Scans without a port for meds

Steve Z
Steve Z Member Posts: 51
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
So I had an appointment with my Onc yesterday. He gave me the green light to get my port removed. Today I recalled the nurse from my last scan saying how much she loved utilizing the port for the med that makes you feel all warm inside (forgive me I forget the name). She was talking to another nurse at the time and I think she mentioned the problem was the gauge of the needle. Not that this is the deciding factor, but has anyone without a port experienced a problem with this?

Comments

  • maglets
    maglets Member Posts: 2,576 Member
    #2
    hi steve
    Steve I think you are talking about a cat scan....they always warn you that you will feel as if you had peed your pants. I have had so many I can't count them and I have never had a port. It is a simple IV line ....takes one second to put in and a sec to take it out. The nurse refers I think to the size of the needle....it is a little bit bigger than a normal needle for injection because the contrast dye has to flow through it. Honestly Steve it is nothing.....

    congrats on becoming portless

    mags
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #3
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • scouty
    scouty Member Posts: 1,965 Member
    #4
    Not all nurses
    are qualified to be able to "access" ports. Of my 14 CT scans, only once did they access my port for the meds and that was because of the nurses qualifications. Same with the nurses that do my blood draws, only 1 could use the port. I go to a large comprehensive cancer center so that may make a difference too.

    Lisa P.
  • luv3jay
    luv3jay Member Posts: 533 Member
    #5
    Yeah, I never get my port
    Yeah, I never get my port accessed for scans. Just too much trouble. As scouty said, only certain nurses are eligible to access ports, so I would have to go to a completely different department in the hospital for that. And since it's such a small issue to insert an iv, I just let the technician do it. Now, if there was a way to get that drink through the port, I would search out a nurse high and low to have it accessed! YUCK!!

    -Sheri
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #6
    They never used my port for scans either
    I had a low profile port that wouldn't have allowed them to infuse the contrast material the way they wanted to, so I always had an IV.

    Only had a problem once, because my veins were so tender post-chemo. I now prepare for the IVs with Emla or a Lidoderm patch, and I feel nothing (but the feeling of peeing in my pants! Emla doesn't prevent that!)
  • LOUSWIFT
    LOUSWIFT Member Posts: 371 Member
    #7
    warm
    Yea the warm pee feeling...I would never let anyone but Onc nurse near my port. I don't want it screwed up while someone pokes around for the right point. My vein can take it!

Discussion Boards