Potentially Pressing Port Problem?

martyzl
martyzl Member Posts: 196
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Ok, things were getting rather dull around here so Monday a stack of plastic storage containers leapt off the top shelf of the cupboard and hit me on the chest... hard edge hit RIGHT ON MY PORT to be precise!!! Egad! It hurt!! It scared the *bleep* out of me and I am still shaken by it! I have the subclavicular port and one would never guess that could be hit so hard! Dean said not to worry, surely they are tough... Not believing my perfect support person, I called the surgeon. "Could it have broken or something?" I asked. The nurse called me back and said "Yeah, it could have." *insert all manner of paranoid thoughts and feelings here* (this was not the answer I was hoping for- "oh, no, it couldn't have been damaged Marty!"- they must have forgotten to read the script!)
Ok, deep breaths.. "Ahmm, well, how can I tell if it's damaged?!?" (a bit too much tension in my voice, surely)
"Next time you go for chemo, they'll be able to tell when they hook it up."
AAAAAAAAAAAACK! EEEEEEEEK!!!
Mhmmm, I am already hesitant about going back for my second hit of the stuff and now THIS?! I have to wait and see if it is leaking/functioning at my next chemo hit?? *raises eyebrows* This, after being told that the Epirubicin (new version of Adriamycin) "eats skin" thereby necessitating plastic surgery if it contacts the skin... and I am going to wait and see if my port leaks?!?! Excuuuuuuuuse me??
*laughs, deep breath, shakes head* Never a dull moment in Marty's world. The port is uncomfortable now, it had just gotten comfortable... and I didn't handle the tubes, etc. much before the "big blow" so I don't have a reference as to what it felt like before!! *sigh*
Anybody have any... any anything here? *grin* Magic wands will do... *wink*

Comments

  • banker
    banker Member Posts: 317 Member
    #2
    Boy you've been busy today on this site. Now stay your usual calm ****??????. These ports are pretty tough, you should be able to feel it about the size of a quarter, kind of hard, the tubes are harder to find, one goes up and one down, I can't feel mine, just the port. When they give you chemo, I assume they draw blood first, then flush with saline and hook up the plain IV fluid BEFORE they start all the meds with the chemo ? If the IV fluids go in the vein or skin they can tell and maybe you need it in the arm til they fix the port. So take it easy until the chemo, make sure it stays clean and call me in the morning....Hi hi...
    hang in there and hold on tight to Babette...
    Love Emmi
  • shirlann
    shirlann Member Posts: 229
    #3
    Hey cutie, DEMAND that they send down a simple saline solution to be sure nothing is leaking. If they don't have one, leave and go back when they do. No one at the place will know anything about this so the responsibility for your skin is you. I can't believe you were that unlucky, but that is something that would happen to me. Now don't let them start anything "potent" until you KNOW that all is well. Mom speaking, Hugs, Shirlann
  • prayerangel
    prayerangel Member Posts: 147
    #4
    shirlann said:

    Hey cutie, DEMAND that they send down a simple saline solution to be sure nothing is leaking. If they don't have one, leave and go back when they do. No one at the place will know anything about this so the responsibility for your skin is you. I can't believe you were that unlucky, but that is something that would happen to me. Now don't let them start anything "potent" until you KNOW that all is well. Mom speaking, Hugs, Shirlann

    I don't know how a port could be damaged? Mine was made out of titanium. The thing that could've happened was it could've ripped the stitching that was attaching to you inside, moving it in someway. I agree, send through some saline first and the pre-chemo meds. I wouldn't do the adriamcyn or something like it until I felt comfortable. Good luck with your ex-ray.

Discussion Boards