Went for my next to last chemo today but........

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  • greybeard64
    greybeard64 Member Posts: 254
    #22
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    TxKayaker said:

    I went to my onc office last
    I went to my onc office last Thursday for my monthly port flush & it would not draw blood either and when they injected saline my throat started close up and I felt tightness in my chest. After a gathering of all the nurses to observe I was scheduled for a chest x-ray on the following Monday to see how the if there was a problem with the port tubing it seems that the tubing has come back on itself and formed a loop. Bottom line port is useless as it is and am scheduled to have it removed on April 14th. Can anyone relate to this issue my surgeon says this does not happen very often.

    lucky one
    I guess i must be one of the lucky ones. My port has never been a problem, I have had two nurses in the 4+ yrs I have had it that could'nt get a blood return. and even in those instances moving my arm or shoulder a bit seem to do the trick? I really think it was them not the port or my arm movement ;).
    two things I have noticed about the port, no one seems to remind you that it needs flushed every 4 weeks, I miss heard originaly and thought it was every 4 months. while undergoing chemo this was no biggy but at one point I went about two and a half months without a flush. It isnt like I wasnt at the onc office during that time?? they have been very thorough in all other aspects but the port thing not so much. Even after missing a flush for that long it still was fine like I said I must be lucky when it comes to ports.
    The other is that some nurses will get "pissy" with you if you ask them to access the port for IV's even before a surgery when you know you are going to have that IV for quite awhile? I know there are a few things that they cannot take from the port blood wise for sample reasons but...You cant get to where we are without having a million needles stuck in you at various times and it just gets old. to them it is just an IV but it certainly isnt to me. And the comfort level is improved for me anyway when I dont have an IV running out of my arm/hand, much less restrictive and far less irratating.
    Anyway there are my comments on ports

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