Power Port

Landranger25
Landranger25 Member Posts: 210 Member
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
Had to go today and get my port flushed. Go every 4-6 weeks as I'm sure do the rest of you. I am 5 months post chemo and was wondering what you were told as to how long you might have the port. In the beginning my Doc said about a year which for me will be the month of July. Is there anyone into the second year? Just curious. Thanks in advance.

Mike

Comments

  • Fire34
    Fire34 Member Posts: 365
    #2
    Port
    Mike
    I sure wish I had a power port for mine. Due to my course of treatment I had a dual port a cath. I wish mine lasted 5 monts post treatment. Mine lasted about 2. It got infected and had to be removed. About the fourth week of treatment mine started to block off and they blasted it with blood thinners and kept it going. My veins are coming back and I go quarterly now so I am not to worried.
    Dave
  • Kent Cass
    Kent Cass Member Posts: 1,898 Member
    #3
    Fire34 said:

    Port
    Mike
    I sure wish I had a power port for mine. Due to my course of treatment I had a dual port a cath. I wish mine lasted 5 monts post treatment. Mine lasted about 2. It got infected and had to be removed. About the fourth week of treatment mine started to block off and they blasted it with blood thinners and kept it going. My veins are coming back and I go quarterly now so I am not to worried.
    Dave

    3 years
    I was told at the start by my ENT that I'd likely have the Port for 3 years. Go in at the start of every month to get flushed with Hebrin (sp), and something else. "Take a deep breath," kinda time. In a way, my fellow Survivors, with my now being almost-17-months, it is a reminder kinda time for me. Always get it done at High Noon, so I gotta punch-out at work, along with changing my clothes. Thing is, it's a reminder to everyone at work, also. Lest anyone forget, you know, that I've done battle with the monster C, and have so-far won that very large battle...

    kcass
  • CajunEagle
    CajunEagle Member Posts: 408
    #4
    Weird
    That's strange. None of the Doctors have ever told me to have my medi-port checked out to see if it still works correctly. Guess this is ANOTHER ONE of these dang procedures that I'm suppose to initiate. Kind of like the Pet-Scan I'm getting tommorrow....I've I hadn't asked about it last week, they would have forgotten all about it. I take Jantoven (a blood thinner) every night due to the medi-port. Suppose I'd better find out.

    Larry
  • Hondo
    Hondo Member Posts: 6,636 Member
    #5
    CajunEagle said:

    Weird
    That's strange. None of the Doctors have ever told me to have my medi-port checked out to see if it still works correctly. Guess this is ANOTHER ONE of these dang procedures that I'm suppose to initiate. Kind of like the Pet-Scan I'm getting tommorrow....I've I hadn't asked about it last week, they would have forgotten all about it. I take Jantoven (a blood thinner) every night due to the medi-port. Suppose I'd better find out.

    Larry

    Hi Larry
    All the best to you on your PET tomorrow
  • CajunEagle
    CajunEagle Member Posts: 408
    #6
    Hondo said:

    Hi Larry
    All the best to you on your PET tomorrow

    Thank you, Sir
    Let's go do it and have NO SURPRISES.
  • pattyanny
    pattyanny Member Posts: 544
    #7
    CajunEagle said:

    Weird
    That's strange. None of the Doctors have ever told me to have my medi-port checked out to see if it still works correctly. Guess this is ANOTHER ONE of these dang procedures that I'm suppose to initiate. Kind of like the Pet-Scan I'm getting tommorrow....I've I hadn't asked about it last week, they would have forgotten all about it. I take Jantoven (a blood thinner) every night due to the medi-port. Suppose I'd better find out.

    Larry

    Hi Larry
    Good luck with your PET tomorrow. Know my prayers are with you! Get that port flushed!
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #8
    Port Flushing & Removal
    Sounds like another of those features where opinions vary a little.

    My chemo doctor has me come in every 6 - 8 weeks to have the port flushed. As for removal she feels that two years is the time frame. We went over this on my last visit a few weeks ago, after having blood work and my routine three month CT.

    My blood work has finally come back in to all normal ranges (first time since my initial diagnosis January 2009). The CT was good with no changes also.

    She moved me to a six month schedule on scans, next being the PET in August. If everything stays good she said she'll schedule me for the port to be removed February 2011 (two years from the implant).

    John
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #9
    Skiffin16 said:

    Port Flushing & Removal
    Sounds like another of those features where opinions vary a little.

    My chemo doctor has me come in every 6 - 8 weeks to have the port flushed. As for removal she feels that two years is the time frame. We went over this on my last visit a few weeks ago, after having blood work and my routine three month CT.

    My blood work has finally come back in to all normal ranges (first time since my initial diagnosis January 2009). The CT was good with no changes also.

    She moved me to a six month schedule on scans, next being the PET in August. If everything stays good she said she'll schedule me for the port to be removed February 2011 (two years from the implant).

    John

    My ENT took it out
    My ENT said she would just remove it while doing the neck disection. That was right after chemo and radiation. I never questioned it. I suppose they can put the damn thing back in if needed.

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