How long before the port is removed? (Recap of Lost Posts, Topic Created by Canary on Jan 09, 2019)

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This recap includes posts that were lost during CSN's data outage from 10/29/18 to 1/30/19.

 

Canary

Jan 09, 2019 - 6:04 pm

I know that each individual is different and each cancer is different. I was diagnosed with uterine cancer, serous, and had six treatments each three weeks apart.  I had a CAT scan three  weeks after my last treatment and my oncologist declared me in remission. I will go back and see her every three months. I am wondering what other people have experienced as far as when the oncologist decides to remove the port. 

 

CheeseQueen57

Jan 09, 2019 - 6:18 pm

Port

I‘ve had my port almost 3 years. I’ve been in remission 1 year. Nobody’s talking about removing my port and I’m okay with that. I love them using it for blood tests, contrasts for my CT scans and if I can talk them in to it asasthesia for my stent surgeries. I love my port. 

 

zsazsa1

Jan 09, 2019 - 7:05 pm

I would love to have it out, but will probably have to leave it

I have to be on a blood thinnner because I developed a clot in a large neck vein shortly after I had the port inserted.  So I'd love to have the port out, and be able to get off the blood thinner, which increases my risk of a brain bleed if I get an accidental head bonk.  But I'm going to be on herceptin for a year, so that means I might have to leave the port in for a year, or have it out, and have the herceptin done peripherally.  I'm going to push for a petCT after I finish the 6 rounds of chemo, and if it's clear, consider having the port out so that I can come off the blood thinner.  I guess that in the future, if I need to go back on chemo, I can always have it put back in.

 

Jairoldi

Jan 10, 2019 - 5:22 am

Still have port

I'm just over a year from the end of treatment and still have my port. When I asked they said if I truly want it out they could do that but recommends 2 -3 years as that is the most likely time for recurrence. It only annoys me occasionally so I opted to keep it.

 

MAbound

Jan 10, 2019 - 10:03 am

Had in 1.5 years after treatment

It was my security blanket. I was afraid to remove it because I'm still worrying about a recurrence (stage 3a, grade 3), but had it removed when I moved to another state and had to change doctors. I didn't know how long it would all take to settle in and get it flushed again, so I agreed to removal to be on the safe side. I'd still have it otherwise.

 

Armywife

Jan 10, 2019 - 12:24 pm

My doctor says

Two years is when she will discuss it.  I finished chemo in Oct. of '17, so have 10 months to go.  Three years would be ideal, but we are retiring and moving at the end of this year, so I will have it out before we leave.  I get it flushed every 5 weeks, which is quick and virtually painless.  Once in a while my neck aches, but otherwise I never know it's there.

 

Soup52

Jan 10, 2019 - 12:49 pm

I’ve had my port for2 years

I’ve had my port for2 years and finished chemo about a year and a half ago. Mine only needs to be flushed about every3 months as mines a power port. My doc recommended leaving it in and I have no problem with mine. No reoccurance yet but there is always a chance.

 

janaes

Jan 10, 2019 - 8:35 pm

I got mine taken out after a

I got mine taken out after a year or so. I did it because it looked like i was going to loose my insurance. Didnt want to pay to have it removed later. Ended up 

Being able to find insurance so i could have kept it. Im okay though. No reacurance so far after 2 years. Ill deal with it if i ever need it again. I kept forgeting to get it flushed like the wanted me to and it made it hard to get past the fact that i used to have cancer. I guess it helped me move forward.

 

pinky104

Jan 10, 2019 - 10:05 pm

When I first had my UPSC in

When I first had my UPSC in 2010, I kept my port in for three long years. The interventional radiologists, who took it out, said that they wished more people would keep theirs in longer. The cancer came back in 2017, and I still have my second port from the second chemo which finished in Sept., 2017.  When I went to get the second one put in, the nurse warned me that the interventional radiologist would likely say that he wanted to put it in the other side that time, and that's exactly what he did, after feeling the blood vessels at the first site.  Now I wonder if I should keep this one longer in case it's not so easy to put it in a third time if I have another recurrence.  I guess I should ask that at my next oncologist appointment which is next Thurs.

 

Canary

Jan 11, 2019 - 9:08 am

Thanks so much for all the

Thanks so much for all the replies. This helps me have some idea what to expect. I’m fine with keeping is as long as they want me to but just like to have some idea of what is going to happen.