Port questions

Karen - there is a recent thread that discusses lots of port questions but I can't find it just now.

I loved my port. Kept it for 5 years for infusions, blood draws, contrast for CTs, etc. I had the port installed one day and they left the "dangles" (connections) so I could start chemo the next day. Or they can seal it off. I don't remember any long term pain - certainly not more than a week. There was never any problem sleeping on my side or my stomach - although I had pretty much transitioned off my stomach by then due to all the other surgeries.

It's normal to put the port on the side that does not have cancer. I too carry my purse on that side & never had any problems after the first week. However like Spookie's Mom, cancer did convince me to ditch big purses. Why was I still carrying all that stuff? Enough to nurse the entire city in case of a nuclear attack!!! I now use just a small/medium cross body bag.

Be sure to draw the outline of your bra strap w/magic marker so it won't go right under that strap and rub. Also talk to your doc about placement that is low enough not to show with scoop necks.

Karen,

This experience relates to Australia but I dont think it will be much different.

It is a 40-60 minutes procedure that can be done under local anaesthesia with light sedation or general anaesthesia. You will be given antibiotics at the time of insertion. Most surgeons will go to your right side because of venous anatomy but sometimes after reviewing your films and your torso they may chose the left.

Mine was painful for about 5 days - but I am very flat upper torso - of average size just no fat on my chest so there was a bit of skin stretching for a pocket to house the port chamber. The chamber is small - lets say 3 by 3 cm approx.

Should be able to sleep on your tummy - just put a pillow on that side for a swimmer's position. It will probably not be comfortable if you want to sleep port side down on your side.

You can get a local anaesthetic cream to pop on your port 30-45 minutes prior to it being accessed so you dont feel that for chemo - its a lignocaine based mix. Here it is called Emla.

Car seat belts and bag on the port side are annoying for a while.

Wishing you well,

🙂🐣

Karen - proving again - all docs are different !!! I had my port on the left side because the cancer was on the right. I also had only one incision more than 2 inches below my collar bone & not much bigger than an inch. After the port was placed, I started chemo the next day. Hope your pain doesn't last too long.

Karen,

I had my port put in (right side) on 10/7. It was a bit sore, kind of radiating back through my right shoulder for about 10 days. The first week or so, sleeping on my right side was uncomfortable, but it did go away. Like some one else said, seatbelts on the passenger side rubbed it in an annoying way for a couple weeks, but that's it. I had my lumpectomy and reconstruction on 10/28, and it was completely healed and comfortable for all sleeping positions well before that surgery. Now of course I am uncomfortable all over again, but not from the port.

Photo not mine. Found on rleepenn's wordpress blog.

I just got mine on Wednesday. The actual port feels fine, the incision is a tiny bit sore still, but not bad at all. The first night I slept on my back. The second night I rolled over in my sleep. I have a spot on my neck, and the catheter tube going down (like in the picture that I found on a blog site) that tube is stitched to the muscle, and that was painful. But, perhaps there's different types of ports because most photos online don't have that. It's fine now, other than a feeling of having a stiff neck, and when I wake up and move out of bed it hurts from being in one position all night. But, it's on the mend, and improves everyday.

I'm the type of person who barely drinks alchohol so recovering from anesthesia probably took me longer than average. It was my first experience with surgery as well. I was done, and home, by 1pm and slept most of the day, and the next. A headache was what bothered me most, and I'm borderline anemic so I think my body just needed the rest.

It's on the opposite side of my tumor, and I wear a crossbody handbag, and that wasn't much of an issue.

I know it's scary, and you've had a lot of information to process already. It helps me to know that I'm finally starting the treatment process. One member said that she considers it her port of entry for thousands of little chemo warriors to rush in and attack. That imagery helped me.