Port or Not?

I am sorry you are having this silly problem through this ordeal. You need to change the MO. Of course you need port, there are 18 infusions in total. Also taxol is a very light chemo for this type of cancer. I am wondering if you are from the US. The standard of care here for her2 cancer is TCHP or AC followed by Taxol. Either chemo goes with both Herceptin and Perjeta. After chemo, Herceptin now continues along with Perjeta.

I don't have a port. 4 AC & 12 Taxols.

Gotta say the chemo treatment nurses are really good at getting IVs started.

I had a port and my tumor was under 2cm. I did TCH and herceptin for a year.I pushed hard get perjeta but my nodes ere clean ans my tumor too small to qualify back then.

I had a port. 4 AC and 4 Taxol

No port 4AC followed with 12Taxol infusions. All on one arm. Had a pro of an infusion nurse. Glimmers of light along my way!!

Do what gives you the least anxiety. Port was giving me more.

I had a port - actually still do. It was never discussed as a possibility to not have one.

The surgery for placement was under light anesthesia and out patient. It hurt more than I thought it would for a couple of days, but I think some of that was the dressing. It felt much better when I was able to remove that.

With 6 rounds of fairly caustic chemo agents and a whole year of every 3 week infusions - it was a good thing for me. I never had any issues with it. I only had blood draws through it if they were accessing it anyway - seemed like overkill for routine blood tests.

It's still in place because it's a bit of a security blanket. The type I have only has to be flushed every 90 days.

i had a port-inserted during my mastectomy. Although only had 4 chemo days I loved having it. Site isn’t sore after use like an IV in the arm or hand always is. Yes, for you two more surgeries ( put it in, take it out). I did use it one trip to the ER due to extreme pain and i will never forget the speed at which that narcotic went to work - pain 10 to 0 in under 60 seconds. Probably not the reason to get a port but...

Hi Shells,

I got a port. They put it in during my sentinel node surgery, so it wasn't an inconvenience for me. I'm on Taxol X 12, followed by 9 months of Herceptin every three weeks. Add in the weekly blood draws, and I just thought it seemed easier. When I go for my labs, I am in and out of the chair in under 5 minutes every time. I don't mind needles, and I have no pain when the access the port. Plus, I like to be able to use both hands/arms while the infusion is going on!

Go with your gut. You're the only one who knows what's right for you.

if you are difficult stick, definitely go with a port. It’s a sure bet every time. And blood can be drawn from it too. 1 stick and done.

If you choose no port, There are various reasons why you can be an easy stick one time and a hard stick another. Two of the most common reasons that you can control are hydration and temperature. Hydration opens up the veins nicely where dehydration can cause them to collapse. Warm extremitieshp dilate the veins whereas cold extremities contract them. Hope this helps!

No Port for me. I had AC and Taxotere. My veins are 71 years old and I bruise easily, but I didn't get any bruises during my entire treatment from the needles. I was surprised by that. Also, the needles weren't painful, even during chemo.

I know someone who got a severe infection from her port and ended up with Sepsis. She almost died from Sepsis. She is fine now.

Ports can be risky and annoying, but I understand why some may prefer them.

Meg

Nope, i got a port. I've always been a difficult stick in my left arm, but that goes double now that the left is my only option, no thanks to breast cancer. The port was really not a big deal for me. A little uncomfortable and definitely not attractive, but at least I didnt have to go through multiple jabs every time they needed to draw blood, give chemo or give IV fluids

No port for me: Taxol/Herceptin/Perjeta plus the latter two after the chemo (weekly Taxol for four months) was done.

While I was having Taxol, it was sometimes hard for them to find a vein, but once I remembered to push fluids the day before so I was fully hydrated, that made it easier. The IVs were mostly in my wrist, and I didn't lose mobility during the infusion.

Good luck to you! The waiting period is the hardest. And you might be happier with a second opinion.

I had my first round of chemo 2 weeks ago with an IV. I liked the idea of a port but not the surgery. I'll just say that I underestimated how many times I'd get stuck...with labs, PETscan, and the chemo I still was hesitant. Until I landed in the infusion room the other day due to dehydration and it took them 4 tries to get a vein to get me relief from the misery of being so dehydrated. I get my port Friday.

I didn't get a port when I had AC in late 2015, and my best veins became hard and unusable afterwards. I was such a hard stick when I'd go for CT scans with contrast every few months. Luckily I could have regular blood draws from my hands on my regular visits to my onc. I had to start IV chemo again in late April of this year and had a port put in the day before. The surgery was quick and easy, and it is a dream having it now! 100% better! Not only am I happier, the nurses at the Imaging Center are happier when they see me coming now, too!

stubborndog - I had some phlebitis in one of my veins post one of the AC treatments. As you describe, tight and achy when you stretch and you can see them not being quite the same as others. Mine looked like they were stained brown. I started seeing a registered massage therapist soon after this when I started Taxol (as part of my neuropathy prevention plan) and he worked on my arms, including that vein but not really focusing on it, just working all the arm. It made a HUGE difference. The tightness disappeared within weeks & now you can barely see any difference there. I think what happened is that we got scar tissue in those veins and probably it will fade with time but manual massage made it happen much more quickly.

hth