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Colleen007 · 01-20-2011, 11:55 AM

Hi Marcia,

I just had the Altiplase (also called "Cath-Flo") last Friday. It is just as Elaine describes...they accesed both sides of my port then pushed it through (kind of like how they push the Heparin in at the end of treatment). They let it sit for awile and then suck it out (and hopefully get blood return). My inner side of the port worked after one dose...we repeated it on the outer port and got blood return there after the 2nd dose.

I'm also confused about the Emla and lidocaine...I was prescribed Emla at the start of my treatment and only used it once as I really didn't think it did much (and if I recall, it was really expensive)...now I just take a deep breath when they access the port and it is like a pinch.

Good luck!

01-20-2011, 11:55 AM	#8
Colleen007 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Franklin, MA Posts: 131	Re: Port doesn't return blood Hi Marcia, I just had the Altiplase (also called "Cath-Flo") last Friday. It is just as Elaine describes...they accesed both sides of my port then pushed it through (kind of like how they push the Heparin in at the end of treatment). They let it sit for awile and then suck it out (and hopefully get blood return). My inner side of the port worked after one dose...we repeated it on the outer port and got blood return there after the 2nd dose. I'm also confused about the Emla and lidocaine...I was prescribed Emla at the start of my treatment and only used it once as I really didn't think it did much (and if I recall, it was really expensive)...now I just take a deep breath when they access the port and it is like a pinch. Good luck! __________________ Diagnosed 10-03-2005 (34 wks pregnant, 38 yrs old) Lumpectomy Nov-2005. 10/18 Lymph Nodes impacted Mets to liver, spine & femurs (thus being stage IV right from the get-go) ER-, PR-, HER2+ Taxol/Herceptin/Zometa started Dec-2005. 11 cycles of Taxol. Sept-2006: PET/CT scan of mets to liver, spine and femurs - Stable. Activity in R breast & mediastinum (not seen in prior scans). Navelbine (3 wks on/1 wk off) as of Oct--2006 & continued Herceptin (every 3 wks) & Zometa (every 6 wks) Jan-2007: PET/CT Scan - Stable. Continued Nav. through March-2007, then Herc./Zom. only after that. June-2007: PET/CT Scan - activity in mediastinum. Back on Navelbine as of July-2007. Scanned Quarterly since Oct-2007 - a few small scares, but otherwise stable due to continuing weekly Navelbine, Herceptin and Quarterly Zometa.