be normal. I got my port on June 24 and my chest is still bruised today.
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Out of curiosity... Anyone have any tales about getting the port removed? How was it? And when did you do it?
I still have mine because I'm getting Herceptin for a year, although I guess I could just get that done through a vein. My RO and BS both asked me if I wanted to get my port out, so now I'm wondering if I should... but it's doing fine and my MO hasn't said anything, so I'm OK with keeping it until after the Herceptin (should be done by April/May of next year).
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I think I will keep mine for my herceptin. I like having my hands free and how easy it is. I've gotten used to it.
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April, back around page 15, I wrote the pros and cons of where a port should be removed. Sorry, I don't know what page, you'll have to scroll. I disagree that ports are safe to remove, outside of a hospital or outpatient facility. Rarely things go wrong, but it can happen. Docs offices generally are poorly equipped to handle emergencies.
Removal should be treated as a sterile procedure, just as insertion was a sterile procedure. I've never been impressed with docs offices and sterile procedures. Well that covers it. There was more in the last post, but this could do as it is.
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April, I didn't have a port--long story. My twin had a port for years, then it was removed . Then she had it replaced for another condition that she needed a port access. We both have crummy veins. itty bitty. it's been in for years. I've been babying the few stickable veins I have for far too long. If I ever get a port, it'll be forever.
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