Port Problems Anyone

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kakennedy
kakennedy Member Posts: 37
in Breast Cancer #1

I'm sitting in the chair to receive my third chemo treatment today.  Couldn't get the treatment last week due to a low white blood count.  Today, my port isn't returning blood so the doctor ordered activace to try to determine if the end of the port possibly has a clot.  Anyone experience trouble with your port during chemo?  If so, what was the solution?

Thanks much for any advice.

 

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  • karlawel
    karlawel Member Posts: 12
    #2
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    Port Problems

    My port kind of had a qink in it and to get blood to draw from it they had to go slow and steady but they were always able to get blood from it.  When I did my chemo I would have to lay flat on my back and try not to move or the machine would beep at me that the medicine wasn't going in fast enough!!  I'm not sure what the solution is though.......sorry I wasn't more help!

    Karla

     

  • kakennedy
    kakennedy Member Posts: 37
    edited September 2016 #3
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    karlawel said:

    Port Problems

    My port kind of had a qink in it and to get blood to draw from it they had to go slow and steady but they were always able to get blood from it.  When I did my chemo I would have to lay flat on my back and try not to move or the machine would beep at me that the medicine wasn't going in fast enough!!  I'm not sure what the solution is though.......sorry I wasn't more help!

    Karla

     

    Thanks much!  The meds worked

    Thanks much!  The meds worked - nurse was able to get the blood to draw and all went well.  Now praying I don't lose my hair since today was #3.

    :) Kathy

  • Sasu
    Sasu Member Posts: 39
    #4
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    Port problems

    I did have issues with my port.  First my body decided to put a sheath ( cannot remember the proper name) on it so they went in my groin and up to the port and removed it.  seems like the body just decided it wanted the port to stay...........you should see the lovely scar from my port removal!   However, the port is truly the way to go......I was truly blessed to have it and the medical personnel who knew how to use it.     

     

    Sasu

  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #5
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    every so often they use tpa

    Or something like that, it dissolves the clot.  They usually first try cleaning it out though with just a stronger dose of Heparin.  The Heparin works 9 out of 10 times.  I usually have this problem when it is accessed by someone when I am having tests, then my next oncology appt my regular nurse fixes it.  

    I have had to tell nurse when getting tests to put in the heparin.  Too many times they have flushed it with he saline and think they are done.  After 6 years with the port, I still make sure they are doing them correctly.  One nurse actually had the directions on my stomac, it was her first time accessing a power port, I said no, I want a nurse who knows how to either do this or assist you.  She was not happy with me, however, she did learn how to access a port, and this was at a cancer hospital.  She was sent there to cover a shift from the University Teaching  Hospital, so she learned.  

  • peony
    peony Member Posts: 306 Member
    #6
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    The only problem I had with

    The only problem I had with mine is that it left a terrible scar when they took it out. But I think of all my cancer scars as tatoos, so it's not a big problem.

  • Iris_G
    Iris_G Member Posts: 50 Member
    edited October 2016 #7
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    Major Port Issues

    I had my port put in October 2015.  The first 3 treatments went great, but in December I started having major issues with it.  The nurses would have a hell of a time accessing it to start treatment, then after treatment when they would de-access me it would leak something fierce like it was backed up.  It also hurt like heck...all the time.  I told my husband it was like my body was trying to reject the port.  Then in May, it all went to hell!  I was sitting in my office right after lunch and all of a sudden it felt like someone stabbed me right at my port sight.  I waited it out to see what would happen, but by the end of my day, I knew something was majorly wrong.  Needless to say, I ended up having to have emergency surgery to have it taken out.  It was totally infected, so bad that the surgeon said if I had waited any longer, I would've been septic.  In the 8 months I had it, it never felt right.  The doctors seem to think I got the infection at the time of insertion, but they can't prove it! I now have a huge hole/scar in my chest from it.

    I'll never, ever have another one!

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