Veins Post-Chemo...do they get better?

Your thoughts on this please? I was on FAC, which was administered through my veins, and just completed weekly HTC with a port. My port will be coming out in the next month and I'm concerned about the veins in my left arm (I'm left-handed and this side is used since I had a mastectomy on the right).

When I flex my wrist down, I can still feel slight pain and soreness in my veins. Or, even if I stretch when I'm in bed or when I roll my arms outward when doing arm exercises, there's pain on my forearm where my veins are. I also get a bit uptight and anxious when I think about them having to draw blood for blood tests and I ask them to use small needles. Do the veins heal over time?

The infusion center nurses said vaguely, "they can," but that's about it. When I have reconstruction at the end of the year, and even when I have my port out next month, I'm hoping my veins can take it and even more that I can, by gritting my teeth and taking a few deep breaths. One woman told me her veins still feel "ropey," yet I know some women had no problems. I was told it was probably the adriamycin. Thanks for your personal observations.

Vicki