Port, picc line, or IV?

ian93
ian93 Member Posts: 12
in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1
When i did my chemo the tumour in chest was to big to get a port. i could either wait until the tumour shrunk from chemo, then get it put in but i chose not to. I chose to get an IV and have the chemo pump directly into my veins. Im just curious to see what everyone else did and if they'd choose it again.

Thanks,
Ian

Comments

  • taylorman
    taylorman Member Posts: 6
    #2
    Port
    I had a port. Made things simple and fast. Good luck!
  • COBRA666
    COBRA666 Member Posts: 2,401 Member
    #3
    taylorman said:

    Port
    I had a port. Made things simple and fast. Good luck!

    Port
    I had a port put in as well. It is a lot more convenient than using and collapsing the veins. It still hurts when they stick you with the needle unless you have some numbing cream. If I had to do it all over again I would go with the port. John
  • allmost60
    allmost60 Member Posts: 3,178 Member
    #4
    Port
    I have a port and it works great. I haven't had any problems with it and I'm totally ok with having it. It doesn't even bother me now when I look at it sticking up from under my skin. It makes things so simple when getting blood work or the infusions.
    Sue...(FNHL-2-3A-6/10)
  • ian93
    ian93 Member Posts: 12
    #5
    COBRA666 said:

    Port
    I had a port put in as well. It is a lot more convenient than using and collapsing the veins. It still hurts when they stick you with the needle unless you have some numbing cream. If I had to do it all over again I would go with the port. John

    port
    I would like a port for the ease of not having to constantly switch IV's. I just find it weird having a big lump in your chest, and im pretty skinny so it would stick out alot lol. do you have a big scar from it? I had really good veins, amazing veins, the nurses said i had the best veins they'd ever seen. I didnt even need a picc line which also freaks me out. Unfortunatly alot of veins were damaged by the chemo and turned black. my veins are much better now. If i had to do it again i think i would choose a port, im tired of getting needles in my arm and its much better for you. thanks everyone for sharing with me.

    Take care,
    Ian
  • Tracie1981
    Tracie1981 Member Posts: 125
    #6
    allmost60 said:

    Port
    I have a port and it works great. I haven't had any problems with it and I'm totally ok with having it. It doesn't even bother me now when I look at it sticking up from under my skin. It makes things so simple when getting blood work or the infusions.
    Sue...(FNHL-2-3A-6/10)

    PORT OR IV
    I received a port and it was the best decision EVER!! Its so much less painful and most of my clothing covers it. My friend who was only 26 was going through treatment with a Picc line and her picc line got septic and she died. Ever since then I've stuck with my port, there has been a couple of times where the dr said I could have it replaced with a picc line and I've always refused! Tracie
  • JoanieP
    JoanieP Member Posts: 573
    #7
    had a port
    Hi
    I had a port but never needed it. My veins were good so I had it taken out and now I have maintance (Rituxin) through my veins. I hated my port!!! I think they are too quick to put them in. Ask them if your veins are good enough. God bless you on your journey.
  • ian93
    ian93 Member Posts: 12
    #8
    Tracie1981 said:

    PORT OR IV
    I received a port and it was the best decision EVER!! Its so much less painful and most of my clothing covers it. My friend who was only 26 was going through treatment with a Picc line and her picc line got septic and she died. Ever since then I've stuck with my port, there has been a couple of times where the dr said I could have it replaced with a picc line and I've always refused! Tracie

    Yea, id never do a picc
    Yea, id never do a picc line. just thinking of having a cathador all the way up your vein freaks me out. the iv wasnt bad because it only went about an inch in. i had to wait to finish a cycle or 2 before i could get a port in. i only had 4 cycles so i didnt see the point doing surgery when i had realy good veins.
  • ian93
    ian93 Member Posts: 12
    #9
    JoanieP said:

    had a port
    Hi
    I had a port but never needed it. My veins were good so I had it taken out and now I have maintance (Rituxin) through my veins. I hated my port!!! I think they are too quick to put them in. Ask them if your veins are good enough. God bless you on your journey.

    wow we posted a comment
    wow we posted a comment pretty well the exact same time lol.. Yea i had good veins also and didnt need a port or picc line. I just got used to getting poked alot..
  • moftexas
    moftexas Member Posts: 13
    #10
    Port vs. Pic Line
    I did a pic line. I didn't do the port for two reasons - it was a real surgical procedure and didn't stop me from getting stuck. The line was great - it was put in easily and removed easily when I was no longer needing it. The only thing is, it needs daily flushing and weekly bandage change. My husband did the flushing and I went in weekly to the hospital for checks, so they did the bandage change.
  • dixiegirl
    dixiegirl Member Posts: 1,043 Member
    #11
    moftexas said:

    Port vs. Pic Line
    I did a pic line. I didn't do the port for two reasons - it was a real surgical procedure and didn't stop me from getting stuck. The line was great - it was put in easily and removed easily when I was no longer needing it. The only thing is, it needs daily flushing and weekly bandage change. My husband did the flushing and I went in weekly to the hospital for checks, so they did the bandage change.

    I have two
    Right now I have both a power port and a Trifusion port for the transplant. The trifusion has 3 tubes hanging out of my chest and I have to have it covered with a dressing at all times. It is driving me crazy to have these "tassles" hanging all the time and sleeping is not easy BUT with all the blood draws they do I feel NOTHING. No pokes and it's really convenient.

    The power port is ok, but it does hurt to access. I don't mind the little bit it pokes out and most of my clothes cover it although not all. I am to the point where i don't care LOL.

    Take Care,
    Beth
  • onlytoday
    onlytoday Member Posts: 609 Member
    #12
    Would get a port
    They used my veins last time and although I had great veins, they have never been the same. So I would go with a pic or port, not veins next time. Every time I even have a simple blood test now, they hurt!

    Hope we have helped you! All the best!

    Donna
  • poeticrevolver
    poeticrevolver Member Posts: 7
    #13
    Port, for sure! Picc line wasn't so great...
    I had a picc line put in to treat Lyme's Disease about three years ago. It was so uncomfortable, I quickly developed numbness and tingling in the arm. Also some swelling. Within two days, they pulled it right out, said they may have hit a nerve. OK.

    Now, I have a port, for a whole nother reason. I have breast cancer and hodgkin's lymphoma. Just finished my 27 weeks of chemo. It was wonderful, especially for someone with small, sorry veins. The port was such a blessing. The only thing I can really complain about is that the surgeon , due to me having at the time left breast cancer diagnosis, needed to put it in the right upper chest. Well, I woke up and it was in the left. I was furious.

    However, so far everything has worked out with this particular port. Even now, I just had the breast cancer reevaluated. Unfortunately, there are three areas that are highly suspicious, so looks like a bilateral double masectomy for me. The surgeon promised the port would not be in the way at all.

    So, I hope this has helped.
    My situation is somewhat complicated. When you have lyme disease, everything is so much more medically complicated in the body. It's so difficult.

    But. Praise the Lord , I am alive.

    God bless,
    J
  • buckwheeeat
    buckwheeeat Member Posts: 3
    #14
    poeticrevolver said:

    Port, for sure! Picc line wasn't so great...
    I had a picc line put in to treat Lyme's Disease about three years ago. It was so uncomfortable, I quickly developed numbness and tingling in the arm. Also some swelling. Within two days, they pulled it right out, said they may have hit a nerve. OK.

    Now, I have a port, for a whole nother reason. I have breast cancer and hodgkin's lymphoma. Just finished my 27 weeks of chemo. It was wonderful, especially for someone with small, sorry veins. The port was such a blessing. The only thing I can really complain about is that the surgeon , due to me having at the time left breast cancer diagnosis, needed to put it in the right upper chest. Well, I woke up and it was in the left. I was furious.

    However, so far everything has worked out with this particular port. Even now, I just had the breast cancer reevaluated. Unfortunately, there are three areas that are highly suspicious, so looks like a bilateral double masectomy for me. The surgeon promised the port would not be in the way at all.

    So, I hope this has helped.
    My situation is somewhat complicated. When you have lyme disease, everything is so much more medically complicated in the body. It's so difficult.

    But. Praise the Lord , I am alive.

    God bless,
    J

    Line or IV
    Man, I went for an IV. I could not stand for the idea of any type of infection that close to my heart. I just grunted it out and took the IV every time. Probably not the best method but I never had to deal with taking care and cleaning a line in my chest, leg or wherever.
  • lmack
    lmack Member Posts: 21
    #15
    IV but wish I had the port!
    They looked at my veins before we got started and suggested that I didn't need a port. Made it through all my chemo but at the end, getting a vein was very difficult. A couple of weeks ago I had to get a blood checked and it took 3 nurses to find a vein that would work! Not fun! I would definitely recommend a port or picc to anyone I know that has to go through this!
  • msbrook2
    msbrook2 Member Posts: 28
    #16
    I was treated through a PICC
    I was treated through a PICC line, but had a port too. Unfortunately, my port had a kink in it so it was not usable for my treatments. The nurses tried to access it three times before giving up and having the PICC line put in. That was so painful! I didn't realize until later that every access would have been painful! I recently had the non-functioning port removed and now have a beautiful big scar to remind me of that debacle!

    I really liked the PICC line. The first one I got had 3 lines, and it was a bit inconvenient having those dangling from my arm - but I got used to it over time. I took good care of it (flushed it every other day and bandages changed weekly) and my medical team kept a close eye one it. It lasted about 3.5 months. During one of my PET scans there was some concern there might be an infection at the tip of the catheter so they pulled that one, waited a week and gave me a new one with a single line. That was much easier to deal with (and the fewer lines, the less risk of infection). I had that for my last 1.5 months of treatment. Everything was easier with a PICC - getting my treatments, blood draws - and putting it in wasn't painful. It is out now and all I have to remind me of its existence is a small red dot on my arm...thinking that will go away with time.

    I read the post about the person who got septic with her line. While tragic, I suspect that is a very rare occurrence or they wouldn't continue using catheters. And I wouldn't be surprised to hear that there is a similar risk with a Port. Anytime you introduce something foreign to the body - there is risk.

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