port replacement done

lisa42
lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
I had my port replaced yesterday & it didn't hurt terribly like my first experience 3 years ago. I made sure they gave me plenty of "happy medicine", as they called it! When I first had the port put in when I was diagnosed 3 yrs ago, it felt like someone was hitting me with a sledgehammer & I had pain for weeks in my chest, shoulder, and neck- it was awful. I did not want a repeat of that so, fortunately, all was fine this time & I'm fine today too.
The reason I went in to get the port checked and replaced if needed was that I had trouble the last two times my port was accessed- they could get the blood draw just fine, but when they'd go to flush it, I practically jumped out of my seat with a burning, shooting pain downward from the port. They ran the test on the port first and discovered that the back of the actual port had cracked apart and was causing a leak. The dr. said he had never seen that happen before. Leave it to me- it seems like I've been told that a few times by different doctors ("I've never seen this side effect before...", lol).
Anyhow, I'm glad it's over and done and I'll have chemo in the new port tomorrow (Thursday).

A lot of people here have lots more going on today and this week- prayers going out for all...

Hugs,
Lisa
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Comments

  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #2
    Great!
    Glad that it didn't hurt, your new port maybe a little sore, what side is the new port on? I remember you saying something about not wanting it on the other side, did they keep on the same side after all?
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #3
    Nana b said:

    Great!
    Glad that it didn't hurt, your new port maybe a little sore, what side is the new port on? I remember you saying something about not wanting it on the other side, did they keep on the same side after all?

    same side
    They kept it on the same side that it was already on, which is the left. Although they cut open on the incision/scar line I already had, they did move the actual port over to the left and down a couple of centimeters from where it was because I had a lot of scarring at the point where the needle had gone into the port from being used so much. The nurse commented that they now put in most ports on the right side because of the seat belt hitting that spot on the left side- don't know why mine was put on the left- no real particular reason probably. She said other than that, there's no real reason to choose one side over the other except maybe in patients that have problems on one side.
  • HollyID
    HollyID Member Posts: 946 Member
    #4
    Glad it was a better
    Glad it was a better experience this time. :)

    Holly
  • AnneCan
    AnneCan Member Posts: 3,673 Member
    #5
    Hi Lisa
    I am glad the procedure went so well + you are ready for action! Take good care.
  • Lovekitties
    Lovekitties Member Posts: 3,364 Member
    #6
    Glad for good news
    Dear Lisa,

    I am so glad you were able to get your port replaced with relatively little pain. Nice when they listen about the Happy Meds.

    Your response to this situation reminds us all to listen to our bodies and when it says something is not right, to go get it checked out.

    Hope all goes well for you.

    Hugs

    Marie who loves kitties
  • idlehunters
    idlehunters Member Posts: 1,787 Member
    #7
    Lovekitties said:

    Glad for good news
    Dear Lisa,

    I am so glad you were able to get your port replaced with relatively little pain. Nice when they listen about the Happy Meds.

    Your response to this situation reminds us all to listen to our bodies and when it says something is not right, to go get it checked out.

    Hope all goes well for you.

    Hugs

    Marie who loves kitties

    Lisa... YOU GO GIRL!!!
    Such a great attitude you have.... about everything ...... Kudos to you! I am so glad the port was so much easier than #1. Sounds like things are really going good for you. I sure wish you could make Palooza cause I would so like to meet you!!! You take care.

    Jennie
  • ketziah35
    ketziah35 Member Posts: 1,145
    #8
    twisted port
    my mom's port twisted, cut of blood supply to her brain and she passed out. She had to get hers replaced too.
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #9
    Jennie
    Hi- I wish I could make the palooza too! It'd be great to have it in southern california sometime. Hope you are doing alright now!
  • sasjourney
    sasjourney Member Posts: 395 Member
    #10
    Glad it went well!
    Hi Lisa,

    Glad the new port placement went well and you are more comfortable now. Good luck with chemo tomorrow. I had mine this week as well. You are in my prayers. Can't wait to meet you.

    Hugs,
    Sara
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #11
    sasjourney said:

    Glad it went well!
    Hi Lisa,

    Glad the new port placement went well and you are more comfortable now. Good luck with chemo tomorrow. I had mine this week as well. You are in my prayers. Can't wait to meet you.

    Hugs,
    Sara

    Sara
    Hi Sara,

    Thanks- I'm looking forward to meeting also! It's been kinda crazy lately- hopefully I can contact you in another week or two and we can make arrangements. :)
  • Kathryn_in_MN
    Kathryn_in_MN Member Posts: 1,252 Member
    #12
    Glad to hear it
    I'm happy getting your new port went so easy compared to the first one! I hope this one holds up as long as you need it. A good friend of mine's mother has had hers over 10 years.

    I'm so glad they found the problem so you didn't continue with the pain, or do permanent damage to your body.

    I get port #3 on Friday. I do NOT want to hear the usual "This has never happened before," in conjuction with this port. First one infected within one day of placement. Second one infected within one day of removal. I don't want an "Oops, we punctured your lung," or a defective port, or an infection. No more weird side effects or equipment malfunctions for either of us!

    I think mine will go on the left side. My first one was left, but only in for a few days. The second one was right side, and I had a lot of scar tissue - the surgeon had trouble taking it out. I have pain around the area now - a hole sunk in to my chest about a month ago, where the port used to be. From the "hole" up to my collar bone I have pain troubles. Weird. That didn't happen when it first was taken out in June. So I think we'll go back to the less-used side. I spend more time as a passenger than driver, so the seatbelt issue is worse on the right for me. The hole they left for drainage after removing the one on the left has never filled in. So cosmetically it really doesn't matter where they put it - both sides already look awful. ;)
  • AnneCan
    AnneCan Member Posts: 3,673 Member
    #13
    Kathryn_in_MN said:

    Glad to hear it
    I'm happy getting your new port went so easy compared to the first one! I hope this one holds up as long as you need it. A good friend of mine's mother has had hers over 10 years.

    I'm so glad they found the problem so you didn't continue with the pain, or do permanent damage to your body.

    I get port #3 on Friday. I do NOT want to hear the usual "This has never happened before," in conjuction with this port. First one infected within one day of placement. Second one infected within one day of removal. I don't want an "Oops, we punctured your lung," or a defective port, or an infection. No more weird side effects or equipment malfunctions for either of us!

    I think mine will go on the left side. My first one was left, but only in for a few days. The second one was right side, and I had a lot of scar tissue - the surgeon had trouble taking it out. I have pain around the area now - a hole sunk in to my chest about a month ago, where the port used to be. From the "hole" up to my collar bone I have pain troubles. Weird. That didn't happen when it first was taken out in June. So I think we'll go back to the less-used side. I spend more time as a passenger than driver, so the seatbelt issue is worse on the right for me. The hole they left for drainage after removing the one on the left has never filled in. So cosmetically it really doesn't matter where they put it - both sides already look awful. ;)

    I have mine on my left side
    and it doesn't bother me even when I am driving + have the seatbelt on.
  • pf78248
    pf78248 Member Posts: 209
    #14
    Good news,Lisa
    That's great that the port replacement went well but I hate your having to do chemotherapy again. My prayers and thoughts are with you, Lisa, as you continue your battle. You are such an inspiration!

    Hugs and Healing,
    Priscilla
  • grammadebbie
    grammadebbie Member Posts: 464
    #15
    pf78248 said:

    Good news,Lisa
    That's great that the port replacement went well but I hate your having to do chemotherapy again. My prayers and thoughts are with you, Lisa, as you continue your battle. You are such an inspiration!

    Hugs and Healing,
    Priscilla

    Great
    So happy that you had a much better experience this time. Keeping you in my prayers.

    Big Hugs and Prayers,

    debbie
  • Nana b
    Nana b Member Posts: 3,030 Member
    #16
    lisa42 said:

    same side
    They kept it on the same side that it was already on, which is the left. Although they cut open on the incision/scar line I already had, they did move the actual port over to the left and down a couple of centimeters from where it was because I had a lot of scarring at the point where the needle had gone into the port from being used so much. The nurse commented that they now put in most ports on the right side because of the seat belt hitting that spot on the left side- don't know why mine was put on the left- no real particular reason probably. She said other than that, there's no real reason to choose one side over the other except maybe in patients that have problems on one side.

    mine was left too, wish it had been on the right
    Gosh, I had my grand daughter to care for and the left side was awful! I do everything with my right hand so I would move her to the left side and her head would hit the port and I would jump out of my shoes! lol I also had a two hour commute each day and the left side was sore when I got home. Plus when I was on the phone at work, I would hold the phone at times with my chin so that I could type or something....it just always got in my way! :-)
  • luv3jay
    luv3jay Member Posts: 533 Member
    #17
    OMG!
    Lisa, when I say that our lives are similar I mean it. This is a trip. I JUST had my port replaced last month. The difference is that mine hurt like the dickens this time while the last one was a breeze. This time I had pain for weeks...neck, shoulder, even nostril on that side. My problem was one of the nurses missed once and actually started running Meds outside. I was in tears from the burn. Anyway, it was downhill from there...scar tissue started forming all over the port. Then all the nurses would have trouble finding the port and access the scar tissue instead of the port. That went on for months until the pain of accessing got unbearable. I wouldn't even let them flush. So now that I'm back on chemo they had to replace it. So now its all good and the pain has gone and accessing is not a problem. Glad yours went well for you this time.

    Sheri
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #18
    so glad
    So glad the new port insertion was uncomplicated and less painful this time. Phew.

    Also glad you got plenty of 'happy meds'. You reminded me of the last time I got a port inserted. The young surgeon asked me what type of music I would like to be listening to during the procedure (very sweet of him). I told him it was completely up to him, because I was not planning to be awake enough to hear a thing! He got the message -- I was in la la land - bliss.

    Love,
    Tara
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #19
    luv3jay said:

    OMG!
    Lisa, when I say that our lives are similar I mean it. This is a trip. I JUST had my port replaced last month. The difference is that mine hurt like the dickens this time while the last one was a breeze. This time I had pain for weeks...neck, shoulder, even nostril on that side. My problem was one of the nurses missed once and actually started running Meds outside. I was in tears from the burn. Anyway, it was downhill from there...scar tissue started forming all over the port. Then all the nurses would have trouble finding the port and access the scar tissue instead of the port. That went on for months until the pain of accessing got unbearable. I wouldn't even let them flush. So now that I'm back on chemo they had to replace it. So now its all good and the pain has gone and accessing is not a problem. Glad yours went well for you this time.

    Sheri

    Sheri
    Hi Sheri,

    Wow- what a bad experience- so sorry the replacement hurt this time, but glad the pain has gone and accessing is no longer a problem.

    Take care, Sheri!
  • lisa42
    lisa42 Member Posts: 3,625 Member
    #20
    Kathryn_in_MN said:

    Glad to hear it
    I'm happy getting your new port went so easy compared to the first one! I hope this one holds up as long as you need it. A good friend of mine's mother has had hers over 10 years.

    I'm so glad they found the problem so you didn't continue with the pain, or do permanent damage to your body.

    I get port #3 on Friday. I do NOT want to hear the usual "This has never happened before," in conjuction with this port. First one infected within one day of placement. Second one infected within one day of removal. I don't want an "Oops, we punctured your lung," or a defective port, or an infection. No more weird side effects or equipment malfunctions for either of us!

    I think mine will go on the left side. My first one was left, but only in for a few days. The second one was right side, and I had a lot of scar tissue - the surgeon had trouble taking it out. I have pain around the area now - a hole sunk in to my chest about a month ago, where the port used to be. From the "hole" up to my collar bone I have pain troubles. Weird. That didn't happen when it first was taken out in June. So I think we'll go back to the less-used side. I spend more time as a passenger than driver, so the seatbelt issue is worse on the right for me. The hole they left for drainage after removing the one on the left has never filled in. So cosmetically it really doesn't matter where they put it - both sides already look awful. ;)

    Kathryn
    Hi Kathryn,

    Wow- what a lousy time you've had with the whole port experience of getting it in and out. You've been through enough lately- I sure hope getting your port replaced will go well this time!

    Take care-
  • Sundanceh
    Sundanceh Member Posts: 4,392 Member
    #21
    Much Better:)
    Just had my 3rd port "installed" back on the left side, where they have all been. No need to gum up the right side until I need it, LOL:)

    My first port gave me trouble, but the second one was good and this one should be too. I found a good vascular surgeon who does these well.

    This one is a Powerport now - others were mediports. I've upgraded:)

    Glad it went ok for you, Lisa.

    -Craig

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