fresh PORT A CATH blood clots

wanda23
wanda23 Member Posts: 58
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
We had to rush my mom to the hospital yesterday morning due to the port a cath, blood started gushing out, soooo much I thought she was going to bleed to death, she just got it done a week ago, the doctors said it might of been a blot clot, they were not really sure they took a chest xray and it showed the port a cath was still in place? anyone every go through this? ALSO how can you tell if you are getting blockage in your colon? (No bowel movement or very little?)

Comments

  • lfondots63
    lfondots63 Member Posts: 818 Member
    #2
    Sorry to hear about your mother. How is she feeling? That sounds scary. I have a blood clot in my arm from my port. Almost felt like a muscle pull in my neck and arm. My arm started to swell and hurt so bad that the RX pain meds wouldn't even work. I then KNEW something was VERY wrong. HUGS and I'm sure others will chime in soon.

    Lisa F.

    About the blockages, my MIL was told by her doc that she had a partial one this week. She was still going to the bathroom but was in terrible pain in the abdomen on Sunday night and we rushed her to the ER.
  • wanda23
    wanda23 Member Posts: 58
    #3
    lfondots63 said:

    Sorry to hear about your mother. How is she feeling? That sounds scary. I have a blood clot in my arm from my port. Almost felt like a muscle pull in my neck and arm. My arm started to swell and hurt so bad that the RX pain meds wouldn't even work. I then KNEW something was VERY wrong. HUGS and I'm sure others will chime in soon.

    Lisa F.

    About the blockages, my MIL was told by her doc that she had a partial one this week. She was still going to the bathroom but was in terrible pain in the abdomen on Sunday night and we rushed her to the ER.

    what are they going to do for your MIL if she has slight blockage, what did they do for her at the hospital?
  • davidsonxx
    davidsonxx Member Posts: 134
    #4
    I am sorry your mom has had such a hard time. It must have been a very scary time for both of you.
    A partial blockage in the colon can be a little hard to tell from constipation. Both slow down the movement of stool through your colon. If you are producing stool and it is not hard chances are it is a partial blockage. Most partial blockages will resolve themselves given time. Unfortunately you can be very uncomfortable until it does clear.

    The symptoms of a partial blockage are little or no stool, bloating, pain in the abdomen and nausea. There are things you can do at home to help a partial blockage. Sit in a warm bath. It helps to relax the muscles and will sometimes help clear the blockage. Gently massage the abdomen. Don't push hard and stop if it causes pain. The idea is to gently move things around because a blockage is sometimes caused by the intestine looping around itself. Gentle manipulate can help it untwist. As long as your are passing some stool drink plenty of warm liquids. It will help to flush out the colon. Get up and walk. Walking helps to move the stuff through your system. Doing the walking really helped me when if I caught it early enough. Once you have had a blockage (and know that it was a blockage) you pretty much know if it happens again.

    If you stop producing stool for an extended period and the pain gets worse go to the ER. If you start vomitting go to the ER. If the pain gets severe go to the ER.

    I had a couple of partial blockages and one full blockage while I had my ileostomy. For a partial blockage they don't do much more than give meds for the pain. The pain meds tend to cause constipation and can make a blockage worse. On the other hand they can help you relax so the colon muscles relax and can push through the blockage.

    I was fortunate with my full blockage. I spent a day in the hospital on IV fluids and pain meds but the blockage resolved itself. My intestine was looped around itself in 2 places but after several hours started to untwisted itself. The blockage cleared itself in about 12 hours and I felt fine.
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #5
    I am SO sorry about the port a cath incident -- how frightening that must have been for you all. I haven't had an incident like that. But, the second time I had chemo after my port was inserted, my doc had trouble getting the needle in. He figured out it was a little clot that had formed right under the port. From then on, I had a little shot of heparin at the end of chemo every time. In theory this shdnt be necessary with port a cath but in my case it was. No problems after that.

    I have had two suspected partial blockages. I agree with what others have said -- davidsonxx gave very good advice. I've heard that drinking grape juice can help. At any rate, lots of fluids is important (as it always is!).

    Wishing you the best and that you have no more frightening incidents like that.
    Tara

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