Infusaport placement

I'm so sorry to hear that you've had two infections so far.  Sure hoping that this new one will be better.  I've not hear of the port you are talking about but hope it works.

Kim

My husband just had his placed on Tuesday. What were the symptoms of infection as it started and how soon did they begin? He began running a temp of 103 yesterday. The ER wanted to keep him and treat with Vancomycin without knowing what’s causing temp but he refused and came home. He has stage IV colon cancer with metastatic disease to the liver. I’m wondering if this fever is due to everything filtering through the liver or if his body is fighting the port? He was supposed to start chemo tomorrow. I’m not sure this will happen now. Temp has been down but now 12 hours later back to 100.8, white blood count is normal though. 

myAZmountain said:

Both ports followed the same

Both ports followed the same scenario--It functioned beautifully but became very red, warm and started oozing a serous fluid (straw colored) from the area where stitches were--I personally feel my body for some reason does not like the sutures--I had 2 identical episodes. Had second port removed 8/24 and it is still reddened and it oozes very slightly until I actually had a stitch pop out. Doctors just don't seem to tink it is plausible for body to reject the stitches.  With the first port I had a temp of 101.4 for several days before they removed it.  No temp for second round. BOth times was on Keflex but it didn't seem to make much difference.Both lasted about 3 rounds of chemo each.  I have suggested using dermabond to close incision  but it falls on deaf ears. Love that you are still plinking away with your shotgun lol!  Just need to get through 6 more chemo cycles sheesh.

Might be time to find another doctor.  My surgeon closed up the port incision with a couple steristrips.  I had neither stitches or glue.  

mountainhiker

My body rejected my port over a year after I got it. It was horible to have, I was always cringing when someone wanted to hug me, and the seatbelt was uncomfortable. I also didn't feel like it helped much. You still get a needle poke and the needle is much bigger than a regular IV needle. It hurts either way.

Mine eventually started to get really close the the surface and finally the little bumps on it started to come through my skin and were bleeding. That's when they decided it had to come out.

Jan 

It actually wasn't that bad. They came through slowly and developed scabs right away. I wasn't impressed with it anyway. It's supposed to be less painful but it's actually more painful than having them look for a spot to place an IV. You have to get it cleaned out, is it once a month? Mine clogged several times. Not to mention the day they put it in they hit a nerve and all hell broke loose. They had to call a heart guy because my heart went nuts. They finally got that settled and then it turned out that because they hit a nerve it was extremely painful for two days. It fely like someone had a hot iron on my chest. They knew they'd hit a nerve, they could have given me an RX for painkillers.

Sometimes i'll get a doctor or nurse that suggests getting another one. Yeah, I think I'll pass.

Jan

JanJan63 said:

It actually wasn't that bad.

It actually wasn't that bad. They came through slowly and developed scabs right away. I wasn't impressed with it anyway. It's supposed to be less painful but it's actually more painful than having them look for a spot to place an IV. You have to get it cleaned out, is it once a month? Mine clogged several times. Not to mention the day they put it in they hit a nerve and all hell broke loose. They had to call a heart guy because my heart went nuts. They finally got that settled and then it turned out that because they hit a nerve it was extremely painful for two days. It fely like someone had a hot iron on my chest. They knew they'd hit a nerve, they could have given me an RX for painkillers.

Sometimes i'll get a doctor or nurse that suggests getting another one. Yeah, I think I'll pass.

Jan

Hey Jan,

Everytime I read one of your comments, I thank God that although I have stage iv cancer my journey hasn't been anywhere near as eventful as yours.  Good grief you deserve a break!  The fact that you've endured all that you have and still push through is a testament to your character and will.

You truly are an inspiration.

mountainhiker

I don't have a port as I was too chicken to have it (and I don't want another expense to add to my growing chemo expenses).  I was re-reading some old threads about how people dread to have your chemo infused in the veins.  Well in case anyone's reading this and you're curious how it feels to have chemo via veins, especially the oxaliplatin.   I've had 10 full-dose oxaliplatin infusions in the veins.  Yes, it can be painful.  The oxaliplatin takes 2 hours but it is the most painful one.  It makes my hand (until the elbow) really really numb even if you touch it slightly it will burn.  I could curse at anyone who touches that part of my hand. lol  But it goes away after some time.  By the next day the pain will have subsided so I just avoid using that hand meantime.  It even gets more numb when I was on CAPOX.  On FOLFOX the numbness is slightly eased but still there.

I don't mean to scare anyone.  The numbness is manageable if the oxaliplatin is coursed in the veins.  

mountain, I had a port put in thr right sidde and within 2 or 3 days it was infected ans bleeding, it was removed immediatly.  The doc wanted to wait for the area to heal and try it again in the same area, but after 3 weeks it was still a long way from being healed so he went ahead and put the port on the left side.  His only comment was that the port on the elft side is not as "robust", whatever that means related to a port.  So, i've had the left side port for 2.5 years and have gone through 6 weeks of chemo-radiation, and Two six month round of chemo with no problems. Wish you the best.

Bill