PICC LINE OR PORT??? mom is stage iv wit numerous liver mets..which should she pick?

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marc24
marc24 Member Posts: 92
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Hello, at this point, my mom is having her 1st chemo treatment in 2 days, she has a picc line installed, but will have a Port surgery discussion after her 1st chemo. She is still undecided, so i asked her what the "schedule" is for her chemo. She was given a 4 part chemo, im assuming every 2 weeks..and maybe they would monitor it after every chemo.....What is more "comfortable" you think?? PICC LINE OR PORT??

Thanks...in advance

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  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375
    #2
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    PICC or Port
    I'm a little confused here, Marc. I'm not sure why your Mom is being given a choice and that she has to decide/pick one? How is she to know since this is obviously new to her. Why is her doctor not telling her exactly what is going on, why a PICC line was put in and now is a Port going to be put in or not?

    I have never heard of chemo being administered through a PICC line before. I have heard of chemo being administered via IV (IV needle in the arm with a tube going to the fanny pack/chemo pump) or via a Port, which is a day surgery to install it under the skin.

    The port is way more convenient than an IV because if she is getting the standard chemo protocol, she will be wearing her pump for 48 hours (3 days) while at home... and that arm will get very sore if she is getting chemo through the IV every two weeks for 3 days at a time.

    Where was the PICC line installed... and did the doctor actually say they would be administering the chemo through the PICC? My understanding of a PICC, which I had one installed during my resection surgery... is it has a tube that goes very close to the heart. I find that surprising if she has the same one, they would have the chemo going so close to the heart.

    I don't think anyone here has been asked "Would you like a PICC line or a Port?" so I think you should check exactly what it is that is going on.

    I'm pretty sure that if she is getting the standard 12 treatments of FOLFOX then she will be told she is getting a Port.

    Cheryl
  • marc24
    marc24 Member Posts: 92
    #3
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    CherylHutch said:

    PICC or Port
    I'm a little confused here, Marc. I'm not sure why your Mom is being given a choice and that she has to decide/pick one? How is she to know since this is obviously new to her. Why is her doctor not telling her exactly what is going on, why a PICC line was put in and now is a Port going to be put in or not?

    I have never heard of chemo being administered through a PICC line before. I have heard of chemo being administered via IV (IV needle in the arm with a tube going to the fanny pack/chemo pump) or via a Port, which is a day surgery to install it under the skin.

    The port is way more convenient than an IV because if she is getting the standard chemo protocol, she will be wearing her pump for 48 hours (3 days) while at home... and that arm will get very sore if she is getting chemo through the IV every two weeks for 3 days at a time.

    Where was the PICC line installed... and did the doctor actually say they would be administering the chemo through the PICC? My understanding of a PICC, which I had one installed during my resection surgery... is it has a tube that goes very close to the heart. I find that surprising if she has the same one, they would have the chemo going so close to the heart.

    I don't think anyone here has been asked "Would you like a PICC line or a Port?" so I think you should check exactly what it is that is going on.

    I'm pretty sure that if she is getting the standard 12 treatments of FOLFOX then she will be told she is getting a Port.

    Cheryl

    hello...
    oh really? as far as what i have been told with my mom, what happened was a misunderstanding from the nurse, thinking a port was installed already before last thursday which was supposed to be the 1st chemo treatment, then since we didnt know the procedure, it wasnt put in place so she was scheduled to get her picc line installed for the chemo this upcoming monday. Tuesday is when they discuss port scheduling, sincee they say it wouldnt arrive in a week or so, hence the picc line bein used for the first session...my question is now...is the onco suppose to just say, hey we are using port, not picc....and give u no option? because if this is the case, then i am a bit concerned as well as since i wasnt around during the whole meeting.

    My other comment is, the doctor my mom spoke to, who had actually been treatment for 6 treatments of chemo, stated, if i were u, i would just stick to picc line, but now from your comment, i am a little concerned since i myself thought it was a choice rather than a necessity...i will ask more questions to the doctor come chemo time as well as next tuesday...thank you for bringing this up
  • Moesimo
    Moesimo Member Posts: 1,072 Member
    #4
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    If she already has a picc
    If she already has a picc line, it can be used for chemo. It is similiar to a port in that they are both central catheters. The picc is higher maintenance for the patient because it sticks out of the arm and has to be flushed daily. The port is under the skin and the chemo nurses flush it. The tip of both catheters is in the superior vena cava, svc, which is at the beginning of the heart.

    I would have her use the picc since she already has it.

    Good luck.

    Maureen
  • PhillieG
    PhillieG Member Posts: 4,866 Member
    #5
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    Port
    I'd go with the port. I'm so glad I have mine, that was 180 something treatments over 5 years.
    my opinion...
    -phil
  • dianetavegia
    dianetavegia Member Posts: 1,942 Member
    #6
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    Moesimo said:

    If she already has a picc
    If she already has a picc line, it can be used for chemo. It is similiar to a port in that they are both central catheters. The picc is higher maintenance for the patient because it sticks out of the arm and has to be flushed daily. The port is under the skin and the chemo nurses flush it. The tip of both catheters is in the superior vena cava, svc, which is at the beginning of the heart.

    I would have her use the picc since she already has it.

    Good luck.

    Maureen

    Maureen???
    Am I right that you are NED now for 6 years? Congrats!

    I've 'met' a few people with a PICC line. I like my port.

    Out of sight..... out of mind.
  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375
    #7
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    marc24 said:

    hello...
    oh really? as far as what i have been told with my mom, what happened was a misunderstanding from the nurse, thinking a port was installed already before last thursday which was supposed to be the 1st chemo treatment, then since we didnt know the procedure, it wasnt put in place so she was scheduled to get her picc line installed for the chemo this upcoming monday. Tuesday is when they discuss port scheduling, sincee they say it wouldnt arrive in a week or so, hence the picc line bein used for the first session...my question is now...is the onco suppose to just say, hey we are using port, not picc....and give u no option? because if this is the case, then i am a bit concerned as well as since i wasnt around during the whole meeting.

    My other comment is, the doctor my mom spoke to, who had actually been treatment for 6 treatments of chemo, stated, if i were u, i would just stick to picc line, but now from your comment, i am a little concerned since i myself thought it was a choice rather than a necessity...i will ask more questions to the doctor come chemo time as well as next tuesday...thank you for bringing this up

    Misunderstanding
    Marc,

    It may just be that I"m misunderstanding your posts. I didn't read in the first one that there had been a misunderstanding from the nurse, hence the port hadn't been put in so they installed a PICC line while you wait for a Port surgery date. As, I believe it was Maureen that stated, a PICC line obviously can be used and I didn't realize it had been put in her arm, which of course is no where near her heart. When I had a PICC line installed, it was in my neck, but this was used in the hospital post-surgery and not for chemo.

    It sounds like your mother's doctor has a plan and I suppose what he is saying is that she already has a PICC line installed so does she just want to stay with that OR would she be happier with having a Port installed, which is another day surgery, but the option is there.

    Having had a PICC line in my neck for the short time I needed it in the hospital and having had a Port installed for my actual chemo, if the option was given to me, then like Phil, I would go with Door #2, the Port for convenience's sake.
  • kimby
    kimby Member Posts: 797
    #8
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    Port
    I vote port every time.

    Kimby
  • Shayenne
    Shayenne Member Posts: 2,342
    #9
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    kimby said:

    Port
    I vote port every time.

    Kimby

    Port
    The port is awesome, it saves my veins from all the bruising and burning, that's for sure. They can withdraw blood through it and put medicine through it, and I don't feel a thing, though sometimes I can "taste" it like when they flush the port with the saline, but it's not so bad, I'm glad I got it.
  • NWGirl
    NWGirl Member Posts: 122 Member
    #10
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    Vote for Port
    I had a friend whose husband had chemo with the PICC line. I think in his case they did it because they wanted to get started on chemo right away and he just opted to never switch over to a port. PICC lines are definitely more inconvenient than a port, especially when it comes to showering. I've had both and would definitely opt for a port over a PICC line any day - they're just easier to manage - and as someone mentioned already - "out of sight, out of mind".
  • VickiCO
    VickiCO Member Posts: 917
    #11
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    NWGirl said:

    Vote for Port
    I had a friend whose husband had chemo with the PICC line. I think in his case they did it because they wanted to get started on chemo right away and he just opted to never switch over to a port. PICC lines are definitely more inconvenient than a port, especially when it comes to showering. I've had both and would definitely opt for a port over a PICC line any day - they're just easier to manage - and as someone mentioned already - "out of sight, out of mind".

    I agree - Port
    Not much to add except the Port has made my life so much easier.

    Many hugs for you and Mom. Vicki
  • marc24
    marc24 Member Posts: 92
    #12
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    yup..PORT IT IS....
    basically yeah she will have a port installed next wednesday, today is when my mom's 2nd day after chemo, she is sluggish and weak, normal symptoms i guess...but i hope she will be strong next week since the pump will come out today at 3pm, and the surgery is next wednesday....what are the side effects of the port..is it painful after the surgery or what?...they say it lingers after a day or so..

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