Is a port a neccessity?

Erin · 02-12-2007, 08:48 AM

Hello Everyone,

Well chemo starts tomorrow (6 rounds of Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin, with Herceptin to continue for 1 year). Not sleeping very well, bought my wig and some hats over the weekend...that was another surreal moment. Starting chemo feels like the real beginning of this....surgery was so quick and really not difficult that it didn't bring home the gravity of the situation like this is.

Here are my questioins: I hear a lot about ports...it seems that everyone gets one. My onc says he will try to use my veins to start, but if they collapse I will need a port. How likely is it that I will get through all 6 rounds without needing a port? Seems like everyone gets one. If I continue to do IV to the veins, will it cause permanent damage, as I have heard? If I am going to get a port anyway, shouldn't we start with it?

Ladies, what do you think?

Thanks for your help :-)

atdec05 · 02-12-2007, 09:01 AM

Hi Erin,

The port can be mutually convenient for you and the nurses. Is it hard to find veins? Do you mind needles? Will you be getting weekly Herceptin? Those are all good reasons to have a port, not only for treatment but also for blood work.

I had a port as well because I was getting Adriamycin, which can damage your veins and skin if it leaks out. With a port the likelihood of leakage is greatly reduced.

As your onc. noted, if veins are accessed alot, they can get damaged. I'm surprised they don't recommend a port to begin with. Some women don't like the feeling of a port, especially if you're thin. I was very concious of my port for the first few weeks, but I'm glad I have one.

- Anna

suzan w · 02-12-2007, 09:42 AM

I don't have "great" veins! For some reason the thought of a port always bothered me-a friend had one years ago and had all kinds of problems with it. Everyone thought I should have one, but I went ahead with the "let's try it and see" attitude. I had 4 rounds of A/C (had to stop for complications) and then a year of Herceptin, every 3 weeks...along with 4MUGA scans,bone scans, blood work every visit...and numerous other pokes. There was one nurse who could find a vein every time...and I requested her! There were some times when it took a few tries but I have made it so far with no port! It is an individual decision and I think I am probably in the minority!!! Good luck!

KellyA · 02-12-2007, 09:56 AM

Hi Erin,

I would strongly recommend a port if you are going to be getting herceptin for a year. It really does help out alot and is not a big deal at all to get. I had a friend tell me about a kind that goes on the inside of your upper arm ( they called it a passport) and I think it is WONDERFUL! Only I know that it is there- it is really hidden. Anyways, they really do help make things so much easier.

Love, Kelly

MJo · 02-12-2007, 12:13 PM

I had 3 dose dense A/Cs, 4 taxols and Herceptin every three weeks for nine months without a port. My veins on my left hand got pretty beat up, especially when you add the needles for Muga and other tests. On the other hand I skipped the outpatient surgery to insert and remove port. If your veins are tiny, there's no question. If your veins are big enough, it's up to you.

janet11 · 02-12-2007, 01:40 PM

Amazing to think that they didn't SUGGEST a port right off. I was on TCH too: So for 18 weeks, you'll get TCH every 3 weeks AND Herceptin EVERY week. Then you'll go to Herceptin every 3 weeks. That's a LOT of vein sticks!

I've been SO glad I've had my port! Not only because I have hard-to-stick veins, but the thought of getting an IV every single week for months when there is an almost painless alternative.... Yuck.

But good luck with what you decide to do. One consideration: what if they get a few cycles into chemo and THEN want to do the port. I found that I was a lot slower healing from stuff while on chemo. I was very happy that I had the port installed a week before I started chemo. I was MUCH more comfortable.

chrislmelb · 02-13-2007, 01:15 AM

get a port!! they are great.
Christine

naturaleigh · 02-13-2007, 02:43 PM

I am so glad that I have a port, I worry constantly about my veins. I am in SC and here, they will not use my port to take blood. If your onc office does like mine, they take blood everytime I have treatment, which is once a week for me now that I am on Herceptin. They take blood out of my vein and give me chemo through my port. If I did not have my port, they would have had to stick my vein twice (for blood and chemo) instead of just once. I had my port put in Dec 05 and have had no problems with it. I just heard they have come out with a new and improved port where they can draw blood from it. If your onc has heard of this one, it would be 0 sticks to your veins. I would be all over that idea!!

Good Luck, everything will work our fine. You will find out that you are so much stronger than you ever imagined you could be.

mts · 02-14-2007, 07:57 AM

I cried when I was told that I needed a port. My first thought was that only really sick people get ports... Well, after my first chemo infusion, I was soooo glad I had it.

I had a pediatric port placed in the upper chest area. I did not have that "bump" one gets with the larger ports. I just had it removed last month,(YEAH!). The scar barely shows. Most of all- it was hugely convenient for the chemo and my year of Herceptin. Really glad I had it!

Maria (MTS)

Andi · 02-14-2007, 09:20 AM

I did my DD A/C, my 12 weekly Taxol & Herceptins and the remainder of the year Herceptin every three weeks without a port. There were times it was very trying to either draw blood or give my infusion, but they always succeeded. When I had my recurrence, I was going to have weekly infusions and blood draws and decided to have a port put in, as by time I had my surgury and all the tests my right arm was shot and it took them 5 tries to get the iv put in for a CT scan. They are able to draw blood from my port as well as give chemo. I am very happy with it and am glad I had it put in, however, if I would not have needed this last round of chemo, I would have been satisified without it.

Carol Carlson · 02-14-2007, 10:06 AM

Erin,
I had 4 rounds of A/C, 4 rounds of Taxol and 1 year of Herceptin ( every 3 weeks) plus many blood draws and I didn't have a port. I really just didn't want one. They often had difficultly finding a good vein since thay only had one arm to work with, so I would "tank up" the night before ( drank a lot of fluids ) and they used a heating pad to help open the veins ( get them more to the surface) and those things helped. Also there is some kind of intrument they can use to find good veins, some kind of light, but my onc.'s office didn't have one unfortunately... guess there are pretty expensive.
Anyway I had to grind my teeth a few times but glad I chose to be port-free.
That's not to say if I needed chemo again ( God forbid) that I wouldn't consider having one. I guess whatever works for you and whatever you are comfortable with is fine.
Good Luck...
Carol

tricia keegan · 02-14-2007, 10:50 AM

Glad to see you here!
I got through to treatment 3 on a/c without a port and really wish I had had it from the start.
the drugs have ruined my veins and now the port is out since mt treatments ended I dread blood draws.
When I had my ooph they had to put the anesthetic in the vein in my neck ouch!!
I'd recommend the port every time!
Tricia

Erin · 02-14-2007, 11:16 AM

Hello Ladies, and thanks for all the wondeful feedback. It is soooo important to me to get your experienced opinions on these things!

I had my first chemo yesterday, without a port and everything went very well. So far I am nausea free, so I think I am very lucky. However, the nurses were quite adament that they thought the port was the best way to go. And, while I was there I saw many ladies come and go for treatmetn and it seemed so much easier with the port. So I deceided to have one put in next week. I will not be able to get my routine blood draws from it since our lab is not staffed with RN's (a requirement here in CA). But, I am sure it will make all the other treatments that much easier.

Thanks again for all your advice and support!!

Mary Jo · 02-14-2007, 06:30 PM

Hello,

Just needed to offer my 2cents worth also. For some reason I did not want a port. After my mastectomy and finally admitting to myself that I really did need chemo I did not want the constant reminder of a port sticking out of my chest. It's just the way I visualized it and I didn't like it. Anyway, my onc. was very positive and encouraging in NOT having a port unless I needed it. I went through 4 dose dense A/C - 4 dose dense taxol along with Herceptin, every 3 weeks, for 1 full year ALL in my left arm only. I had virtually no problems whatsoever. I can think of 3 times that they had to stick me more than once. One time 3 times and two times only twice to get the vein.

So, I'm a believer in no port IF it works for you.

Good luck,

Mary Jo

Bev · 02-14-2007, 10:02 PM

Yeah. Getting my port out Monday. The nurses prefer the port. Your infusion nurse should be able to draw blood for testing just prior to infusion. My docs didn't draw blood from the port until I was nearly done with tx. In a perfect world they should be using it.

I would have preferred IV, but I was afraid of AC. To me a stick in the arm feels the same as a stick in the chest and I have large veins. Guess we don't know unless we've done it both ways.

Good luck on treatment. BB

DonnaD · 02-15-2007, 10:01 AM

Hi Erin,
You are beginning the second step of your journey. I wish you luck and you will be in my prayers. I am almost finished with chemo. Had 4 rounds of A/C and 3 rounds of Taxol and Herceptin. One round of Taxol to go then finish out the year with Herceptin every 3 weeks. My onc said lets try it without a port. Seems they can cause problems for some and others do fine. My onc nurse suggested using a soft rubber ball daily to build up the viens in the hand. It has worked great for me. She also uses a hot pack right before she inserts the needle. So far only one miss and it was not my regular nurse. My mugas are done in the vein in the arm saving the hand for treatment only.

Donna