Any other Power Port patients here?

[Dianedack]

I have had a power port for 2.5 years. My problem has been to get them to use the correct power port needle which they dont have in the chemo dept. so I have to collect a needle from the CT dept and get the chemo nurse to insert it before I have the scans. They use the regular needles for chemo and blood drawing which I am really not happy with but I have given up arguing - why not use the right tool for the job! I have asked if I can buy the power port needles but with no luck. I would like a supply to use as needed. The power port needles are wonderful for getting blood out. All in all I am very happy with my port and hope it lasts many years I have no veins so access woukd be impossible without it.

Happy power day!

Best wishes

Diane
x

I have had some of the same issue w/ poorly trained staff who want to access my Bard Power Port. A couple of days ago while I was in the Oncology Clinic, they sent in an RN to access me. At first I thought that she had OCD because of the odd way she layed things out and she continued to wash her hands (probably 6 times). She obviously was nervous. I mentioned to her that she must have done this before. She indicated that she had many times before. She puttered around with her cart which was supposed to have everything in it that she would need. I had just been transferred as a patient from one major hospital to another, so I thought that perhaps things were done so differently because of a difference in procedures from one institution to another. But the reality was that she didn't even seem to know how to properly clean the area. She also had never used the numbing spray. She sprayed my neck on the opposite side from my port. I corrected her on how she was doing this a couple of times and began to get irritated. Then as she was about to insert the needle, she came at me from a funny angle. Then she attempted to draw back on the syringe and nothing came from it. I have only had my port since January this year, but have never had any problems with it and told her so. When I looked down I saw that she didn't even have the needle fully inserted and it was at a scued angle and I mentioned this to her as calmly as I could. I realized that she had no idea what she was doing. What I want to know is how can they turn someone loose on such a big thing without any supervision???! I asked her to get another nurse. The woman who came in tried to flush with saline & of course she also could get no blood return. At first she said nothing about the obvious issues with the way the other girl tried to access my port, but when I pointed it out she could not deny it. She told me that she had to be quick because "I can't leave the children alone too long" this was in reference to the others she was working with. I then asked them to simply remove the needle and for her (new nurse) to access it this time. When she did, alot of the saline gushed out (which of course freaks me out). She did manage to successfully manage to use it on her first try though. It is 2 days later now and the skin over my port is red and itchy about the size of a quarter. I am concerned. Has this happened to anyone before?

Hi
I've just had my second Bard Power Port put in today. My first was taken out after my first chemo and a year of Herceptiin in 2009 which it seems didn't work.

I had no trouble with any procedures with it and any nurses that had to access it. All of the chemo nurses were very well trained and when I went for blood or CT scan, a port nurse was brought in. I am so glad to have another as lately when I have only one arm to use, they have lots of trouble and I have lots of bruises.

Gail