Looking for port for chemo information

needhope1
needhope1 Member Posts: 29
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
My husband has his first chemo treatment this Thursday. He has to make a decision whether he wants a port put in or not. Do most people do this? The oncologist recommended he get one put in so he wouldnt have to be stuck with needles so much.

What can you tell me about this port? Is it painful to get put in? Can you shower easily, go about your daily life with it inserted? Is it noticeable under your clothes? Can it fall out easily?

Thanks friends for any information and bless you all.

Comments

  • TIM_WWJD
    TIM_WWJD Member Posts: 38
    #2
    I had my PORT and PEG done
    I had my PORT and PEG done at the same time. Your husband will need a PORT or a PIC line for chemo because it can not go IV.
    The surgery is day surgery and it doesn't hurt much at first and it is hardly noticable after a couple of weeks. It is under the skin and yes you can shower with it, I think the PIC takes more care. All the blood tests can be drawn out this way also so that alone is worth it.
    Hope this helps
    Tim
  • SASH
    SASH Member Posts: 421 Member
    #3
    Port
    Get a port. Chemo can destroy the veins. They didn't do a port on me and now when they go do to a blood draw, even 9 years later, the veins don't want to cooperate. After my surgery when I was in ICU it took them 28 sticks to finally redo a IV as the one I had prior blew. They even brought in a vascular surgeon at one point to see if he could help. His response was "What are you kidding, there is no way I can get one of those."

    The port actually goes below the skin near the collar bone so it can't fall out. When it is time for blood draws or chemo they just tap the port. They will need to clean the port once a week, from my understanding. But once the port is in, it is a much simpler procedure than trying to get a vein.
  • pkollar
    pkollar Member Posts: 4
    #4
    Port suggestion
    I recommend the port also. I had breast cancer 5 years ago and my port was surgically inserted under the skin near my collar bone, which was eventually removed about 1 year lager. I was diagnosed last July/08 with endometrial cancer and had another port inserted in inside-upper portion of my arm prior to my first chemo. This procedure was done as an out patient and I never experienced any pain. The port makes receiving chemo so much easier and its so much better for your veins for blood draws also. My oncologist suggested the port stay in at least 1 year and then I can have it removed as easily as it was inserted.

    Once you get used to having the port you hardly notice that its there. Your daily life goes on as normal as possible.

    Best to you and your husband.
  • Fireman
    Fireman Member Posts: 39
    #5
    Port
    Tim is correct when he says the PICC line takes more care. I had to get 3 separate PICC lines put due to issues that arose. One clotted, one got infected, and the last one gave me a DVT. I had to protect them when I took a shower so they did not get wet. They were necessary for the chemo I was receiveing because the drugs were so toxic and would have destroyed my veins. I was body image consious and did not really want a PICC,Port,or Peg. Being vein almost cost me my life and I must say now that it's all over, I'm glad to point to my little survival marks. In my imaginary thought process I equate it to a soldier who shows a battle scar and boy was I ever in a battle.
  • sjoby
    sjoby Member Posts: 4
    #6
    port or not
    I went through my first chemo without a port. Talking to a friend of mine who was fighting breast cancer, she recomended a port for the same reasons the others cited. My chemo would have been bad for my veins/tissue if it had gone outside of my veins and into my arm. It was an easy procedure, not painful, but it has to be flushed once a month to keep it open. It is now one year since my first good pet scan and my onc. doc says we can start talking about having it removed in August pending that ct scan. One, small inconvenience is that it's sensitive to be touched when I hug my kids and grand kids on my right side. BUT HEY! I CAN hug my kids and grand kids! God is GOOD!

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