To port or not to port.......

Punkindo

Just wondering what everyone thinks....

I had to do 4 rounds of C/T. The doctor told me that he was going to get me an appointment to get a port put in, but he didn't before my first chemo. It wasn't that bad (the IV part anyway) so I asked him if I could just do the chemo without the port. He said that I could, so I did... Was that bad???? Did I do any damage to my veins??? I don't seem to have had any ill effects from not having a port, but it seems like everyone else has gotten one...

LoveBabyJesus

Hi - Do you have good
Hi - Do you have good veins?

I have the same question about mine. I am about to start chemo in a couple of weeks, to three weeks. I think it depends on how many sessions you get, how good your veins are, and how brave you are...as many people have told me. I know a girl who had 8 sessions and she did great. Another girl who will start in two weeks decided not to do the port either. Some people say it's another surgery, and you need to keep it clean, etc...Other people say its best to have because that way you don't get poked every time. But perhaps these people didn't have good veins? If you did fine so far, perhaps you don't need it.

I think I am going to do it with no port - but let's see what my Onco says next week. So far she didn't even mention it.

Best of luck. Hope you make the right decision.

Love

CR1954

My onc.........
My onc left that decision completely up to me. Because I also needed a year of Herceptin infusions after the chemo, I got the port.

Also, my lymph nodes were all removed from under one arm and I have lymphedema now, so I am left with only one arm for any blood draws from now on. So, having the port kind of saved the veins I have for life after chemo.

CR

jessiesmom1

To Port or Not To Port
If you are only going to have 4 rounds of chemo and the associated blood tests, I probably would not have gotten a port either. It is a surgery - albeit a minor one done on an outpatient basis. Once the incision is healed there is nothing to keep clean - the whole thing is under the skin. In my case, I did 16 rounds of chemo PLUS a blood test each time and that is an awful lot of poking. Due to dehydration I even had to have IV fluids a couple of times IN ADDITION TO chemo so there was even MORE poking. I doubt your oncologist would have told you it was OK to do chemo without a port if he did not think your veins could handle it. It depends on your veins, the number of infusions and even the specific type of drugs being infused. Some drugs (ie. Adriamycin) are hard on the skin if an IV leaks and are somewhat safer via a port. You did what was right for you. Don't doubt your decision. I envy you having only 4 rounds of chemo. Good luck.

Jean 0609

I had 4 chemo treatments too
Had a power port put in before my first. I also had to do a year of herceptin (that's why my onc suggested the port). I have 5 treatments left and will finish in June. Then out will come the port.

My son is getting in April and my dress shows my port and scar, but it doesn't bother me, because I absolutely love my dress.

MAJW

Jean 0609 said:

I had 4 chemo treatments too
Had a power port put in before my first. I also had to do a year of herceptin (that's why my onc suggested the port). I have 5 treatments left and will finish in June. Then out will come the port.

My son is getting in April and my dress shows my port and scar, but it doesn't bother me, because I absolutely love my dress.

No port..
I had 4 Taxotere/Cytoxan. Infusions...I have good veins..no port..also I had no further chemo treatment due to being triple negative...not a candidate for Herceptin, etc...so no port for me...had no problem until the last infusion...had to get stuck more than a few times, but it was tolerable...

Best wishes...

carkris

MAJW said:

No port..
I had 4 Taxotere/Cytoxan. Infusions...I have good veins..no port..also I had no further chemo treatment due to being triple negative...not a candidate for Herceptin, etc...so no port for me...had no problem until the last infusion...had to get stuck more than a few times, but it was tolerable...

Best wishes...

I had 4 ac and 12 taxol. In
I had 4 ac and 12 taxol. In retrospect I probably should have had a port, but didnt. It got hard to get veins at the end. Partially because I was pretty much always dehydrated. However I sqeaked by.

PinkPearl

No Port
I don't have a port. No mention was made of one for me but I didn't ask either. I am doing 4 sessions and am doing #3 tomorrow. So far so good. I don't expect any post chemo infusions. I don't have easy veins either so I have port team put in the IV each time and they know how to find the veins without any trouble. At my hospital that is an option if you have time to do it.

Grandma X 6

PinkPearl said:

No Port
I don't have a port. No mention was made of one for me but I didn't ask either. I am doing 4 sessions and am doing #3 tomorrow. So far so good. I don't expect any post chemo infusions. I don't have easy veins either so I have port team put in the IV each time and they know how to find the veins without any trouble. At my hospital that is an option if you have time to do it.

Yes for me
I do have a port and it is great mine is called a purple power port which also can used for MRI'S and Cat scans, blood draws, and of course chemo. I also had a year of Herceptin. They give you a cream that you put on an hour before you go with a small piece of press and seal on it. It makes it numb so you don't feel a thing. The port was done as an out patient just a one inch cut a little sore after but so worth it. I finished my treatments in Sept of 2010 but still use it. Good Luck with your decision, and treatments. Hugs Cindy

cavediver

don't second guess yourself
You have finished chemo w/o a port...yeah for you on finishing!!!! I had 8 rounds of chemo and chose to have a port for that as well as the petscans, mris etc (i had a power port). Hope to get it removed next month. My veins are small and hard to locate....so that was a good choice for me. You made your choice with your onc's approval... so, don't second guess yourself. Just rejoice in the fact that you are finished chemo now!!!! Hugs

missingtexas

I had a port put in. A good
I had a port put in. A good friend of mine (who's a family doc) told me that a lot of oncologists are steering away from ports unless it will be used a lot (more than the 6 chemo treatments I was getting) because of some of the risks associated. I loved having the easy access...until I got a clot and an infection...so it came out...I think was what he was talking about. I am finally learning to (try) not to second guess every decision I make!

AMomNETN

Port
If it doesn't bother you then I wouldn't get one. I got one because it is very hard to hit my veins. It is a matter of preference. There is no right or wrong on this one.

Janie

tgf

AMomNETN said:

Port
If it doesn't bother you then I wouldn't get one. I got one because it is very hard to hit my veins. It is a matter of preference. There is no right or wrong on this one.

Janie

Port
LOVE my port!!! Couldn't have done chemo and herceptin without it. I'm just a weeny ... I'm sure the instant they started poking and prodding for a vein ... I would have passed out. The the port ... it's just one TINY prick ... and that's it. They know exactly where to do it ... so one TINY prick will do it. The person who invented the port is a genius!

hugs.
teena

BMS

tgf said:

Port
LOVE my port!!! Couldn't have done chemo and herceptin without it. I'm just a weeny ... I'm sure the instant they started poking and prodding for a vein ... I would have passed out. The the port ... it's just one TINY prick ... and that's it. They know exactly where to do it ... so one TINY prick will do it. The person who invented the port is a genius!

hugs.
teena

Port is great!
I had my port put in right before starting chemo and for me, it was the best thing. Too many chemos and blood tests, plus I'll be doing Hercepin until September (my one year) even thogh chemo ends in 3 weeks. It's a personal choice but with my deep veins, it was the best choice for me.

Megan M

You finished chemo?
You finished chemo? Congrats!!!!

laughs_a_lot

Self doubt
Considering you only have 4 treatments and the first one felt fine to you, I would stick with what you know to be true for you. Maybe you'd want a port if it were six or more. Your ability to have a say in your treatment when it will not make a vast difference in the outcome of that treatment is important. This way the doctor thinks of you as someone who can think things through for yourself. Do what seems right to you.

cahjah75

If you have
veins and there were no problems that's great. I have poor veins and considered a hard stick. I had purple power port put in to assure that chemo would go smoothly. My port was taken out in Jan. 2011.
Char