Port Issue

ive always had some trepidation over my port. I've worried about it falling out since I've had it. I agree with Sue. The nurses have all said it's easier to access. They giggle when I tell them my tale of woe.  Mine is very visible. it gets sore everytime they access it. I've had mine a year now. 

Yolanda

NewHere said:

I Feel My Port

Very often in my neck, or so I think.  I have had it for a little over a month so it may just be a case of me getting used to it.

I often feel like I may pull it out and feel throbbing in my neck.  The bump where the main part it seems to stick out a great deal and sometimes I accidently scratch it if it itches and I am not thinking about it.  Really hurts when I do that.  A couple of times it felt like it was bleeding or I did something fairly bad, but so far nothing yet. It really hurts though when I do that.  I am losing weight now, but have not noticed it worsening yet  Though the weight drop is rather gradual, if not for the scale I am not sure I would have noticed the drop.

Hope they can get yours out quicker for you.

I know what you mean about the neck feeling. I had forgotten (oh, how wonderful it is to be able to say that) about it, but when I moved my head or even my jaw in a certain way, it would tug at my port. I think it may have something to do with the muscle or tendonds that run down from the neck. Probably nothing bad, just uncofortable. I think it went away after a while. 

Sue - Trubrit

Trubrit said:

In your neck

I know what you mean about the neck feeling. I had forgotten (oh, how wonderful it is to be able to say that) about it, but when I moved my head or even my jaw in a certain way, it would tug at my port. I think it may have something to do with the muscle or tendonds that run down from the neck. Probably nothing bad, just uncofortable. I think it went away after a while. 

Sue - Trubrit

Hoping it goes away soon.  I want to be able to start lifting things and doing things normally, so giving it 8 weeks from the time they installed port before going for more then 10 pounds.

I made the mistake of reading the surgical report about where and how they put it in (though the Doctors also told me ahead of time.)  Just have the visiual of my neck exploding if I lift 11 pounds.  Time to lay off the vampire and zombie movies I think

It is so cool you have forgotten about this BTW, love hearing that.  As I tell people, the surgery for me is more of a vague memory as I move along and it has been just over two months.  Even the things from chemo start going away as I feel better between sessions.  

JanJan63 said:

I hated mine for the longest

I hated mine for the longest time. If someone got too close or gave me a hug it would get bumped and hurt. I was sure happy to have it this last time in the hospital, though. They took blood through it at 5 am every morning and didn't even wake me up. And with my already small veins shrunken even more from the chemo I was a terribly hard start before they decided to use the port. I still have little dot scars on my arms and wrists from their attempts to poke me. One day my husband came to visit while they were trying to start another IV and I was sitting there crying and he demanded to know why they weren't using the port. They didn't even know I had it. Someone at some point had put gauze over it and taped it down. Maybe while I was in the coma because I didn't realize, I just assumed there was a reason why they weren't using it. Once they started using it life was much better being in the hospital.

But I'm scared about it now. It hurts when I'm trying to sleep on my side. I need it gone or moved. I'm not having any more chemo in the foreseeable future so there's no point in still having it. It really ugly, too, it looks like a big boil and is purpley red. It can be seen unless I wear something very done up at the neck and when I'm talking to people I often see them looking at it.

In terms of the needle thing, it is ultimately a lot easier.  I started feeling like a pin cushion quickly, and any bit of dehyrdration on my part the veins were real difficult to find.  Thankfully people here also tipped me off on the lidocaine, so have been using that since the beginning.  One time they tried to draw the initial bloods on me the old fashioned way before my chemo session.  It was the second one, and guess they missed that I had the port.  Corrected that issue.  

As to the bump, yup very disconcerting when anyone or anything goes near it.  I also cover it up as much as possible, the top part for me is what can be seen, or so I think.  Really suprised no one has commented yet, looks like my veins are distended in my neck.  I usually wear t-shirts, but collared shirts seem to go up a bit higher so I am wearing those when I do not have something over it, like a sweat shirt.  

But ultimately it seems to be a lot better than not having one.  

Congrats again about it soon being nothing more than something for the memory file

carrieh said:

Mine Still Hurts

I was really really skinny and mine stuck way out too. It didn't work its way out, but even now...I've had mine for 3 years it's still sore and sensitive to touch. That isn't much help, but you aren't alone. 

Carrie

So good to see you here. You must open a new thread and tell us how you're doing. 

Sue - Trubrit