*** NEW *** Anyone ever had a port in their arm???

Sandi1
Sandi1 Member Posts: 277
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
Ok, so since my husband's visit to the surgeon yesterday and x-rays - the surgeon has decided that he should take the port out. He sees nothing wrong with the port from the xray. He thinks that the catheter in there is rubbing on his collar bone and that is causing the discomfort. He suggested putting it in his arm as he thinks my husband will have the same problem on the other side of his chest as he has now. He will have it removed on Monday - I don't know if they are going to put the new port in or not. My husband now sounds very depressed and seems worried about the chemo without the port. My husband has endured all this pain for no reason. GREAT... Sorry, I'm a little mad right now and I don't know who to blame.

Sandi

Comments

  • CherylHutch
    CherylHutch Member Posts: 1,375 Member
    #2
    Hang in there!
    I understand your frustration, Sandi... but there really is no one to blame. As has been noted time and time again, we are all unique individuals and we react differently to different treatments and that goes for the hardware involved as well. There was no reason for the port to cause such discomfort, yet your husband was feeling it. The doctors can't figure out why he would be in such pain but because he is all they can do is take it out.

    I had my port in for a year and the whole time (8 months) I was getting chemo through it, I didn't have a problem. Nothing. Nada. As soon as I was finished the chemo, it started aching... slowly and just uncomfortable at first, but then it got worse and worse and worse. To the point taking 2 prescription Tylenol #3's with codiene, 10 mg of oxycodine and 800 mg of Ibuprofen 2 times/day did not touch the pain. So, my onc ordered the port to come out... after all, it didn't look like we were going to need it again anyways. Well, for 6 months after it was taken out, it still hurt around the collarbone and into the shoulder soooo bad. Xrays showed nothing amiss. There was absolutely nothing to explain the pain. It's now been a few months that I've been without pain, but I've also changed my arthritis meds (now on 200mg of Celebrex/day, 2-4 prescription Tylenol #3 with codiene and 800mg of Ibuprofen). I don't feel the collarbone/shoulder pain anymore and I *think* I'm actually noting an improvement with my arthritis.

    I've never heard of them putting a port in the arm... but, nowadays, I guess anything is possible.

    Do keep us posted if that is how they do it!!

    Huggggggs,

    Cheryl
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #3
    This is a different type....
    If it is what I think it is, there will be a tube placed in his arm that remains till after all chemo. He will be taught how to flush it, etc. When treatment is finished, it is much easier to remove than the type of port he has now...

    All sorts of things can happen with the body...your hubby could not go on in constant pain, so the doctors wisely decided to remove it. No one to blame...just the way your hubby is built.

    Hang in there, it will get better...

    Hugs, Kathi
  • Moesimo
    Moesimo Member Posts: 1,072 Member
    #4
    armport
    I am a radiology nurse and we do put ports in arms. They are the same care and maintainence as a chest port. They are completely under the skin as a chest port.

    They also sometimes put in a picc line in the arm. That sticks out a bit and requires more care for the patient than a port. IT needs to get flushed daily.

    Perhaps you can ask your doc to have the radiologist put in the next port.

    Maureen
  • kmygil
    kmygil Member Posts: 876 Member
    #5
    Arm Port
    Hi Sandi,

    I'm so sorry the chest port has not worked for your husband. However, there were several people at my regular chemo sessions who had arm ports, and they worked fine for them. The care/maintenance was the same. None of them ever had problems with them, but a couple had had problems with a chest port, and that was why they had it moved to their arms. Hang in there--it's a long fight and you do one battle at a time. This is another one, but you will win!

    Hugs and prayers,
    Kirsten
  • Sandi1
    Sandi1 Member Posts: 277
    #6
    Well, it's not working
    Well, my husband just went for his second round of chemo at the Onc's office and his port is not working. They said, no wonder you are in so much pain. So, it's off to the to the hospital again, and probably another 2 night stay to get his chemo. It would be great if the surgeon wasn't on vacation for the rest of the week - he could actually take the port out when my husband was in the hospital again. Stupid Port, my poor husband. They apparantly cannot give him chemo in his arm at the onc's office so that is why he has to go to the hospital.

    I'm so mad --- I don't know if I should blame the surgeon or what.

    Thanks for letting me vent
    Sandi
  • Madre
    Madre Member Posts: 123
    #7
    Sandi1 said:

    Well, it's not working
    Well, my husband just went for his second round of chemo at the Onc's office and his port is not working. They said, no wonder you are in so much pain. So, it's off to the to the hospital again, and probably another 2 night stay to get his chemo. It would be great if the surgeon wasn't on vacation for the rest of the week - he could actually take the port out when my husband was in the hospital again. Stupid Port, my poor husband. They apparantly cannot give him chemo in his arm at the onc's office so that is why he has to go to the hospital.

    I'm so mad --- I don't know if I should blame the surgeon or what.

    Thanks for letting me vent
    Sandi

    My port is in my chest and
    My port is in my chest and when I forst got it I was losing weight and because I was so thin the port was rubbing and erroding through the skin. They told me to keep it moisturized and if it DID errode they would have to take it out and put one in my arm. I since went on to gain weight and it isn't a problem anymore. Is your husband thin? I see them at chemo tilting people upsidedown to get a blood exchange through their ports. Never been down that road. as frustrated as you are be thankful they found the problem and have an alternative. I think the body fights off anything foreign and the port is just that. Good luck and prayers coming your way. Hang in there.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #8
    Moesimo said:

    armport
    I am a radiology nurse and we do put ports in arms. They are the same care and maintainence as a chest port. They are completely under the skin as a chest port.

    They also sometimes put in a picc line in the arm. That sticks out a bit and requires more care for the patient than a port. IT needs to get flushed daily.

    Perhaps you can ask your doc to have the radiologist put in the next port.

    Maureen

    Yup, that's what I was thinking...
    I KNEW someone here would know what it was! Thanks, Maureen, for the info...

    Hugs, Kathi
  • dlpkuhn08
    dlpkuhn08 Member Posts: 8
    #9
    arm port
    Hi, I just had to let you know that I had a port put in (stage 1V colon cancer with mets to the liver) my arm from the start of all of this, had 40 rounds of chemo and still have the arm port and have not had any issues at all. Thank goodness. We are already dealing with so much why add to it! It was the best decision for placement of my port, I was given a choice of my chest or my arm. Good luck!

    Diana
  • standbyme
    standbyme Member Posts: 41
    #10
    port in arm
    Hi, My husband, stage 4 mets to lungs, has a port in his arm. It was put in with local anesthetic and he has no problems at all. He gets chemo with a 46 hour pump and then it is flushed with saline and heparin. The tube goes to his heart the same as the collarbone port. He says it is okay.
  • Sandi1
    Sandi1 Member Posts: 277
    #11
    standbyme said:

    port in arm
    Hi, My husband, stage 4 mets to lungs, has a port in his arm. It was put in with local anesthetic and he has no problems at all. He gets chemo with a 46 hour pump and then it is flushed with saline and heparin. The tube goes to his heart the same as the collarbone port. He says it is okay.

    Your Port
    Is your husband's port self contained under the skin. Do you physically have to flush it for him, or does it get done when he has chemo and then you don't worry about it again until next chemo?

    Sandi
  • standbyme
    standbyme Member Posts: 41
    #12
    Sandi1 said:

    Your Port
    Is your husband's port self contained under the skin. Do you physically have to flush it for him, or does it get done when he has chemo and then you don't worry about it again until next chemo?

    Sandi

    port in arm
    Hey Sandi,

    The port is completely under the skin on his bicep. You wouldn't know it is there if you didn't know. The homecare nurse (we're in Canada) comes to the house to take the pump off and flushes it and it is good till next time. They also take his blood through there so no more pokes. They would flush it for you when they disconnect chemo. The port for us helps a lot.

    Judy
  • Sandi1
    Sandi1 Member Posts: 277
    #13
    standbyme said:

    port in arm
    Hey Sandi,

    The port is completely under the skin on his bicep. You wouldn't know it is there if you didn't know. The homecare nurse (we're in Canada) comes to the house to take the pump off and flushes it and it is good till next time. They also take his blood through there so no more pokes. They would flush it for you when they disconnect chemo. The port for us helps a lot.

    Judy

    Thank you
    Thank you Judy - I think that is exactly what my husband is getting. I interested - what part of Canada are you from. I was born and raised in Canada, but I live here in New Jersey with my husband now.

    Thank you for your information about the port.

    Sandi
  • standbyme
    standbyme Member Posts: 41
    #14
    Sandi1 said:

    Thank you
    Thank you Judy - I think that is exactly what my husband is getting. I interested - what part of Canada are you from. I was born and raised in Canada, but I live here in New Jersey with my husband now.

    Thank you for your information about the port.

    Sandi

    Canada
    Hi Sandi,

    We live in Saskatchewan, close to Saskatoon. Where were you from before you went south?

    Judy
  • Sandi1
    Sandi1 Member Posts: 277
    #15
    standbyme said:

    Canada
    Hi Sandi,

    We live in Saskatchewan, close to Saskatoon. Where were you from before you went south?

    Judy

    Canada
    I was born and lived in London, Ontario until I was 32. Then I moved to Lagoon City which is outside of Orillia which is about 2 1/2 hours north of Toronto for a year and then I moved to New Jersey.

    I like it here - not so cold !!! LOL

    Sandi

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