port today

tommaseena
tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I don't mean to scare anyone off from having a port and maybe I just had a bad experience.
Hurt like hell and still does.
They gave me 3 doses of Versed and 3 doses of Fentyl and double the dose of the Lanicaine and still felt everything that they were doing.

I never went to La-La land.
Now I'm wondering if they even had the IV in my vein.

If I ever have to have another one they will do it under general.

Sorry about the negative thoughts.

I have a high pain tolerance but this was too extreme.

Ice and Motrin is not helping the discomfort.

Any suggestions?
Margo

Comments

  • Wibby
    Wibby Member Posts: 27
    #2
    So Sorry to hear
    Margo,
    So sorry to hear you had such an awful experience. It sounds like they put you through the wringer! I was a wreck when I had my port put in and I told the anesthetist (sp) that I did not want to be at all conscious during the procedure. The surgeon had told me that I would be. The anesthetist put me out! The surgeon also told me that I would be able to go to work the next day. I also have a fairly high pain tolerance, but the pain from the port was worse than the mastectomy pain and I didn't go back to work for several days. I am rather small and the port seemed to stick way out and hurt whenever I moved my left side. My mastectomy was on the right and I was moving my right side around the day after - gingerly, but with just minor pain.
    My suggestion would be to call the surgeon and get something stronger than Motrin. I had something left over that I didn't need for the mastectomy and the surgeon told me I could use that medication - I needed it. The ice did help me after a while. When I had it removed, it was not nearly as traumatic and the surgeon just gave me a local and went to work. I was told to keep ice on it for 48 hours which I did. Having it removed was not nearly as bad as getting it put in. I did grow accustomed to the port after the first infusion. I was very grateful for it then.
    I hope your pain recedes soon. I'm sending warm, healing vibes your way.
    Libby
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #3
    Wibby said:

    So Sorry to hear
    Margo,
    So sorry to hear you had such an awful experience. It sounds like they put you through the wringer! I was a wreck when I had my port put in and I told the anesthetist (sp) that I did not want to be at all conscious during the procedure. The surgeon had told me that I would be. The anesthetist put me out! The surgeon also told me that I would be able to go to work the next day. I also have a fairly high pain tolerance, but the pain from the port was worse than the mastectomy pain and I didn't go back to work for several days. I am rather small and the port seemed to stick way out and hurt whenever I moved my left side. My mastectomy was on the right and I was moving my right side around the day after - gingerly, but with just minor pain.
    My suggestion would be to call the surgeon and get something stronger than Motrin. I had something left over that I didn't need for the mastectomy and the surgeon told me I could use that medication - I needed it. The ice did help me after a while. When I had it removed, it was not nearly as traumatic and the surgeon just gave me a local and went to work. I was told to keep ice on it for 48 hours which I did. Having it removed was not nearly as bad as getting it put in. I did grow accustomed to the port after the first infusion. I was very grateful for it then.
    I hope your pain recedes soon. I'm sending warm, healing vibes your way.
    Libby

    discomfort
    Libby,
    I do have more pain from this than I did from my double mastectomy that was done 2/2/09.
    I do have pain meds left over and have placed a call into the surgeons office since the radiologist did this procedure and recommended Tylenol and I know my surgeon and plastic surgeon only recommends Motrin.

    Now I go for a second saline injection fill tomorrow morning before I go back to work after having a month off and now will have discomfort in three areas--port, and then two expanders.

    I live in Maine so if it gets too bad--go topless in a snowbank.--HAHA

    I know it will get better but that experience is something I don't want to experience again.

    Margo
  • mmontero38
    mmontero38 Member Posts: 1,510
    #4
    I'm so sorry you had such a
    I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience Margo. My surgeon put mine in under anesthesia so I didn't feel a thing until I woke up. I was sore for about a week and then it got better. When they have to remove it make sure you tell the doctor you want to be put out otherwise they will remove it under a local and you don't want that. Hope you fell better soon. If you have any pain meds from your mastectomy take them. I had percocet at home that was left over from the mastectomy and took it for about 2 days. Hugs, Lili
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #5
    mmontero38 said:

    I'm so sorry you had such a
    I'm so sorry you had such a bad experience Margo. My surgeon put mine in under anesthesia so I didn't feel a thing until I woke up. I was sore for about a week and then it got better. When they have to remove it make sure you tell the doctor you want to be put out otherwise they will remove it under a local and you don't want that. Hope you fell better soon. If you have any pain meds from your mastectomy take them. I had percocet at home that was left over from the mastectomy and took it for about 2 days. Hugs, Lili

    meds
    I did take a percocet last night and it helped for a little while. I am having a hard time moving my neck. I can't tip my head back so am drinking everything through a straw.
    I know each day it should get better but what a B**ch this is. More pain with this then double mastectomy.

    Thanks, Margo
  • jakeca
    jakeca Member Posts: 92
    #6
    tommaseena said:

    meds
    I did take a percocet last night and it helped for a little while. I am having a hard time moving my neck. I can't tip my head back so am drinking everything through a straw.
    I know each day it should get better but what a B**ch this is. More pain with this then double mastectomy.

    Thanks, Margo

    neck pain
    I, too, experienced severe neck pain after my port procedure. It lasted at least a couple of weeks--can't remember for sure how long. My daugher, a physical therapist, finally gave me a deep (and painful) massage and that really helped. It did finally completely go away, so don't give up hope.
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #7
    Sorry to hear this, Margo. I
    Sorry to hear this, Margo. I was under general anesthesia for my port, so didn't feel it during the procedure. That sounds awful. Are you better now? I also thought that the pain from the port afterwards was worse than my lumpectomy. Maybe it is because the port is located near so many muscles...

    Mimi
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #8
    mimivac said:

    Sorry to hear this, Margo. I
    Sorry to hear this, Margo. I was under general anesthesia for my port, so didn't feel it during the procedure. That sounds awful. Are you better now? I also thought that the pain from the port afterwards was worse than my lumpectomy. Maybe it is because the port is located near so many muscles...

    Mimi

    Better
    My neck is better-at least I can move it to the left so I can drive.
    I get a pinching at times where the port is.

    Thanks everyone

    Margo
  • tgf
    tgf Member Posts: 950 Member
    #9
    tommaseena said:

    Better
    My neck is better-at least I can move it to the left so I can drive.
    I get a pinching at times where the port is.

    Thanks everyone

    Margo

    Me too!
    Hi Tommaseena ...

    You can count me in as a member of the tough "port-recovery" group. I had my port "installed" on March 6th and was not prepared to be this sore. I can't call it pain exactly ... it's just a very uncomfortable soreness in my neck and my upper left arm. Feels sort of like a pulled muscle ... which it probably is since I understand there's quite a bit of pulling and pushing to get that tube-thing threaded where it needs to go. My incision in the neck has almost disappeared already and the actual port area is looking pretty good ... but it's this soreness that's taking the wind out of me. This morning I got up and felt like someone had thrown a baseball and hit me between the boobs. Took a couple of hours for that to wear off. Guess I slept wrong or something.

    Anyway ... I feel your pain ... literally. When do you have your first chemo?

    Hugs.
    Teena
  • Moopy23
    Moopy23 Member Posts: 1,751 Member
    #10
    tgf said:

    Me too!
    Hi Tommaseena ...

    You can count me in as a member of the tough "port-recovery" group. I had my port "installed" on March 6th and was not prepared to be this sore. I can't call it pain exactly ... it's just a very uncomfortable soreness in my neck and my upper left arm. Feels sort of like a pulled muscle ... which it probably is since I understand there's quite a bit of pulling and pushing to get that tube-thing threaded where it needs to go. My incision in the neck has almost disappeared already and the actual port area is looking pretty good ... but it's this soreness that's taking the wind out of me. This morning I got up and felt like someone had thrown a baseball and hit me between the boobs. Took a couple of hours for that to wear off. Guess I slept wrong or something.

    Anyway ... I feel your pain ... literally. When do you have your first chemo?

    Hugs.
    Teena

    It Could Be Worse
    Just wanted to tell you my experience: I didn't have a great deal of pain with my port. But, my right lung collapsed. I had to have an emergency procedure to remove the fluid. Spent two days in the hospital with a "garden hose" attached to my chest. That was painful. I didn't mention it before because I didn't want to alarm anyone; a collapsed lung is an uncommon side effect. I hope this makes everyone feel a little better about the pain.

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