Chemo port

santi2018

Good afternoon warriors!!!

As I write this, I am getting CMF #6 of 8. I have a port in place and was wondering how long does it stay in, I asked the nurse who said that it stays for a year.

Can I request that it be removed after treatment?

Runrcrb

my oncologist wanted it in for a month after my last chemo. My last chemo was 1/3/2017 and i had my port removed in early February the same year. I had radiation and then went upstairs for removal. Local anesthesia and i drove myself home.

Simbobby

My Breast Surgeon and Oncologist said it could come out after my last Herceptin treatment. Finished the end of November - port removed early January. Procedure took about 15 mins.

RosieRed

I asked my MO when I should get the port taken out and he said we'd leave it in until we know it's not needed anymore. I got my port in June 2018 and even though I'm done with chemo, I still have it and grateful that I've kept it this long. During my mastectomy they took out lymph nodes on my left side, therefore I cannot get blood pressure taken nor get my blood drawn on that side. I've been in the hospital twice in the past 5 weeks and the nurses were able to use the port for my medications and therefore left my right arm free for the blood pressure cuff.

OCDAmy

I got mine out about 4 weeks after my last chemo. I figured if I needed itagain some time down the road I would get another one but didn’t want that reminder inside of me.

santi2018

Thank You

I will speak about this with my oncologist after I complete my radiation treatment. I understand why they might want to keep it in longer, but if I have to get it again in the future that’s fine, I just want it out if its not going to be used regularly as it is now. I don’t let it bother me but its a constant reminder.

buttonsmachine

santi2018, I just had mine removed. I felt similarly to you - the port was convenient, but to me it felt like a ball and chain tying me to the cancer. Anyway, my doctors assured me that if I ever need the port again, they can put it back in. I do feel better now that it's out. Best wishes to you.

MoonGirlJess

I finished chemo 12/28 and my surgeon said it can be removed now. Just waiting on the onc office to send over the order. Then it’s outta here.

Cowgirl13

I had my port removed several days after my last herceptin. I just scheduled it with surgeon--didn't know I needed to talk to my oncologist. If you are triple positive they want it in for about 2 years because of early recurrence with triple positive. I was so glad to get mine out--it hurt like hell the first week, like a horse kicked me in the chest. One thing that was really good is that my port was put in while I was under and the same for when it was taken out. None of this doctor's office thing.

Spookiesmom

Mine has been in almost 7 years. I never wanted it out, MO was ok with that. Now, unfortunately, it may be needed again. So that’s 2 procedures I avoided.

NotVeryBrave

My MO was ready to schedule me to have it out as soon as the Herceptin was done. I wasn't ready. Too worried about recurrence. Too many aches and pains and resolving SE's from treatment. Too worried about getting it out to just turn around and need it back.

I think I'm finally ready to get it out. It's a reminder but so are fake boobs and all the rest. It's not likely that removing it will put this is the rear view mirror or anything. But I don't need anything else that's a potential problem, either.

It definitely won't be a doctor's office thing, though. It's been in for over two years now.

santi2018

Thank You

I feel that as long as its being used on a regular, I can deal with the inconvenience of covering up at home, I know that it makes my kids uncomfortable, looking at it, since at home I'm usually in tank tops. What bothers me is when its not going to be used on a regular and any possible complication that may or may not occur. Just knowing that the weather is going to warming up, its going to be a conversation piece that with certain people I do not wish or want to engage with since I work in a school, and i don't speak to certain family members.

LeesaD

I finished chemo July 2017. My MO said to keep port in for one year. Had to go for monthly port flushes at my cancer center as it was not being used. March 2018 I thought I had the flu. Went to my PCP and he said flu and put me on tamilfu. Got progressively worse and on 5th day of symptoms ended up in ER. I had severe sepsis which was caused by my port being infected with MSSA staph infection. Also my jugular where port was threaded was completely blocked by DVT blood clot and there was another DVT in my sub clavicle vein caused by the infection.. Port was removed and I was in hospital for 10 days, I had to have a PICC line inserted in my arm as I had to be on IV antibiotics three times a day at home for six weeks. I also had 90 days of daily shots of lovenox for the clots. Was sent home with an open wound as port was so infected they couldn't close the wound. It was an absolute nightmare and the port infection nearly killed me. Kicker was my infectious disease doctors said the only way port could have been infected with the MSSA was at my port flush. The nurse who did the final flush a couple of weeks before I got sick rushed it. I know this because there were two nurses in the room and the one who did the flush asked the observing nurse if she wanted her to explain the procedure and the other nurse said no I'll just watch. The nurse did the flush and the observing nurse said to her 'wow you're fast'. The nurse who did the flush responded 'yes I always have go fast as I always had to be fast with my flushes from all the years I worked with kids at and she said huge major pediatric cancer center which I won't name'. So the port I wasn't using anymore became infected at a routine port flush and almost killed me. Now the port worked great through chemo and I had no issues until I did and it was a doozy. Port infections are rare so I've been told but after what I went through i want to let people know they do happen.

teltech

MY port was placed in my right chest with tube going into my neck. I have various incidents of uncomfortability and pain in the back of my hear (right side), right shoulder, neck and chest near port. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced any symptoms when the port tube was run into the neck. I previously had cancer in 1999, treatment for 200-2001 and also has a port placed in my right chest. That time the tube was not run into my neck.

The surgeon said the vein was "larger and easier" to access during surgery as the reason it was put into my neck. I was skeptical but as I was on my way into surgery, didn't have time to research. I accepted his "expertise". One immediate outcome was a "unusually" swollen. The opinion of my nurse and the 4 others she brought in to view me when I complained of excruciating pain after surgery.

I still cannot rest comfortably on my left side and the neck....feels...odd. As if the tube my infiltrate (?). Not sure as new "feelings". I believe we need a whole new vocabulary to discuss chemo treatment and side effects <g>.

ruthbru

I couldn't stand mine and got it removed two weeks after my last infusion.