Chemo Port

Hi Shell,

I remember having my port installed and feeling like there was an alien in my chest!!   It was odd to see this lumpy thing sticking out under my collar bone; I thought the whole point of this was to get the lumps OUT of my chest, not put new ones in!  :-)

It's unlikely your body is rejecting the port (if, however, you develop a fever and discharge from the surgical sight, don't hesitate to get to your doctor).  You've been through a surgery and your body is healing; the area is going to feel uncomfortable and "odd" for a while, until you get used to it.  Additionally, my surgeon used steri-strips to help hold the incision together, and i developed an allergic reaction that caused redness, blisters, and the worst itching ever!  

Infection is always a possibility, but medical professionals are very careful and sensitive of the dangers with a port and do everything they can to minimize the risks.  You will receive a Heparin flush (to prevent blood clots) each time your port is accessed.  To be honest, I never had any numbing cream with my port, and it never hurt when it was accessed (and I'm a super-baby when it comes to needles).  

It's scary to have the port, but it really will become your best friend.

I think it's normal - I had the same thing and it was MUCH more painful to deal w the port surgery than the lumpectomy! It took weeks to feel ok but then it was fine.

I felt an odd feeling by my port a month after it was installed.  I mentioned it to my cancer center and they first tested it by doing a saline flush and asking if I felt movement (they thought maybe it wasn't connected right).  Then they did an ultrasound.  Turns out I did indeed develop a small blood clot near my clavicle, not big enough to stop flow but enough that they gave me the option of port removal or going on Lovenox, a daily blood thinner.  I opted to do the shots and didn't have any issues afterwards.