after effects and healing time of port

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rabbit
rabbit Member Posts: 613
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

I had the power port put in 2 days ago, I am quite stiff especially after waking up in the morning and I am a DD so my breast seems to tug on it a bit when I first stand up. The dressing is still over it and I was told to leave it on for 7-10 days if possible, but the area is warm to the touch and pretty red, is that normal 2 days later? I don't see the dr. til Wed. to check on it...should I worry or is that pretty typical for a port? I just don't want an infection right next to my heart....

thanks in advance :) 

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  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited June 2011

    When I had mine, I don't recall it being red or warm. Best to be safe - call the doctor

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  • Texas357
    Texas357 Member Posts: 1,552
    edited June 2011

    Yes, I agree that you should call your doctor. It will feel stiff and strange for a while until you get used to it. But I don't recall any redness either.

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  • 208sandy
    208sandy Member Posts: 2,610
    edited June 2011

    Yup, call the doctor - it may be nothing but with ports being safe is better.  I do remember mine being "uncomfortable" for a day or so but certainly not red or hot.  I have had mine in for three plus years and it has been a God send (it's coming out on July 14th).

    Hugs, Sandy

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  • calevorse
    calevorse Member Posts: 57
    edited June 2011
    Mine was very uncomfortable.  Actually, I've had mine in for a few months now and I'm still not used to it.  My doctor said depending on the placement some women have no problem and other women always feel it.  Mine, however, has never been red or warm.  Did you have chemo right after?  I had chemo the next day after getting the port put in.  There was redness then, but it only lasted an hour and then it turned more into a bruise.  I'd call the doctor.  Good Luck!  Smile
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  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited June 2011

    Rabbit, it would be a good idea to call the doc. Red and warm doesn't sound like it's what should be.

    Best of luck.

    Leah

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  • marial
    marial Member Posts: 255
    edited June 2011

    My port was extremely painful when it was put in..my shoulder and neck were killing me..I went into the er the day after it was installed because it was so painful and ended up on antibiotics..it was red from the top incision through the port area..the dr outlines it and it looked like a vase..it took forcer go get thAt ink off me!

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  • rabbit
    rabbit Member Posts: 613
    edited June 2011

    thanks everyone...I did call the Dr. yesterday, 2 days after it was put in. She said it was normal for the redness for several days, the redness is more than 50% gone now. 

    Marial, I think I am one of those like you, I feel the catheter in my neck, my left side is stiff, the right side of my neck is uncomfortable...I have always been so intune with my body and any foreign object like this is not going over well, but it's getting better.

    Thanks everyone, I am so happy I found this forum, it's the nuts as we say in poker! LOL 

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  • 208sandy
    208sandy Member Posts: 2,610
    edited June 2011

    Glad things are working out for you - and also glad you called the doctor - it's never a bad idea.  Hopefully things will settle down port-wise for you in a short time - mine was placed perfectly but so many of them aren't and I am like you very sensitive to anything going on in my body.  That said I am glad to be finally getting mine out - three years is a long time.

    Sandy

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  • rabbit
    rabbit Member Posts: 613
    edited June 2011

    hi Sandy can I ask why you had the port in for so long? 

    I am very happy for you getting it out in a few weeks, that's great.  

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  • 208sandy
    208sandy Member Posts: 2,610
    edited June 2011

    Hi Rabbit:

    I think it's because I had two different oncs in two different countries and also because I couldn't stay on AI's because of se's so they were both pessimistic about my chances of non-recurrence but now that three years are up my onc is feeling more optimistic but always says "we can always put another port in if we have to" gotta love the attitude.  Honestly ports probably shouldn't be in for a very long time - my nurse friends and my PCP wanted it out two years ago but like I said I haven't had any problems with it at all.

    Sandy

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  • rabbit
    rabbit Member Posts: 613
    edited June 2011

    Which other country did you live in? I lived in Australia for 8 years.

    one of the things that bothers me is having to take warfarin, I started it today. 

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  • rabbit
    rabbit Member Posts: 613
    edited June 2011

    The port is finally healing nicely, I guess eventually I'll get used to feeling every bit of it, I can feel where the catheter is every time I cough, turn my neck or lay a certain way in bed. It's annoying....

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  • rabbit
    rabbit Member Posts: 613
    edited July 2011

    I just wanted to post an update here, the port is finally not really bothering me. I can sleep on either side now with no major issues. I can almost never feel the catheter (or whatever you call it) anymore, just once in a great while, and I'm really not sore on the left side anymore. 

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  • ellenquilt
    ellenquilt Member Posts: 172
    edited July 2011

    I emphathize.  I had my port put in last week and I'm always aware of it.  It does feel a bit like something pulling at my neck and I think I tense my neck up in response to that, so I give myself a tension headache.  Have to work on that.

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  • rabbit
    rabbit Member Posts: 613
    edited July 2011

    hi Ellen, I'm Ellen too ;) 6 weeks or so now for me and it's fine...I do still feel it off and on in the right side of my neck, almost like it's irritating my throat on the right side. It was sore for a good week for me, mine is on the left side a few inches below my collarbone, so the left side was tender, tender..when I woke up, and stood up for the first time in the morning, it felt like a weight there that was tugging on me in the port spot and it ached for minutes after first rising. I don't miss that feeling at all, but now, it's not a big deal. You pretty much forget about it after time. That may be the reason for a lot of my headaches around that time too, hope yours heals quick :) 

    xoxo 

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  • Trisha-Anne
    Trisha-Anne Member Posts: 2,112
    edited July 2011

    Rabbit - you've lost your hair!?  How are the treatments going?

    I had a port put in last November.  I don't even know it's there anymore.  It was fairly tender for a couple of weeks after being put in, and yes - had that pulling feeling at my neck too.  Hang in there - you won't notice it after a while.

    Trish

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  • rabbit
    rabbit Member Posts: 613
    edited July 2011

    hi Trish

    I shaved my head to like 1/2 inch or so on day 15 of first chemo...I woke up and it was shedding like a dog, the next day it was still shedding tiny little prickly hairs LOL so I had a friend with a close electric razor shave the rest of it, down to baldie. I notice now (day 8 of round 2) that some of it is trying to grow back, very short stubbles, but my temple area and right around the hair line, is completely bald like a baby butt.  

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  • ellenquilt
    ellenquilt Member Posts: 172
    edited July 2011

    Hi Rabbit,

    Glad to meet another Ellen.  Smile

    Thanks for the boost -- I'm hoping the annoying sensation starts to go away. The tenderness at the back of my neck (stress tension) is starting to get better so I'm somewhat optimistic.

    Next I have to decide when to get my hair buzzed off. It hasn't started coming out yet, only one chemo so far, but it's Taxol and Herceptin, so I expect after the second chemo it will be hair today gone tomorrow.  I'm inclined to want to get it all buzzed off next week and be done with it.  Too hot for hair these days anyways. 

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  • rabbit
    rabbit Member Posts: 613
    edited July 2011

    yep, my hair was to my waist most of my life, but to be honest, the bald head doesn't freak me out like I thought it may...it's never really bothered me much. 

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