To "port" or not?

Keelie
Keelie Member Posts: 97
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Hello everyone. Hope this finds all doing well today!!! I would love to get 'input' from all of you about ports. I know that Bonnie has one, and loves it. I've always worried about them and possible problems. My nurses are starting to complain about my veins.....I'm doing very well so far, and am thinking and praying about all of you. Hugs and love, MM

Comments

  • collins
    collins Member Posts: 69
    #2
    Dear Keelie

    I highly recommend a port!! I have had one for 3 years and I love it. I have one in my arm and it hardly shows. I can wear short or sleeveless cloths and no one even notices it. I get it flushed every 3 weeks or so when I am not on chemo to keep it open. Most people have the port in their chest but I really like my arm port. My viens were almost impossible to access and the port is less painful and easier to deal with during infusion. Good luck with your treatment.
    eleen
  • Keelie
    Keelie Member Posts: 97
    #3
    collins said:

    Dear Keelie

    I highly recommend a port!! I have had one for 3 years and I love it. I have one in my arm and it hardly shows. I can wear short or sleeveless cloths and no one even notices it. I get it flushed every 3 weeks or so when I am not on chemo to keep it open. Most people have the port in their chest but I really like my arm port. My viens were almost impossible to access and the port is less painful and easier to deal with during infusion. Good luck with your treatment.
    eleen

    Eleen, Thank you so much for your input. I have never heard of an arm port. I'll mention that to my doctor. Take care....MM
  • BonnieR
    BonnieR Member Posts: 1,526 Member
    #4
    MM, I can't believe you already don't have a port. I have had mine for 4 years now. The woman I know are getting the new power port now. They can use it for scans too. I am telling you to go for the port... this is the mom in me... so I want to hear in your next port. I went in and got the port. I would go for the chest port, they are much better and like I said they can use them for the ct scans and stuff now too.

    So did you have your second dose already? I pray this latest treatment kicks cancer's butt.

    Love ya Bonnie
  • collins
    collins Member Posts: 69
    #5
    need info and advice
    The tumor board met this morning and my onc presented my case. This is my first reocurrance and it is in my chest wall, some lymph nodes and a small <1/4 inch on my liver. The tumor board suggested seeing the radiologist for radiation as a first step and also consult with a surgeon. If these are not good options they are suggesting trying tomaxifan. Have any of you had ration? If so what side effects and was it succesfull? Have any of you used tomaxifan and if so did it help? They also said I cannot be cured whic is discouraging.
    But my onc says my tumors are slow growing and there are still options for maintenace suc h as doing more chemo if the other options don't work. How long have any of you been maintaining and what did/or are you doing?

    I would appreciate any help you can give me

    eleen
  • aussie59
    aussie59 Member Posts: 48
    #6
    Hi Keelie, I had my port inserted in my chest in Sept last year and I have had absolutely no problems with it and I do believe that if you are on an aggressive chemo regime like I have been for twelve months my veins would not have stood up. I would highly recommend you get a port and I hope that in the not too distant future that the only time you need to access it will be for a flush because we pray you will be in remission. Good luck and its great you are doing well. Irene
  • kris43
    kris43 Member Posts: 275
    #7
    Keelie - I have 2 ports. One in my chest and one in my abdomen for IP treatments. My check port has worked wonderfully - no problems and it's just a JOY not to have my veins stuck every week for blood work and it works slick for chemo infusion. Just a note that only RN's or Chemo nurses can use the port site to draw blood. That's how it works here in SD anyway. I have had problems with my IP port - but is because it sits up high on the rib area and that's just where it has to go. I would highly recommend them!! Best of luck with your decision. Take care! Kris
  • saundra
    saundra Member Posts: 1,370 Member
    #8
    I got a port in April before I had my first chemo dose and have had no problems. Mine is a shoulder one and I have had 9 chemo treatments thru it. Here in West Tx they only use it for the chemo and I was cautioned never to let ER use it. They did not even use it when I went to Dallas for my surgery. my arms are free during chemo which I like. Hugs and love to you.
  • Keelie
    Keelie Member Posts: 97
    #9
    Good morning everyone! I'm sure appreciating all of the information about ports. I'm definitely leaning that way, especially with the encouragement of my heroes!!!! I guess that because of reading a horror story of problems from a survivor of ovca once, I got a bad 'first impression.' My doctor has never recommended one, so I will have to bring it up to him. Thankfully, this week, they got the vein on the first try! Eleen, I asked my nurse about the arm port and she said that they go in near the elbow, on the inside of the arm, and that seems to give those survivors some problems. I got the impression from you that it was higher on the arm, wrong? Also, Bonnie, what's different about the power port? Could you have yours changed? Is it day surgery? I'm sure I will get one, as I am scheduled for at least 9 months, every week. That's way too much for my poor veins! So far, I am tolerating the chemo very well, no problems. I won't have a CA-125 report for at least two or three weeks, so will have to wait and see if the chemo is working! We have to go to a funeral of a family member this week-end that valiantly fought breast cancer for a couple of years! It will be difficult, so here's hoping that all of you have a nice week-end. Thanks again everyone....Hugs and love, MM
  • floridajo
    floridajo Member Posts: 480
    #10
    Hi Keelie,
    How are you doing?? About the port I have one as well, and it has stopped me from having many,many needle sticks. They say you need to have it flushed every month or so ,but I usually go every 3 months, when I visit my onc/gyn I have it done. I like having it and it was an easy procedure. What I hate about it is I have very little skin,up on my chest and it really sticks out....I have had more than one person make a comment about it...funny thing is they always think I have a pace-maker!!! You should see their faces when I tell them what it really is!!. Anyway,I'm glad I have it, and would recommend it highly...(((hugz)))...Joanne
  • Keelie
    Keelie Member Posts: 97
    #11
    collins said:

    need info and advice
    The tumor board met this morning and my onc presented my case. This is my first reocurrance and it is in my chest wall, some lymph nodes and a small <1/4 inch on my liver. The tumor board suggested seeing the radiologist for radiation as a first step and also consult with a surgeon. If these are not good options they are suggesting trying tomaxifan. Have any of you had ration? If so what side effects and was it succesfull? Have any of you used tomaxifan and if so did it help? They also said I cannot be cured whic is discouraging.
    But my onc says my tumors are slow growing and there are still options for maintenace suc h as doing more chemo if the other options don't work. How long have any of you been maintaining and what did/or are you doing?

    I would appreciate any help you can give me

    eleen</p>

    Hi Eleen, No, I have never tried Tamoxifen yet. Although, I asked my oncologist about it awhile ago, and he said that it might be something we could try later. Right now, I've just started about a nine month regimen of Taxotere and Avastin. The Taxotere is every week and the Avastin every other week. I had an appt with the first gynecologist that diagnosed my ovca 3 1/2 yrs ago, and assisted with the surgery. I think he was perplexed as to why I was seeing him, instead of the onco/gyn that headed up my surgery and follow care. He kept referring me back to her, suggesting that after this chemo is done that perhaps I should see this doctor about more surgery. I told him that I almost hate the word surgery more than chemo. The reason I wanted to confer with him is that he tends to lean a little bit to alternative medicine. He quotes Dr. Andrew Weihl and Dr. Christina Northrup quite a bit. I wanted to know about a natural product called Indole-Carbinol, that is suppose to block the bad estrogen. I was very disappointed that he feels that it is a great product, but that it shouldn't be taken along with chemo. Like Bonnie, I have had many recurrences now. Ask your doctor about Avastin. Bonnie did Avastin also, and got some good results. I hate it when some of the doctors want to remind you of the bleak statistics with this disease. I understand that it is a 'chronic' disease but we need to hang on to hope! There are lost of women out there that have enjoyed very long remissions, like even 13 years. I try very hard to concentrate on stories like that. Keep us posted on what you are doing and how you are feeling. Stay positive!!! Take care, with love and prayers, MM

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