Have to get chemo through arm, port has to come out

midwestdoglover

I don't know what is going on with this port.  Did my  4 a/c chemo, every 3 weeks, have done 3 wkly taxotere so far

The port has been flipping on me, the surgeon even came to oncology and felt it. The nurse could flip it, but she said she can't use it.   So i got local anesthesia, while they sewed it in, through 3 layers.

And from what i hear,  i'm not the first one. Port is below collar bone..below is the first port episode

only had one hydration IV, 2 min into it, it was the sodium chloride, not even the meds yet...I passed out, throat closes up, get light headed, and i passed out. DH saw the whole thing, poor guy. Entire staff surrounding me.  I get awake, and 2 paramedics ready to take me to closest hospital.  I had hives, redness majorly, but my voice was coming back

at the hospital, they cat scanned my brain, everything ok. Heart monitor on all night, cardio doc comes in the morning, and says stop using BP med Benicar, made my BP drop too fast, and they released me

Taked to everyone at oncology, they said they will try diff lines for chemo, maybe i was allergic to numbing spray, when they used port, this was 2 min into IV, like i said sodium chloride. Oh yea i always get the steroid IV, and benadryl, before the nausea and chemo meds, the pre-drips first

Had another reaction with port, that makes 3, got hives, same thing throat closing up.

had that port sewn down, last month?

and again last wednesday, nurse accidentally used numbign spray, if i am allergic to it....this can't be it!..said oh sh#t, wiped it off, got the IV going, walked to her nurses area, maybe 2 min again, i called her, and here we go again, but i didn't pass out, and there were 2 Physicians assistants, that were right there

so one of the PA's softly checking my neck, asking what is that lump?..I can feel the wire from the port, 1/2 up my neck, lump around that.....and they talk stuff i cannot hear

Oncology doc says no more port, do it periphaelly, through arm, i have 9 more taxotere to go, never had prob with IV chemo, through arm

port has to come out they tell me, so surgeon is on vacation First consult with him would be 8/14, port removal week after week of 8/18

so today oncology office says to call this other surgeon from their clinic ( same as PCP, gynie, oncologist)..who can see my friday

i don't know what the hell is going on, thought they would blow my veins out, if done through the arm, the IV..it's that power port, even got an ID for keychain for it

can anyone make any sense outta this

BTW the wkly taxotere is bothering me more than the  a/c did, maybe cause it is wkly. The loss of appetite, the diarhhea comes on the wknd, chemo always on wednesday, the wknd is when it hits me.  I struggle trying to eat breakfast, have to take a lot of pills.....1/2 banana and just a bite of something, 1/2 donut...I was able to eat the legs from a Sams  club roasted chicken, about 3pm finally

thanks for reading this

oh, and my BP dropped again, nurses asked me if i ever had seizures!....no way, thats after i started the throat closing up, got really red my neck....they hurried up, this was last wednesday, and got some benadryl, and steroids into that line, and about 10 min later i was feeling better

doxie

midwestdoglover,

What a story!.  I had no problem with my port.  Did have a severe allergic reaction to Neulasta, but that is not your problem.  It seems like your treatment team is not completely on top of things.  They should be giving you steroids and benadryl as a precaution at all times.  I only did 4 x T/C.  Taxotere wiped me out after the last two rounds.  

camillegal

doglover u are getting benedryl aren't u and steroids I thought that was just everyone's procedure, and some take meds before and after---Well that's not the port problem--I'm sorry about that I still have mine, I call it Pete the port-but u'r's isn't friendly and seems to be awkward whereever it is. IDK anything about this I'm sorry for you. It's not like u'r not having enough problems with everything else to have just a small thing cause u so much. Good Luck

midwestdoglover

Hi, just got back from oncology, didn't need a hydration iv, only if i wanted it. Labs were ok, just magnesium a little low.  End of a quarter with taxotere, so no chemo this week.

Where i go, is a clinic, with my gynie, pcp, eye doc in that building, and surgeon, cancer doc.....so many patients coming in for chemo, well, they have 4 physicians assistants.  She went over labs, i asked what is with that port, she said since she has been there, she has seen this happen to 10 patients, body is rejecting the port!!!!!.......

i got an appt with surgeon friday, i will ask more questions, am i allergic to port material, i just want to know more about why this is happening.

I could have gotten a hydration iv, if i wanted it, labs were not bad, but wanted to save an IV stick...got tot ake magnesium now too

thanks

midwestdoglover

oh yea, i get IV steroids, and IV benadryl always , and anti nausea IV meds, chemo comes last.....but this is the 3rd time this has happened...sorry if i didn't mention that

she gave me a script for prescription diarhhea meds,  it hits me on the wknd after wednesdays taxotere...i will ask the surgeon on fridays consult about taking it out, about why she thinks this happened

lana830

I had power port on right side. Due to what A/C did to me with #s 2 & 3 treatments ( c diff then needed sigmoid ostomy surgery ) doc discontinued A/C and went on Taxol. They tried three times to access port ( the kind with 3 bumps on it ) and couldnt. My veins are crap. So went to intervention radiology for port study. It had flipped on its side. Doc wouldnt flip it outside and def not inside because i was now swollen so he removed it and put a new port minus the bumps on same side as the tumor. My side effects from Taxol are extreme tiredness. I feel unable to concentrate. Cry a lot and toes on both feet hurt and feel pins/needles and numb. Its starting in my left arm. Taxol is for 12 weeks. Past tuesday was 8th week. This chemo hell since April. My bc is stage 1. No nodes. And breast mri done 3 weeks ago shows chemo def working it shrunk tumor from 2 cm to less than 1. But I've had sooo many issues! I wish you strength luck and speedy recovery!!!

lana830

Oh yes with taxol i started taking steroid pills the night and morning of then it was discontinued. Doc restarted steroids at the office when i told her without steroids called decadon i was in pain during infusion. So i take anti nausea pill as soon as i get there. Then iv of decadon, another anti nausea, then benadryl and no more body pains during iv. Sighhhhh!!

midwestdoglover

Thanks for the reply, Lana

ports coming out Thursday...Fmy body is rejecting it. It flipped over too, surgeon sewed it in through 3 layers, and i still had a reaction ( but didn't pass out yet the 3rd time.

so i have 8 more taxotere to go, from my arm veins...

I had to get prescription diarhhea meds,  this chemo will hit be on the wknd, had it wednesday.

I take meds for rheumatoid arthritis/lupus, so i don't have the joint pain, just fatique, runny,nose, bleeds when i blow it. The have me take a saline mist it helps, and supposed to use aseline around nostrils

i don't do oral steroids the night before, but yes i get that decodron, more steroids, she opened up thingie in lines to put in, iv benadrol, anti nausea pre-drips, then the chemo....so not reaction without port

I have that power port also

i got stage 3, 3 cm, and i got to find all the other info..LOL, will need some pill, to shut off hormones to the breast, and gotta do 1 month radiationm, every day!..yikes

don't have tingling in feet, but hands i do, they said try B complex, and now they said try

GLUTAMINE...if i can find at a vitamin shop, 10 grams ( powder?) twice a day , take 24 hours after chemo....some pharmacies may have to to order it, or direct from Baxter labs 800 265 2202..it may reduce the tingling

Again, appreciate the reply, and hope all is getting better for you, Petcan shows negative on me, have to ask next time they take those Cancer blood tests, for the results/take care