Where is your port?

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gooseberry
gooseberry Member Posts: 61
edited July 2015 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Mine is right under the clavicle like maybe 1 finger space down. Seems like thats a little high. This thing hurts. It hurts to drink, it hurts to swallow. Its been a day and a half and i am still waiting for it to stop hurting. They had to tip me upside down a bit to get it in... I guess something about access... This is more annoying than the lumpectomy. Nothing excruciating or call anyone but where it is and affecting eating and drinking is making it worse than the lumpectomy! Just my little whine and wanted to see if it is a little high and if my crazy veins are making me suffer as usual. Or that is just as normal a placement as lower... It hurrrrts. I took tylenol today and took nothing for the lumpectomy. Thanks for any info!

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  • Italychick
    Italychick Member Posts: 2,343
    edited July 2015

    mine is five fingers, or about 4 and 1/2 inches below my clavicle, about 3" above my right breast.

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited July 2015
    My port is very small and is in the little hollow where my shoulder meets my chest. I don't remember healing time exactly, but I'm not sure why it should effect your swallowing.. That does merit a call to the doctor, IMO.
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  • gooseberry
    gooseberry Member Posts: 61
    edited July 2015

    Its the wound, It kinda pulls at it and disturbs it when drinking or swallowing... coughing is bad too. It just pulls and hurts at the neck. Its just irritating. Hopefully in a day or 2 its all healed and will be a memory.

    Mine must be higher then, the bandage is all on my neck like a neck tattoo lol. I bet that's why it hurts a bit more than the typical.

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  • exbrnxgrl
    exbrnxgrl Member Posts: 12,424
    edited July 2015
    Well, keep a careful eye on it and don't hesitate to call your doc!
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  • gooseberry
    gooseberry Member Posts: 61
    edited July 2015

    Will do! :D thanks

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited July 2015

    left side, 1 finger below clavicle. I have had no issues with it and no pain. I do hate it though because I am thin so it sticks out a good half inch and you can even see the catheter where it snaked up and around. I am scheduled up get it out in 37 days and am counting the minutes

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  • debiann
    debiann Member Posts: 1,200
    edited July 2015

    My port was placed lower, just above my breast, but it did hurt alot the first couple weeks. I don't remember it effecting my swallowing, but it did pull and hurt at my neck. While it got better, it was bothersome for the entire year. The best part about having the port was getting it out! 

    My port was put in by my bs during the lumpectomy and the port was.definitely more painful. It was removed by the PS during recon surgery two months ago. When I woke up from surgery the first thing I did was feel for the port and it was soooooo good to know it was gone. 

    Good luck. Hope your tx go by fast. Will you be doing herceptin for a year?

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  • Stephmoen
    Stephmoen Member Posts: 563
    edited July 2015

    I was so happy with my port perfectly placed never bothered me then one day it became sore then it got to the point where I couldn't move my arm without pain it was also swollen. Went to the ER yep it was infected had it removed the next day and spent 5 days in the hospital on antibiotics because it spread to my blood and I was septic. Now I'm stuck with a picc line and on Iv antibiotics every 8 hours for 4 weeks..I hate the picc and miss my port :

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  • gooseberry
    gooseberry Member Posts: 61
    edited July 2015

    Yes I will start Chemo Aug 3rd. Well I might, it could be pushed back because my lumpectomy breast incision decided to get infected. So that has to fully heal and it might not in the 8 or 9 days till the start. I will get Herceptin for a year and with the Taxotere and Carboplatin for only 6 rounds. I couldn't find herceptin to put in my signature lol but yes an entire year. I need to go start kicking those 4000300030 people;s butts,many who never had cancer,who told me how great and what a cinch a port was lol... Some doctors and nurses too now I think about it. I am hoping it gets better. The resident putting it in called the attending doc over about something still showing. I cannot see it for 2 more days but I think its tubing... I was all doped up lol so hopefully I am wrong but I know he needed something looked at and was told it was fine...

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited July 2015

    goose - my port is just below the clavicle and slightly to the left of the hollow of my throat. It was placed during BMX without a separate incision, my BS places ports in patients he knows will need chemo (knew prior to surgery that I was Her2+) and does so just after removal of the breast tissue and before the plastic surgeon begins the reconstruction portion of the surgery. He actually goes up and under the skin flap and places the port rather high. My port is quite small - the location is visible in any neckline other than a turtleneck but the device itself is so tiny you can't see it under my skin. I was very aware of the port in the week that followed BMX, but after the initial discomfort I have had no problems or issues with it.

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  • gooseberry
    gooseberry Member Posts: 61
    edited July 2015

    Good to know special K, thats what I am hoping for :D

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  • PoppyK
    PoppyK Member Posts: 1,805
    edited July 2015

    Gooseberry, My port was about 4 fingers below my clavicle. It was very close to the skin surface and the tubing was visible. Mine hurt a lot after it was installed. It hurt to turn my head and swallow. It turned out I had an allergic reaction to the dermabond that was used to seal the incisions. I ended up with a pretty bad infection. I thought I was crazy having so much pain from a port insertion. It turned out there was a reason for all of the pain. Call your surgeon! Have them check it out and make sure it is okay.

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  • ShetlandPony
    ShetlandPony Member Posts: 4,924
    edited July 2015

    Take courage, gooseberry. Mine hurt for maybe a couple weeks after I got it, but now it is ok. You know that sort of "yikes" grimace people make with their lower lip and jaw? That really hurt. If the doc says there is nothing amiss, a little time may be all that's needed.

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  • KBeee
    KBeee Member Posts: 5,109
    edited July 2015

    You can clearly see both my port and tubing. Often even through clothes, you can see the lump.

    image

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