Double Ports

[weezie1053]

I am still trying to find my way around this website. I joined in Nov, but my learning curve was too small to comprehend my own illness. I am back, and I feel like I am learning so much about my own disease due to members sharing experiences.

I am curious as to how many of you might have a double port. Not knowing too much of anything when I started my journey w/ BC, the hospital installed a double port. After finishing 16 rounds of chemo and numerous herceptin treatments, I have not come across another BC patient with a double port. In fact, I am on my second port. There was a problem with the first one not working properly, and in Feb (5 months after starting chemo), they removed the first one and installed another double port. Some of the nurses in the Fusion area have told me that it probably was whatever the university wanted that day due to it is a teaching hospital.

Just curious if anybody else out there has a double and if there is really justification for the larger port. I had a mastectomy; however, I feel like my port is more noticeable because it is "out there" whereas the reconstructed boob is concealed behind a cup holder (bra).

Okay, I need some website help. What's the difference between a post and a new thread?

[Vi Schorpp]

Hi Weezie: The difference between a post and a new thread: Your message is a new thread; my reply to you is a post.

Sorry I can't offer anything on a double port as mine was a single port. Take care.

[tousled1]

Weezie,

My son had leukemia and had a double port. The reason was so that they could give him his chemo in one and do all blood draws, transfusions in the other. I had a single port that they use for blood draws and for my infusions. Just had my port removed a few weeks ago.

[Gerri]

Hi Kate,

I am getting my port at the end of the month and have been given the choice of having a local or sedation. My port is in a different place than most (so my nurses complain). The port is "hidden" in the inner portion of my left breast (in the cleavage) and the line runs about 6 inches straight up. I want to go with the easy way. Did you have a local or go under sedation for the procedure? Believe it or not, the port placement hurt more than my lumpectomy.

Thanks!

[Barbara H.]

Hi,
My port is very small and is a double port.
Barbara H.

[tousled1]

Gerri,

I had a local when I had the port put in -- more like twilight. My daughter went with me because I don't think I would have been able to drive. When I had my port removed, I just had some novacain and that was it. Nothing to it.

[Gerri]

Thanks Kate. I'm still mulling it over but this helps.

[weezie1053]

I guess I was just one of the guinea pigs of the day and the hospital installed a double port. My first port was less conspicious. I had a masectomy with reconstruction, but due to the location of the port, I feel more conscious of the port than the reconstructed breast. I leave for vacation on Sunday, and I feel like I have to hide it. The wire in my jugglar vein was also more noticeable on the second installation. Thanks for the feedback.

Louise