Question about your mediport

Hey Genia,

Yep..they feel weird and painful to start with. I was visualising the plastic tail thing sticking into where it shouldn't, or coming loose etc. But it settled down and now I hardly know it's there. You will be very grateful for it when chemo begins. (And so will the chemo nurses!) 

Mine bothered me more than the lumpectomy or mastectomy.  I have had my port for over a month now and sometimes I still wake up with throbbing pain when I sleep on that side.  It is like it gets pinched or something.  It has gotten better, and I LOVE having it for chemo. 

i have a port and used it today for the first time for a blood draw and my first chemo treatment. I was having so much anxiety about it but it was a piece of cake. If you use the numbing cream it will only feel like a finger prick when they access it. All that worry for nothing. I also have no veins and love how easy this was today. Mine was sore for about a week i guess until it started to heal, its been several weeks now i barely notice it most of the time. Hah, in the beginning having this port creeped me out so bad i couldnt even look at it or touch it but It does get better .

:=) good for you for saying NO WAY touching the port so soon after it has been put in!!

Yes, it hurts for a bit. Mine was more painful than the whole mastectomy...for a couple of weeks, but decreasingly less sore. When 2 days later a stupid nurse (sorry, he WAS dumb, plus had big and hurtful fingers) tried TWICE to stick a needle in it to give me a flebo with sugar water and paracetamol, he got me in tears and eventually I got the doctor to give me 2 pills instead.

On the bright side... now, one year later, I don't see it, don't feel it, can't tell it is there.... a great thing.

Genia...looks like you have received some good advice.

My port was removed last November...and I could not wait to get it out!! It was the one thing about my whole journey..8 rounds of chemo, lumpectomy, mastectomy and reconstruction..that I really really hated!

There is a cream you can put on your port area right before your chemo that gives it a little numbing so you dont' feel them sticking you.  It really does go in quickly though.

One piece of advice...don't sleep on your side that your port is in.  I was told not too. I found that if I did, I had some pain..and also some numbness.

Good luck to you on this journey.

i never had a problem with mine and it's been in over 2 years.  since i was having my first chemo the day after port surg. the surgeon put the access line in during surgery.  the next treatment 3 weeks later it was completely healed. can't see mine...can feel it if you touch the area.  i can sleep on both sides.  i do use the lidocaine cream (or emla cream) prior to treatment and it really does numb the area so you don't feel a thing.  my only complaint is that it is used only for infusions.  any blood sticks, ivs or contrast for tests, they always stick me or start an iv. of course now with pill tx it won't be used but i'll still have to have it flushed every 6 weeks but i doubt any doc will want it out now.  who knows if i'll be going back to iv chemo at some point. but as i said it doesn't bother me at all.  good luck

Hello all;  I am scheduled for my bone scan, MRI, and cardiac scan(Muga) all the first week in September. Just waiting for the port insertion, it's so good to hear advice, opinions as to what to expect and what is normal beforehand.

Genia How did you find your bone scan and MRI?

I can't stand this port! It feels like it is constantly tugging or moving, I can't wait to get it out, but I have 6 more cycles to go. I've been told that for some people, the port is not an issue at all. For others, they just cant wait to get it out. I must be in the later group! But, I was totally bruised in every area before this port, so I know why I have it. I have a very prominent collar bone, and I wonder if that is causing it to just creep me out. I just hate "feeling" it swish or move or whatever it does! Blech!

Hey, everyone!  I had my port put in on Aug 4.  I had quite a bit of pain for about a week.  It was swollen, red, very bruised looking.  I also felt tugging.  Mine is located about an inch below my collarbone, directly in line with my nipple.  It is right where my bra strap needs to go, so I'm looking for some bras that kinda go to the outside of it, cuz it bothers it after a while.  I'm pretty thin, so it sticks out a lot.  I call it my little Alien.  I swear it gets caught underneath on the scar tissue from the incision every once in a while.  A gross you out pain.  I also have the lidocaine, and my chemo guy is very strict on me to use a lot of it before I come in for chemo.  I just had my third one yesterday.  I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who had problems with the port.  Thanks

I had my port put in and had chemo the next day - it was fine.  The med onc asked the surgeon to "pack it off" - meaning that I went home with the needle and tube already in the port - it was packed off in lots of surgical guaze and tape, so that morning all the med onc had to do was unpack it and the needle was already in there so they didn't have to do a stick. When they were done they just removed the needle as usual.   It really wasn't that bad.

I always felt it more right after a tx - I think with everything going through it during a tx, it just would be a bit sore.  But after a few days it'd be fine. 

I've had it in for over 6 months now. Chemo was done in June, but I'm going for reconstruction in October, and the PS suggested that I leave it in as a back up in case my veins crap out during the reconstruction process.  My med onc wants me to leave it in for a year - I said no way, but am willing to leave it in for 6 mos or so for the PS to use.

It doesn't bother me much anymore except my seat belt cuts right where it is, so I just keep my belt under my arm.  I have also gotten back to doing weight training, and do notice it a bit after I've increased my weights or reps, but again, it's not bad.

Hang in there everyone - as much as I'd rather not have had a port, I loved it during chemo - one stick and everything was done.  No poking with a needle when veins would roll or collapse - I went through that one too many times before I got my port.