Chicken out of getting my port-a-cath

Hi Elisa,

Sorry you are so scared. Having the port placed is a very basic procedure, and it does make chemo sooo much easier. Chemo is hard, but you will find so many people here who endured it, with and without complications. Coming to this site and sharing stories is a big help. I believe you have the courage and strength inside you. It is a very hard thing for everyone to face at the beginning.

Is the breathing tube thing during the port placement procedure? Or is there another reason for it? If they are putting you completely out to place the port, you won’t even know it’s there. Are you fearing the feeling of choking? Let them know exactly what you are afraid of, and they can help you feel as comfortable as possible.

Best to you as you start out on your treatments. However lonely you feel, we are all pulling for you here.

XO,

L.

Elisa,

I’m sorry you are scared and you will be in my prayers. I was nervous about my port too but now I don’t even think twice about it. And leatherette is right-chemo will be sooo much easier with it! They will probably offer you lidocaine (sp?) cream to put over itbefore you go to your treatments. Actual chemo days were easy for me because with the port and lidocaine cream, you don’t even feel the stick!

I hope that makes you feel a little better. Post as often as you have questions. This is a wonderful community I couldn’t do without.

I don't blame you for putting on the brakes until they give you an answer. You deserve better than this. If they really need you to start chemo, they can always give it through an IV. In fact, some people just go with the IV and never get a port. Something to discuss with your doctor next week.

Elisa, I would have been scared too if I hadn't seen my mother use it for chemo (and a friend too who recommended it). So I didn't really think much about it. I didn't really register it as a "surgery," given all the bigger stuff I had gone through. But then I was in the hospital and going through all the pre-op procedures, and I started to get nervous and stressed because it was beginning to hit me.

It was fine, but I was definitely scared and may have chickened out too if I had dwelled on the whole thing more.

Don't be too hard on yourself. What you are feeling is totally understandable. Wishing you the best, whatever you decide.

I walked out of my port procedure because the nurses were incompetent and the surgeon looked hungover. Had 8 rounds without it and never once regretted my decision. My MO wasn’t fussed and said if we needed to look at options down the road we would but not having a port wasn’t the end of the world

I had a chemo needle put n me every time and was very 

painful, I never knew why. My prayers are with you. 

Don’t know much about ports but my friend loves hers. Never had one but with my tiny runaway veins if they offered it next time I would seriously look into getting one. So sick of nurses poking around trying to find my tiny vein. I have to warm up area with hot wash cloth then rub vein to get it to raise ,tie off area, etc. Too much work to have them runaway. Even anetheiologis couldn’t find vein in my foot.

One physiologist said”feel the fear and do it anyway”. I like that saying. I heard ports are easy to put in and not major surgery. You can do this if you decide. Your stronger than you realize.

Elisa, I had a very nice anesthesiologist, he talked to me before the procedure, answered all questions, made me feel at ease, made sure I was comfortable before we got started. I wonder if you could talk to such a person beforehand.

What I hated was having to read a stack of consent forms just minutes before going in. I wished it had occurred to me to ask to read those at the time I made the appointment.