HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - want info on arm powerport or chest powerport

Chelee · 12-16-2010, 04:21 AM

dbenz,
I had my 1st port in my upper left arm...although it was not a power port. A bart port I believe. Really small one. As far as ports go...and placements of...I loved it on my upper arm. Easy to access and cover it up. But after having it in my arm over a yr it left some scarring the doctors and I did not like. They said they were seeing that alot. So at my center they say they will no longer put them in the arms. (But that might just be my place?)

When I recurred I had to have a new one put in so this time it is in my upper left side of my chest and it is a "Power Port". It handles chemo's, labs & contrast dyes which make it nice. Don't have to get poked this way. I've had no problems at all with the power port other then I think it's awful big...but I'm use to it now. I don't even notice it's there anymore.

The placement is important. Make sure you draw a line on your body where your bra strap sits so that it won't be sitting or rubbing the top of your port all the time! That can get painful. Make sure they move it over a bit. Other then that no problems at all I can think of. A little soreness when first placed...but it goes away soon enough. Wishing you well.

Chelee

12-16-2010, 04:21 AM	#2
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Re: want info on arm powerport or chest powerport dbenz, I had my 1st port in my upper left arm...although it was not a power port. A bart port I believe. Really small one. As far as ports go...and placements of...I loved it on my upper arm. Easy to access and cover it up. But after having it in my arm over a yr it left some scarring the doctors and I did not like. They said they were seeing that alot. So at my center they say they will no longer put them in the arms. (But that might just be my place?) When I recurred I had to have a new one put in so this time it is in my upper left side of my chest and it is a "Power Port". It handles chemo's, labs & contrast dyes which make it nice. Don't have to get poked this way. I've had no problems at all with the power port other then I think it's awful big...but I'm use to it now. I don't even notice it's there anymore. The placement is important. Make sure you draw a line on your body where your bra strap sits so that it won't be sitting or rubbing the top of your port all the time! That can get painful. Make sure they move it over a bit. Other then that no problems at all I can think of. A little soreness when first placed...but it goes away soon enough. Wishing you well. Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.