mediport concerns

Towens,

I didn't have chemo, but mmy girlfriend is about to have a port put in - only she wants it in her abdomen. I'm sure others will chime in soon to help you get the answers you need... 

Hi Towens.  I had a port in my arm;  my hospital used this location as 'standard' (vs. the chest) so I did not have a decision to make.  I have very bad veins and wanted to avoid the "search and find sticks".

The port was put in on a Friday and I had my first chemo that Monday (FEB).  The next weekend I was in the emergency room with a swollen arm and tingling in my hand;  a blood clot developed in the port vein.  The doctors put me on a blood thinner (Lovenox.... to prevent other clots from forming) which I have to inject myself twice a day in the abdomen area.

They removed the port the same day as my last chemo treatment, I still have the clot, and I am still on the blood thinner.  The clot (chronic) will take time to absorb back into the body and I do not know how much longer I will be on the injections. 

From what I understand, most folks do not have major problems with the ports.  Let me know how it goes!

Hi towens,

I had my port put in, the left side of my chest July 2002--I did not know there were other places they could go, either.  On the 3rd day it itched so bad, I called the Emergncy Room, they thought I might be allergic to the material--however, I took Benadryl 100 mg and Motrin 800 mg and it settled it all down, I have not had any other problems with it, until it was not used for a year, and there was swelling around it and that went away.  I do need it for the navelbine and some of the other Chemo I have had to have--I think I will leave it in as long as it does not bother me.  I have a friend that has had hers in now for over 20 years. It is another surgery to have it removed I hear, and I am never ready for those!!!

Take care.

Linda C

Hi towens,

Hang in there 

It should get better and you won't know the port is there, til time for Chemo,

Keeping you in prayers!!!

Linda C.

You sound like me with port in my arm with the blood clots my last chemo was july 2 08 they will me removing it july 15 08 and that my first radiation appointment. i was hoping to get off bllod thinner.

i had my port put in april 06...not one problem with it.  i have extremely sensitive skin so use the lidocaine creme (or emla...same thing)  what i learned was to put the creme on very heavy at least 1 hour before my appt.  by time nurse accesses the port it's usually 1 1/2 hours and skin is very numb.  had herceptin today and didn't feel a thing.  a few times nurse overshot the numb area and i let her know pronto.  you're in my prayers...yes it's very very hard, but you will get thru it especially with all the love and knowlege you'll find her.  hugs, maria

Bumping up to the front page.

Hi twins110206,

I am sorry to hear your Mom is having  pain in her neck up to her ear, because of her port surgery.    My thought--Call the Dr.---just because!!!  It could be many things and they would be the ones to say what.

Each person probably feels different things with these surgeries, my itched so bad on the 3rd day, I called the Emergency room staff--1st they thought I may be allergic to the type of material the port was made of--I thought-Oh,,No--surgery again to take it out!!   They ask how much Benadryl I had taken, and advised I could take some more.   My Sis told me that "itching was a form of pain", I had taken Benadryl, so then I took Motrin and it got quiet.

Call the Dr.----let us know how it goes for Mom.

Linda C

Hello twins110206,

I am sorry to hear the DRs. and RNs. were jerks---this is not the time!!!

I am glad she is better today, she may be sore a few days. 

Does your city have a phone number for "Medical Questions" like an "Ask an Nurse"--we had one and it was nice, we don't have one now, like I said, I will call the Emergency Room staff in a minute if I can't get intouch with a Dr.---most times they will give an answer or say, come in!!

Hope to see that your Mom posts here--we will be glad to share!!!

Take Care.

Linda C.

Hello metroplex,

Wishing the best for your Mom and you along this journey.

When I first had Chemo, I had Adramycin and Cytoxan( to me they were the worst of Chemo), I had 4 of each med.  I was determined I was not going to have a port put in--I did get through all 8 of the treatments--now, it did leave me with some "not good veins", this was back in 1999.  In 2002 when the CA came back and the Dr. said I had to be on Herceptin and Navalbine and was told the longer the better--I opted for a port, it was another surgery, and after a Mastectomy in May 02(left breast) and 3 weeks later( the right breast) 3 weeks later, the port---wheeee, I am glad it is there--I have had to use it a lot--and I don't mean to frighten you--it is just how this disease can take a turn.  I had to have some tests last week and the Nurse ask did I have a "power port", I am not sure what it does, but since I did not have it, she could not put the med in my port that they used for a CT Scan, (she found a vein after 2 trys)so I wondered if my type of port is not the type of port being used today--it has not given me problems and that was 7 years ago.  I never think about if I was not on Chemo to have it removed--it don't bother me, I don't want them bothering "it".

It certainly is an individual decision.  What is the Dr. saying?  Once again, these meds affect people differently.  I suspect if she chooses not to have a port, it should be that she can change her mind--there could be a delay in treatment, would be the only other holdup.  I hope some of the other Ladies will "Weigh In" and give some support for you and Mom.

Take care and good luck.

Linda C.

She was admitted to the ER for extreme abdominal pains. She couldn't keep in any fluids or food, even water would cause her to vomit. They did more tests and scans and found the met on the liver had grown. She was fitted with a mediport and they gave her 488 mg of Herceptin as a first run.

It seemed the doctors were pissed off that we didn't have her install the mediport right away because it was the most comfortable route. My aunt went through chemotherapy about 10 years and she was never fitted with a mediport. So basically the doctors refused to start chemo because they didn't have access to a mediport.

I had a powerport placed yesterday and my neck and chest hurt worse than after my bil MX!  Is this normal.  I am pretty swollen in my chest area to around my TE on that side but not on my neck.  But there is not a movement I make that isn't painful.  I am sure this is normal healing, but tyelnol/motrin/aleve don't touch it and I only had moderate releif from norco.  I mean on my worst pain day from my surgery I was a 4-5/10....I am staying between 8-9/10 even with the above meds.   And they wanted to start Chemo today--I think if they had to touch this sight I would have come unglued.   I guess I just need to know if this is normal or not.....

Renee-Jean,

I don't think it should hurt "like that"-- it did hurt, no lie, but!!---I know for each person is different.

On my third day I thought I would go crazy--because it "itched so bad", I called the Emergency room--they thought I may be allergic to the product the port was made of--I took Motrin 800mgm and then 100 mgm of Benedryl and it got "quiet".  My sis told me "itching is a form of pain.  So the meds worked.  I would call the Dr. 

I had the Surgeon that put mine in--it has been 7 years and the only problem(I see I had posted no problems, in an earler post--chemo brain can cause you to not think, sometimes I think) was when I was on chemo pills for a year and my Onc said it did not need to be flushed--when we had to use it again, it was like the meds would seep out, they done an x-ray on  it and reported that it was working properly.  I start chemo again on Mon.  and I do have some anxities about this, as I have not used this port for 9 months.  I never think about getting it removed unless it causes me problems, that surgery was not one I care to go through again--I don't care if it is only "day surgery"

Mina--follow your own mind about them flushing!!

Take Care.

Linda C

On Monday I had to use my port again,  it had not been used since last Oct, when we stopped the Navelbine chemo.  I had not had it flushed and was concerned about this, but forgot about it once I got there.    I was thankful there was no problems with it.

Stay blessed!!

Linda C.

Thanks nasharayne,

I thought that the port was to be flushed every 3 months---well, and that was information at least 10 years ago, however, my Dr, had told me it was not necessary to flush it, and that was 3 years ago when I was on Xeloda for a while.  I was not happy but went along with it and likewise this time (not to have it flushed) I was so glad not to see that Center, Yep--I went along with it!!  Yeah, I am glad I still have it too.

Take care.

Linda C.