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Maria:
Colleen had some discomfort with her port especially when she turns her head quickly.
Colleen had another chemo last Thursday and the oncology nurse said she just had a meeting with the manufacturer's representative of the ports. The manufacturer's representative said that you should avoid touching or feeling the port. The section of the port that faces outward has a membrane. If you push the membrane, it will push the heparin out the end and when the membrane reflexes back to it's original shape it will draw blood into the tip of the catheter. The blood will coagulate and plug up the end of the catheter.
Skilled nurses can clean out the port but it takes a while to do and do you really want to have a chemo infusion last any longer than it needs to?
Good Luck Maria
Lee
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This happened to Colleen:
Diagnosed in September 2007
ER-/PR-/HER2 Neu+++ 2.1 cm x .9 cm spicluted tumor with three fingers, Stage 2B
Sentinal node biopsy and lymph node removal with 3/18 positive in October 2007
4 TAC infusions
lumpectomy March 2008, bad margins
Re-excision on June 3rd, 2008 with clean margins
Fitted for compression sleeve July 16, 2008
Started the first of two TCH infusions August 14, 2008
Done with chemo and now a member of the blue dot club 9/17/08
Starting radiation October 1, 2008
life is still on hold
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