Scared, numb

 Hello Mary,

 Welcome to the “World of Scary”—you’re not alone—you are in good company!  For now all I will say is please don’t be afraid to have the medi-port.  It will be your best friend throughout all your treatments.  It’s always better to have an “early stage” of any kind of cancer if one has a cancer diagnosis.  Knowing as much as I do now about chemotherapy, even with the side affects you will have, and they vary from person to person, believe me you want the medi-port.  So for your information, I’ve included some web links and some videos that will help you.  Sure we “veterans” can TELL you, but you won’t really understand until you experience it for yourself.

  So all I will say for now is that as soon as I was told I needed neo-adjuvant chemotherapy before any kind of potential surgery, the first thing I asked for was a medi-port.  Sometimes it’s called a porta-cath, sometimes a Bard-port, but they are all the same.  Some ports have only one opening, others have two—mine was a “double lumen.”  I didn’t want to frighten you by showing you a video of an actual procedure where the radiologist is inserting the catheter.  I am giving you a video that tells you how much the patients like it.  Having a needle stuck in my vein in the hand for 6 or 7 hours (length of my chemo infusion sessions) would be awful. 

 I am one person that has had 3 different sessions of Carboplatin/Taxol in the last 4 years. (Each session consists of 6 treatments each 3 weeks apart.)  You will not regret having the port.  It’s just the “unknown” and “first-time” worries—and they are all normal.  You will get used to it.  I would always opt for chemo treatments if the doctor recommended it.  Lastly, I answered a fellow named Brian, who wanted to know things that might be helpful since his mother was beginning chemo.  So I put that link here as well.

 So I say, “GO FOR IT MARY!”

 Wishing you all the best.

 Loretta Marshall/ Peritoneal Carcinomatosis/Ovarian Cancer Stage IV

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1.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Rw-oJwfOk

 “Published on Mar 3, 2014- Port for chemotherapy: girlfriend tips and explanation of its role and what to expect. Best medical device ever!”

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 2.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVUhVkx-hjc

 “Published on Mar 11, 2013 -  Starting chemotherapy treatment can feel scary and overwhelming. Hear from Joanna, a breast cancer patient, who describes her initial fears and talks about what the experience of receiving chemotherapy was actually like at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Learn more about the chemotherapy process at http://www.dana-farber.org/Adult-Care....”

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 3.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiDQAfF2TKc

 How a Portacath is used for Chemotherapy Treatment

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 4.  https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/your-implanted-port

 “Your Implanted Port - This information explains your implanted port and how to care for it. - About Your Implanted Port

 An implanted port (also known as a “port”) is like an artificial vein. It will make it easier for your healthcare team to access your blood vessels for medications and tests.

 The port has many uses. It may be used to:

•  Give you intravenous (IV) medication.
• Give you IV fluids.
• Draw blood for tests.
• Give you chemotherapy continuously for several days. Sometimes, chemotherapy must be given in a vein larger than the ones in your arms. The port allows the medication to be delivered into your bloodstream through a large vein near your heart.

 Some ports are specially designed for use during imaging studies, such as computed tomography (CT) scans. These are called “power-injectable” ports. Your doctor will let you know if you have a power-injectable port…”

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 5.  http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/drug-info/carboplatin.aspx

 Info about Carboplatin and side effects

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 6.  http://www.chemocare.com/chemotherapy/drug-info/Taxol.aspx

 Info about Taxol

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 7.  http://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancerinformation/cancertreatment/treatmenttypes/chemotherapy/combinationregimen/paclitaxelcarboplatin.aspx

 “Paclitaxel and carboplatin (Taxol/Carbo) chemotherapy

 Paclitaxel (Taxol ®) and carboplatin (also known as Taxol/Carbo), is a chemotherapy treatment used to treat different cancers including ovarian, womb and lung cancer…”

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 8.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22398705

 “Adjuvant chemotherapy for stage I clear cell carcinoma of the ovary: an analysis of fully staged patients…

 RESULTS:

 Of the total (73 patients), 30 patients received adjuvant chemotherapy (stage I C-positive), whereas 43 patients did not (stage I C-negative). The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates for the stage I C-positive group were 80.1% and 87.4% compared with 73.9% and 81.7% for the stage I C-negative group.

  The differences in survival between these groups were not significant (PFS: P = 0.610; OS: P = 0.557). Four of the patients with stage IA CCC underwent chemotherapy, whereas the remaining 16 patients received no additional therapy. No recurrence was observed in either group…”

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 9.  http://csn.cancer.org/comment/1569219#comment-1569219

 This a letter I recently sent to ACarmenHall.  It is information about the same type cancer that you have, Clear Cell Carcinoma.  So rather than repeat that long letter, you may find information that will be helpful to you.

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10.  http://csn.cancer.org/node/301646

 “BRIAN from the North~Things I learned during my chemo treatments~Hope it will B helpful 2 U & Mom~Wishing her all the best!”

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Hi Mary! I'm a visitor from the uterine board also. I don't have much to add as Loretta and No time have covered a lot. Just to say I have a power port and it has given me no problems. I really kind of forget it is there. My treatments for clear cell 3C ended in June, but I still have my port even though I am presently clear after a Ct scan. I would rather keep it than have it removed and possibly put back should I have a reoccurrence. Chin up! Yes, it's scary, but chemo is doable. Best of luck! You're in our prayers!

so I understand your fears completely.  I sat and sobbed when I went for my first chemo treatment.  My dr sat with me for a half an hour before I'd let them start chemo - it was too real.

As others have said, the port makes life so much easier.  I haven't read everything here, but ask for Emla cream to numb the area over the port, and you won't feel the needle go in.  Leave it on for at least an hour beforehand (it only calls for half an hour.)  (And use lots of cream - it should be a thick coating, covered with plastic wrap to keep you shirt clean.  The nurses will wipe it off for you.)

I put lidocaine on my port about a half hr before lab work and cover it with Saran Wrap. That helps take the sting out of the needle. I think after you have had the port for awhile it won't bother you so much. I hope anyway as that has been my experience. I traveled after my first chemo but by car. My husband gave me lovostat injections to prevent clots as chemo makes your blood thicker and I have had a blood clot many years ago.

MaryVig,

I am so happy to hear you are consulting with a naturopath.  That was the smartest thing I did.  Yes, fish oil is a common supplement, not only for cancer patients but for non-cancer patients as well.  I think one concern about flying is that sitting for long periods can increase your risk of blood clots.  Many cancer patients have thick blood already , which increases this risk.  Fish oil will help thin the blood some.  I hope you feel good enough to work while in treatment; I did not, but it's an individual thing.  The port will feel better in a week, or so.  It does hurt when it's first put in.

Good luck

i had my port remove after surgery and having been having chemo without a port.  That is 6 months every 3 weeks of carbo/taxol, 10 weekly of Gemcitibine, 7 monthly treaments of doxil.  Nurses sometime have problems finding a vein, but most are experts.  That said, everyone is different. 

I did not travel until the break between carbo/taxol and Gemcitibine. My Oncologist advised compression hose, mask, tylenol no aspirin, wipe down all surface when traveling on a plane. I have stayed well and no problem.  The one good thing about a mask, people avoid sitting next to you on the plane.

I am one of the lucky ones, if you can call having "incurable" cancer,  I have had very few side effects and am enjoying a full happy life.  I pray the same for you.