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Val, At my first chemo my infusion nurse checked out the veins which were so, so. She did my infusion the first time through a vein, but then I heard from my onc doc that my nurse said I need to get a port. My veins would never make it with the chemo and weekly herceptin. I was totally against a port...just didn't want any thing else to worry about.
But I did end up with a port. Mine is in my upper left arm right where you would put a blood pressure cuff. Its been in since The end of Feb. 2006 and so far its been great. The doctor that put it in even said "Opps" while he did it. Scared me to death! But it worked from the first time they tried it till date. (Knock on wood.)
As much as I was against it...I am glad I have it. Saves me SO MUCH time and makes life easier for me and the nurses. The only thing I WISH I had thought of BEFORE they did it...is the placement. Now I CAN'T have my blood pressure read anymore. They can't use my right arm either due to the SNB I had. So they take my blood pressure in my leg and believe me...its NOT accurate. Ha!
Chelee
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DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes.
Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs.
Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06
Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07
3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07
9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV.
9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa
9-29-09 Power Port Placement
10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head.
11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed
12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa.
3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed.
4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone.
5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy.
Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time.
7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.
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