I am glad I got my port
 

With my first treatment last year, I had a picc line, which was great other than the can't get it wet thing and having to go get it flushed every week. I am a needlephobic. For this econd time, I got a port and I am very happy with it so far. I don't even feel the stick and it maked life easier. I have small, rolling veins (they used an infant needle for my last two surgeries) so this alleviates multiple sticks and digging. So far, I am really happy with it!

I really liked the port and had to fight to get one as my 2nd onc was against them. The A/C ruined my good veins and it just got harder and harder to draw blood. I must say though that in spite of good report I did have to have mine removed because of a mystery staph infection that came 8 months after installation. It was traumatic to me having it pulled but it really made me sick. I am just now healing up enough to have another put in. I would be very careful when others access it being sure correct proceedures are followed, and certainly will be more concerned about that with the new one. I have to have surgery for Oopharectomy so I will have a new one then while I am out! I am so sick of being cut-up and poked. Feel like a jerk for saying that when there are so many others with bigger longer ordeals! Hope this info helps...

I HATE needles
 

My onc did not ask me if I wanted the port, just scheduled the installation, but was glad because I too HATE needles. It was so nice they took my blood from the port, but now it only goes in and they can't draw blood out of it anymore so I still have to get stuck occasionally. I only seem to have one good vein that's handy. They also gave me some lidocane (? numbs it) cream to glob on the port & cover with that sticky plastic wrap about 2 hours before my herceptin and I don't even feel the stick. You can tell I still have chemo-brain because I can't remember what that plastic wrap is called or how to spell the numbing agent.

Let me add my vote in favor of ports! I have had impossible rolling inaccessable veins all my life, and my port is such a blessing I hope I never have to take it out. It is small, in my left chest just below the clavicle, hardly visible. It was put in in July of 2004 after a couple of weeks in the hospital from a heart attack and cancer mets to the lungs. By the time it was put in I was black and blue all over from nurses trying to draw blood. I have blood work once a month now that I am NED and only on zometa, but had triple bypass heart surgery in May and was so thankful for my port. The nurses at the heart hospital didn't want to use the port, but I told them to give me back my clothes and I would go home if they didn't, so they found someone to access it and used it all the time I was in the hospital, even during surgery. It always works, I rarely feel anything. I do have one vein on my right upper wrist that the EMT's found and it is usable for tests like CTs ,PETs and MUGAs when they have to use a vein. Otherwise I go to the chemo lab for all other blood tests through the port, no matter what doctor prescribes them. I highly recommend a port to save the veins from chemo damage, even if you have good veins. Good luck and hugs! Tricia

I don't remember ever being asked about a port. I had all of my chemos and herceptins (except 2 remaining) in my right arm. I have my arm warmed each time before my infusions and several times it took more than one try. The blood draws were equally as challenging. I don't have a problem with needles, but can sure see the value of a port.

I wrote a very long reply to this and was logged on but it kicked it out when I was trying to post it and all was lost. So this is a test message so to speak.

Here goes.....I had a hard time adjusting to my port it was probably six months until it didn't bother me anymore. I had it put in before my second AC and then by the third it was infected at the incision and couldn't be used for the third treatment. But used it the fourth and all the taxotere treatments and now all the herceptin infusions.

This is much shorter than what I had written before.

But everyone is different and I don't think there is a right or wrong choice. Some at my oncs office have ports and some do not. It seems like most of the breast cancer patients have ports and of course I don't see or know all of them since I usually only go on Tuesdays. I am speaking of the ones that I see which would be about 7 of them and all have ports.
Even though mine has given me trouble and isn't placed exactly perfectly I am still happy to have it.

Sheepskin - a Godsend!
 

Wow, Val! See what you started. Lots of opinions.

I was fussing about the placement of my new port to be right where the seatbelts cross my chest if I am driving.
So - had a FLASHBACK to when I got the first port put in about 6 years ago. Funny how these ideas just roost somewhere in the back of your mind.

I recalled telling myself if I ever had a surgery on the left side again I would get one of those sheepskin seatbelt covers.
So, found one on eBay not too expensive and it arrived today. Put it right on the seatbelt (it comes apart with a velcro strip so it is easy), went out to the local farmers market and it was just great. I did not have to drive with the seatbelt pulled down under my arm.
The cover is thick enough and soft enough - now I am OK to drive again.

Just thought I would pass this on as this idea may help others.

Love my port
 

Had it put in, at my request, for my two years of herceptin 18 mths down the track. Highly recommend.
Christine

My oncologist didn't offer me the choice of port or no port. She sent me to the surgeon and I had the port put in on the upper left chest and the next day started my chemo. When I had my surgery the nurses were having trouble accessing my veins so I told them I had a port that they could probably use. They had to get an oncology nurse to access the port. After that everything went fine. The only thing I don't like about the port is when you touch it it gives me a weird feeling - lets you know that there really is a foreign object in your chest.

When I had cancer 15 year ago they had a difficult time using my veins. I would sometimes get poked 3-4 times. Having a port has been great. It can even be used to push the contrast for my CT scans. I have to go to the treatment center where I get chemo first (just across the hall) to have the oncology nurse access my port. The CT techs are not alloud to push anything through the port so the radiologist has to come in and push 6 large syringes filled with the thick contrast. It also makes things easier for me as I have a hard enough time positioning my arms over my head without having to worry about pulling the needle out of my arm or hand. Blessings, Lu Ann.

I was given the option but my veins held out good. There were a few times I wished I had a port when it came to the MUGA - As to the question of do your veins change. My chemo nurses said the A/C & Taxol can damage them but they said the Herceptin is more mild.

I have very small and very superficial veins that collapse so easily. For my first chemo treatment the onc nurse tried twice to access a vein and failed and they have a two time rule at the office so another nurse tried and was able to get it. For my second treatment they were unable to keep a vein open long enough to administer my chemo drugs so that day I only had the premeds, what a waste. They scheduled a port for the next day, which I had warned them from the beginning that I would need but they wanted to try without first. I had the port placed without a problem on the underside of my lower arm just below the bend in my elbow and then had my 2nd treatment the same day. I have had no problems with the port at all and I am thrilled not to be a pin cushion. I will keep the port throughout my herceptin tx which just began last Thursday. Hopefully I will continue to not have any problems with it.