Port pain - am I the only one?

This message is for all you lovely, brave, courageous ladies. All of you are beautiful. I was recently diganosed with breast cancer. As so many of you stated...your veins are very small...so are mine. I am very adamant about not having the port placed in my chest. They may continue searching and sticking my arms and hands to locate the proper vein. I read all these comments. The CONS outweigh the PROS. I was not feeling remorse about not having the port or wondering if I made the right decision foregoing the surgery. I wanted to educate myself about this procedure. All of you answered questions for me and gave me insight that I made the right decision. Good luck to each and every one of you women.

Thank You All for your comments. GOD BLESS ALL of YOU

All of you are an inspiration to and for all women.

Hi I got a port-a-cath on July 1 and my first chemo AC was July 18. I heard you could have chemo same day. I think you'd be nuts as it does take healing and chemo affects healing.



It was uncomfortable at first. Especially to lay flat. So if you can have your upper body raised about 30 degrees, you will be more comfortable. I actually slept sitting up on couch with feet on ottoman because then it seems to hang right. Certainly uncomfortable to lay on your side. Be sure to use a small pillow under your car safety belt.



It makes getting chemo and blood work so easy. I take a Lorazapam 1 hour before chemo along with using the Lidocaine cream smeared over the port area to numb it for when they put the hook up in. Do not look. My surgeon sent me home with the gizmo attachment in a plastic bag and seeing it kind of freaked me out. You don't need it. Your oncologist will use their own hook up. So don't examine it. You won't feel it so you don't want to see it.



Getting you ready for each chemo is really no big deal. They will tell you to hold your breath then exhale and it is just a feeling of pressure but no pain or discomfort. Honest. But then I will always use my Lidocaine and take Lorazapam before going in. Yes they give you anti-anxiety meds during chemo but I personally am wound too tight and it helps me to cope with them hooking something onto me and drawing blood and then sitting there while getting first bag of anti-nauseau, steroids, anti-anxiety then having them hand inject the bag of Adriamycin into my port line then having the bag of Cytoxin. Got through 4 dose dense AC and now will do 4 dose dense Taxol.



Only problem I had last time they could draw blood so needed to give me something which melted the clot or whatever was preventing the blood draw. But hoping no problem going forward. I have felt pain - burning tenderness in the port area post chemo around day 7 or later. But that may be general skin pain from AC. Sometimes an ice pack feels good. Sometimes I heat my Bucky (buckwheat beanbag that you heat in microwave) and lay it across the port area.



Everyone who had a port said they missed when they went in for 3 month and 6 month blood draws after treatment ended. I will have my port removed after I am better when last chemo is done because want to be in good immune condition for having surgery to remove it. Bummer because I get a radiation mold within week of ending Taxol then start 6 1/2 weeks of radiation. I want to baby my body as it has had cancer, surgery, chemotherapy....



Hope this is helpful.

I just had my port put in today. The procedure itself was great but since all the meds wore off I am in excruciating pain. I feel like my the muscles in my chest have ripped apart. I can't move my arm and can't even stand up straight ue to the pain. Please tell me this pain will subside. And they told me to take Tylenol for the discomfort. Ha ha very funny!!!! This is worse than the 2 lumpectomies I had. I've been taking the left over vicadins I had from previous surgeries and they don't even come close to controlling the pain. What do I do????

FLY, see if you have a dissolvable stitch that did not dissolve. That is what happened to me. After the port was removed, the area still felt tender/puffy/bumpy/sore....not right. I thought that was normal healing but after a couple months I couldn't stand it and I went it and INSISTED they take a look. The surgeon kind of rolled his eyes, (this was in his office), but made a little cut & started digging around... as he pulled out a two inch stitch, he must have been shocked because he uttered, "What the Hell?" As soon it was gone, I finally started healing. Worth checking that out before you go farther!

I had some pain and tenderness around my port for quite some time. It didn't help that I tend to sleep on my right side where the port is. It seems like it hurt and was uncomfortable for at least a month and then, one day, I noticed that I could sleep on my right side again.

The numbing cream helps me with the access (I think I need about an hour with it on under the Press and Seal to really numb me up) but the skill of the port access team member seems to be the most important thing. Sometimes I only feel pressure, sometimes I feel the stick, one time I didn't even realize the nurse had done it! I wish I could get her every time.

My main frustration is that I have had trouble with blood return -- once before a chemo visit and twice now I've needed the port -- once for IV antibiotics and once for contrast for an MRI and the nurse could not get blood return. The ER sent in the port /IV specialist with the stuff that clears the line so later IV antibiotics were given through the port but they had to start the IV in my arm to get it going quickly. Last week the imaging center did not have the stuff to clear the line so I had to have the contrast administered in the hand that the MRI was imaging. When it works it is great but it is frustrating to have it and it doesn't work. Since I had lymph nodes removed on my left side I avoid blood draws and sticks in my left arm. So I have to use my right ran for everything. The port helps minimize those sticks...when it works.

Wearing a tight sports bra does help me with the ache from it. The snugger the bra, the better the port feels. When I wear something less supportive, it hurts more. I'm large up top though.