PORT PLACEMENT - Detailed description of process
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Hi lago, your over here too...
Im average size, not petite, but not overweight. I just found a video on youtube, and I must say, I am terrified now. (YUCK) So it looks like they only thread the tube through the neck, it doesnt actually stick up into my neck? They only connected it in 1 spot, so Im assuming there is no tube in my neck area? I guess these are questions for my Dr on Thursday. Im not even scheduled yet and Im driving myself crazy.
So how are you feeling? I believe we are getting the same treatment. TCH.....
Kristy
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The week before the next TX is my most normal. The only new thing now is my feet are sore and I've developed 3-4 blisters on my toes in the last few days just from walking in shoes I normal have no problems with… including my well fitting running shoes (and I don't run I walk). I think my skin is just getting really sensitive. The nueropathy in the left heel is almost gone. Other than that I feel great how about you?
TX 3 is on Tuesday. I'm going to tell my on about the issues I have with Nurse Ratched.
And really don't sweat the port. It really was pretty easy. BTW I call my port Agent Smith. The nurses in the chemo room thought that was pretty funny.
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You seem to be taking all this so well.
Sorry to hear you having some problems, but I guess that is something we all have to deal with in one way or another. Are you doing 4 or 6 TX?
Im doing well, recovering good from the re-excision. Still sore and a little swollen. Im starting to notice the changes in my breast from the lumpectomy.
It was looking great while I was still really swollen. lol.... Defenatly let him know about Nurse Rached, the name alone scares me! I wouldnt have the guts to tell the person who is putting poison into my body that I was unhappy with them. But defenatly tell the Dr.
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Ok. just returned from the Onc, will have port placed on Wednesday. In the brochure I was given, it shows the cath going up twords my neck, then down to my heart. So I am assuming there will be no cath sticking up into my next? They said there will be a small incision in my neck, and the port placed in my chest. I just dont understand why they need to cut my neck.
Kristy
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Sweetaerobabe, I have two incisions.One is closing the gap where the actual port is and that is located on my right side because my cancer was on my left side, and if you come in about 4 inches from the top of the armpit, that's where it sits on my chest. The other incision is in my neck, and from the questions I asked my understanding is that during the process the tube connects to the port, is put in the jugular vein, and theaded over and down to the heart as the heart is the quickest way to get the drugs pumped through the body...and the neck incision is needed to get the tube into the jugular vein as it can't be done blindly from the port incision site. I can see/feel the port in my chest as it's a 'bump', and I can see/feel the tube going up from the port and into my neck, a bumpy path..but from there it's in the vein and you can't see/feel anything else. The first week, yeah, it's surgery so it's sore like all things surgical are but it's managable and you will get through it...then by the second week you'll get used to it and as more time goes on you won't even notice it much...and I'm only 5 weeks into mine and I'm saying that..it really won't be bad. You'll see, you will do fine!! Good luck and come back and let us know how it goes.
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Well ports in and let me just say Im sore!! Real sore...got sick at first cause all the sleepy meds I was on but woke up feeling soo much better...I know Im in pain now but its sooooo going to be worth it I know it!!!!!!!
Im ready to go for chemo this Tuesday!
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sweetaerobabe Nurse Ratched isn't the chemo nurse thank goodness and that is not her real name. It's a reference from the movie "One Flew Over The Cucoo's Nest"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-HaxWnNEFE&feature=related 0 -
lago, Duh, this whole time I thought that was her name. lol.
Bekka2298, hope your feeling better soon, I go in Wed for my port.
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Good luck to you on Wednesday!!
Pain pills are my friend right now its just so sore thats all.Let me know how yours goes
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Thanks Bekka, I will.
Do you remember the surgery. I dont think I ever had "twilight" and I dont want to know or remember ANYTHING. I will defenatly ask for pain meds!!
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Hi all, I had my port placed on Friday during my SNB. Unfortunately when i woke up I was told that 2 nodes out of 4 tested positive, so BS knew in advance to put the port in in the event I had positive nodes I would need chemo. I was hoping for no chemo. I am so scared about all of this! The port is in right side and the access for meds is around my right breast where I had had surgery yrs ago. MY BS didn't want me to have too many scars. Problem is my neck and shoulder are very sore. How long does this area typically stay sore for? Thanks in advance for any feedback. I am also having a PET scan tomorrow and Muga scan on Tuesday any feedback on those?
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I too am interested.... I have Muga tomorrow and port on Wed. I kinda know now what to expect of the port placement. I was briefly told that for the Muga, some sort of dye or tracer? is injected then I lay in a machine for about 45 mins. Thats all I know about it. I was told it was ok to take my xanax before the Muga.
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Randi and Sweetaerobabe: I had a MUGA a year ago before starting chemo. I think it is usally done if the plan is to use either Adriamycin or Herceptin during chemo as both can be hard on the heart and the doctors want to see the current state of your heart.
The MUGA is completely painless. On arrival, a nurse did a blood draw, taking a test tube of blood, then I sat and rested for about an hour. When the technician was ready, I was brought into the room with the scanner and my blood, which had now been mixed with a radioactive dye, was injected back into my body. Then I lay on a bed and the machine came over and took the images. The machine is open and I could see and talk to the technician at all times. I think the scanning part just took a few minutes. But it may have been longer.
Good luck to both of you.
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MaryNY is correct. The MUGA is easy just another time suck test you need to do. My scan took at least 20 minutes. I think you did have to wait a while once they put the blood/dye mixture back in.
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Im gonna be a glowworm (remember those?) by the time this is over. lol
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Ok about Twilight...the nurse asked me afterwards if i remembered anything I told her no...she said she would ask me something and that I would open my eyes and answer but I dont remember any of that lol
So I do hope you have the same thing I did
good luckAnd about the glow worm yep Im one too lol and the injection they give you for the MUGA scan is in a metal box...lol kinda of scary but its painless
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Bekka,
I had my muga today, and it was just as MaryNY said. The radioactive dye burned a little going in, but the test was easy. She had trouble getting a good vein for the blood draw, (the first time I ever had a vein problem) so that was a little painfull. But, one more step under my belt.
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Sweetaerobabe, the good news is that next time you have your MUGA scan it can be done thru your port. Its a non event then. Since I couldn't count on one of the MUGA scan people to access my port, i made an appointment with my chemo nurse and she accessed my port and then i went over for my MUGA scan. After the MUGA was over i went back over to the chemo nurse and they took care of my port.
Good luck. Getting my port put in was a piece of cake.
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Sweetaerobabe: glad to hear that the MUGA scan went well.
The metal box was weird with the test tube of blood inside. It reminded me of a little coffin as I think it was lead lined. The tech mentioned that I would be radioactive for a few days afterward and that they can provide an explanatory letter if a patient is likley to be flying in that time period. The radioactive substance is quickly eliminated from your body, but you can help this by drinking plenty of fluid for the rest of the day.
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They never even told me to drink plenty of liquids. Im a coffee girl, and till about noon thats all I drink. Then little bits of gingerale or juice throughout the day. Never was a water drinker.
I know, I know, TONS of water before, during and after chemo. Ill force myself.
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Hello all
Have just joined the forum, but have been reading everything with interest over the past week or so. I had my port put in on Friday and start chemo tomorrow. I'm a bit nervous, as it's quite tender. Does anyone know if you are able to take some pain killers before chemo starts so that fiddling with the port the first time won't be quite so painful? I'm a wuss, I know :-)
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Trish-Anne
I am also a wuss, Had my port placed last Wed, had my first TCH on Fri morn. Dr gave me emla cream to numb the area, but it didnt work, I think maybe the port was to new and tender. All the emla did was make the glue the dr used to close the area gummy. So I have been cleaning that up with peroxide and q-tips. Some places use a freezing spray, ask for it, if not, its 1 quick stick then no pain at all. Good luck. Join us in the Nov Chemo boards.
Kristy
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Dear Teena;
Thanks for this explanation. I need to have one placed soon and was apprehensive. So you cannot sleep on the side of the port? I had surgery on the left breast but now sleep on the right side. i guess I better ask them to put on the side of the breast surgery because now I fear there is something wrong under the lymph nodes in the right breast. I am hoping to get an MRI this week and a sono.
I just had mastectomy a month ago and am dreading chemo. It seems like the worst part of the treatment. I got into a study for Avastin though and if you need more information just write me an email or send a reply.
be blessed and stay well.
Marcia
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After a while you can sleep on the port side. I do. I got my port at the beginning of October.
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lago, all the worring I did, and Im completly healed. Been sleeping on that side since about day 3 or 4 after placement. I dont even know its there anymore.
Now, the hair is comming out, its very thin, but still looks like a head of hair, got the clippers on hand for when Im ready. Im sure it will be this week. BTW, got my headwrap from franceluxe.com and LOVE it! Wish I could afford to buy one, but at 72.00 each, I'll stick with the free one. lol.
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Hi Just have a question about port again. For sisters with bilateral MX,is it right on the BMX scar or above the scar? I am still waiting for getting an appointment for port. Not sure if I will get it before chemo on this thurs (biweekly AC). I have BMX without recon. Will PICC be done faster than port? what is the difference between a power port (or line?) and regular port? Thanks. Hope everyone is doing well!!
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Hi all,
I had my port put in this morning and I'm having a fair amount of chest pain underneath my breast and down into the area of my sternum, not nearly as high as where the port is at. I'm also having a little trouble breathing, or at least it feels like that - just rapid, shallow breaths.
Has anyone else experienced this right after surgery? I'm freaked out about a collapsed lung, but that's probably only because the surgeon mentioned that as a possible complication and I've had lots of complications over the last month or so. Ahh, the wicked power of suggestion!
I'm hoping to start chemo in January (hoping because I want to get it over with and behind me!). Anyone else starting then?
Hugs to all,
Lisa
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I think I will be starting chemo in January. I just found out today I have to have it. I still have to get the port put in, but I will find out that tomorrow.
Happy Holidays to all,
Judy
Update, got the port put in, all went well, went in on the first try. Its been over a week now, I start chemo tomorrow, so I will see how the port's going to work then. From all that I have read its going to be my best friend for the year.
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I had anesthesia for mine - just as well since the surgeon had a problem with threading the tubing and had to try twice. Ended up with a partially collapsed lung which healed in a few days. Smartest thing I did was to have the port put on my right side so the seatbelt did not irritate it when I drive.
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any suggestion?? i had my port placed on Tuesday of last week...the process was smooth, but the next day i had Chemo, so the dressing had to come off...First of all the nurse didn't numb me, even after i asked, then at the end she put the sticky skin like dressing directly over the glued incision.. the next morning, i had a fever and allergic reaction so my port had to be accessed...when they took the dressing off, of course the glue came out of my incision, so i have been taping it shut, but i worry that its going to get infected...Is it normal for the port to be directly under the incision? will this be a problem...is it normal for it to still be pulling, i keep holding my arm close in so that the incision doesn't open back up...urrrg...i think im just a worry wort...lol
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