Anyone used a port for the quemo?
Comments
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I haven't personally experienced the port, but my husband has one through which his chemo is administered. We were told that a port is much easier than having to be 'stuck' in the arm each time and is less likely to lead to burned or collapsing veins. I'm sure the probability of this type problem would depend on strength and kind of chemo you'll be taking. My 55 year-old husband is on Folfox. He's had 5 treatments and has had no trouble with the port. Getting it implanted was relatively simple; it was a day surgery and there was just a little soreness and swelling for about a week after. Based on our experience, I would encourage you to get the port. Hope this helps.0
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Betina,
1. There are 2 ways to receive chemotherapy. One is through injections and for that they do surgically insert a port and you do take the pump with you home. 2nd way to receive chemo is through oral pills. I know one - it is called Xeloda. If you are afraid of putting the port, ask your doctor for pills. They have the same effect as injections.
2. Do not rely on the percentage given to you by your doctor. My mother is II stage with no lymph nodes affected and per my mother's oncologist the cancer can come back without chemo 40-50% and with chemo 30-40%. So, numbers are not reliable. Many people do get cured with chemo, but others are not. There is no guarantee.
3. Please keep in mind that chemo along with killing cancer cells, kills healthy cells. That is why there are a lot of side effects. Some people handle chemo quite well with almost no side effects, others feel very sick because of them, and some others can die from them. I don't want to scare you, I am just giving you facts. For example, my mother almost died from pneumonia because of chemo weakened her immune system.
4. Have you looked into alternative methods? There are people on this board who refused chemo and chose alternative routes and are cured. Please let me know if you would like to know more about this.
With this said, I would say that you need to do a little more research and then make a decision.
You can email me any time if you have any questions.
Best wishes, Eleonora0 -
Hi! I am going to be in folfox as well, tell me too many side effects for your husband after 5 treatments?pepperdog said:I haven't personally experienced the port, but my husband has one through which his chemo is administered. We were told that a port is much easier than having to be 'stuck' in the arm each time and is less likely to lead to burned or collapsing veins. I'm sure the probability of this type problem would depend on strength and kind of chemo you'll be taking. My 55 year-old husband is on Folfox. He's had 5 treatments and has had no trouble with the port. Getting it implanted was relatively simple; it was a day surgery and there was just a little soreness and swelling for about a week after. Based on our experience, I would encourage you to get the port. Hope this helps.
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Betina -
Ports are a very common way of delivering chemo. That said - I was on Xeloda/oxaliplatin/Avastin - I received all 6 treatments without a port (Xeloda was oral, but the others are IV). By the time of my 4th treatment, my chemo nurses were really pushing for a port, but my doctor felt I only had a couple more treatments before a "break" and therefore if I could take it, she could take it. I managed fine. That said, the oxaliplatin (part of your FOLFOX regimen) caused serious, but TEMPORARY, neuropathy in the arm that received the oxaliplatin IV. And, my oncologist says that if we end up having to do chemo again - at least if we have to do oxaliplatin - then we will get a port.
I know that lots of people on this site can share port experiences with you. When I received my chemo, most people in the room at the time had ports.
Take care,
Betsy0 -
Betina,AuthorUnknown said:Betina,
1. There are 2 ways to receive chemotherapy. One is through injections and for that they do surgically insert a port and you do take the pump with you home. 2nd way to receive chemo is through oral pills. I know one - it is called Xeloda. If you are afraid of putting the port, ask your doctor for pills. They have the same effect as injections.
2. Do not rely on the percentage given to you by your doctor. My mother is II stage with no lymph nodes affected and per my mother's oncologist the cancer can come back without chemo 40-50% and with chemo 30-40%. So, numbers are not reliable. Many people do get cured with chemo, but others are not. There is no guarantee.
3. Please keep in mind that chemo along with killing cancer cells, kills healthy cells. That is why there are a lot of side effects. Some people handle chemo quite well with almost no side effects, others feel very sick because of them, and some others can die from them. I don't want to scare you, I am just giving you facts. For example, my mother almost died from pneumonia because of chemo weakened her immune system.
4. Have you looked into alternative methods? There are people on this board who refused chemo and chose alternative routes and are cured. Please let me know if you would like to know more about this.
With this said, I would say that you need to do a little more research and then make a decision.
You can email me any time if you have any questions.
Best wishes, Eleonora
I received the folfox treatment through a highly recommended port because of the damage that can be done to the vein. I have never regretted my decision.
I think my decision was made easier because of the amount of pain I had in my veins just after a weeks stay in the hospital.
As said, it is an easy outpatient surgery. It felt a little like a dislocated shoulder to put in and a lot less pain to take out. The incision is about two inches and didn't even require stiches or staples, just a little bit of surgical tape for a week or so. After it is inserted, you will look like you have a nickle just below your skin. Not much monitoring is required in most cases. I received the 48 hour pump with every single treatment, so a total of 12 times over a six month period. Would have made life so much more difficult if I didn't have a port. You will be receiving a lot of monitoring from your chemo nurses when they do treatments and they flush it thoroughly after each "access". It is also relatively painless to have them "access" your port than it is to be stuck repeatedly in your veins.
This incision is not nearly as bad as all of the other incisions.
Good luck with your decision.
I too had only one positive lymph node.
Tricia0 -
The port is great. I took a little nap and woke up with my port. No pain no problems. I had my port for 25 months-had it removed last month. You can take a shower with a port. I coached softball, referred basketball and did a lot of yard work with my port that would have been difficult with a pic line. Almost all my cancer buddies who have had a port say the port is the way to go.0
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Absolutely, the best way to go is with a port -- no question about it. It beats getting stuck in the arm each time. Also, if you need hospitalization along the way, it beats having a nurse sticking you at all times. I can't see any downside to using a port. Good luck!0
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Hi: I was not offered the port and have a picc line. With the warm weather we are having I would dearly love to go swimming - or wear a short sleaves blouse without having the picc line showing.
The Port is definitely the way to go -- convenient and almost invisible under clothing.
Go for the Chemo - you will always have the "what if" in your mind if you do not do the most agressive approach to your cancer.
Don't waste your time with thinging about statistics" - they mean NOTHING!
Just remember Cancer is a "word" not a "sentence".
Find an oncologist who you can "talk" to and tell him/her about your concerns and worries. A good oncologist is a very good listener and will help you through this journey.0 -
Hello!!! My name is Barbara and I have liver cancer. This is my second time taking chemo and this time I have a port. Its great!!! All blood work and chemo is done thru it. Chemo is hard on your veins. They can barely find one in my arms now because of my 1st chemo 2 years ago. I highly recommend the port. No pain, just a lump under you collarbone... I'll be praying for you...In Gods Love ...Barbara0
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Hey, Eleonora, my oncologist gave me stats way different than your mom's oncologist for stage II with no lymph node invovlement (perhaps the difference is age of the patient?).AuthorUnknown said:Betina,
1. There are 2 ways to receive chemotherapy. One is through injections and for that they do surgically insert a port and you do take the pump with you home. 2nd way to receive chemo is through oral pills. I know one - it is called Xeloda. If you are afraid of putting the port, ask your doctor for pills. They have the same effect as injections.
2. Do not rely on the percentage given to you by your doctor. My mother is II stage with no lymph nodes affected and per my mother's oncologist the cancer can come back without chemo 40-50% and with chemo 30-40%. So, numbers are not reliable. Many people do get cured with chemo, but others are not. There is no guarantee.
3. Please keep in mind that chemo along with killing cancer cells, kills healthy cells. That is why there are a lot of side effects. Some people handle chemo quite well with almost no side effects, others feel very sick because of them, and some others can die from them. I don't want to scare you, I am just giving you facts. For example, my mother almost died from pneumonia because of chemo weakened her immune system.
4. Have you looked into alternative methods? There are people on this board who refused chemo and chose alternative routes and are cured. Please let me know if you would like to know more about this.
With this said, I would say that you need to do a little more research and then make a decision.
You can email me any time if you have any questions.
Best wishes, Eleonora
As a stage II patient with no lymph nodes involved, the oncologists said 89% of the folks would make the 5-year survival rate with surgery alone. They said one poor person would have a heart attack or car accident and die of that instead, and the other 10 souls would have a recurrence of the cancer.
If there was even one node involved, as it is with you Betina, I would be doing the chemo for sure. As it is, I am still on the fence.... But if I do it, I'm getting the port for sure.0 -
Hi Betina,
I had to weigh in on this one; I had my first 6 out of 24 treatments without a port. At that time my veins were soooo tender, and my hands and arm were discolored and sore. My first onc thought the port may not be necessary. My second one wanted it in right away. I wish I had done it earlier. It is minor surgery, the "pain" afterwards felt like a bruised shoulder. I slept with a pillow under that shoulder for a week or so. I had the rest of my treatments and all of my chemo related bloodwork through the port. It was so much easier and quicker to get the chemo through the port. I had mine removed after chemo, but would have one again if I needed it. (I also had 1 positive node, and am now 2 years out of chemo with No Evidence of Disease) Good luck and keep us posted. Judy0 -
I had my port put in Dec 2004 then had chemo administered the same day....not ideal, but everything was fine. I STILL have it...ruins the dress line, BUT...it stayed loyally working thru the rectal cancer, the bowel obstruction (they fed me thru it), and the chemo for the breast cancer....19 months and counting! I LOVE it...no side effects on mine, and I am scheduled to have it removed (my LAST vestige of the fight with the beast) at the end of this month. It is REALLY the way to preserve those precious veins!
Hugs, Kathi0 -
Believe me the port is the way to go. I have had mine for about 15 months. Had a continuos pump for about 5 weeks the first time (with radiation too) and now have just completed my fourth Folfox/Avastin cycle. There is just a little bump under the skin of the collarbone and you can see the little tube running under the skin to the vein. The port makes it much easier to do the chemo.
Consider getting another opinion if you are uncertain regarding the chemo. I think the stats your onc sited for a positive node without chemo may be a little high.
****0 -
P.S. The stats on my stage III rectal cancer (dx 11/04) was 37% survival rate, 8 month survival time....KathiM said:I had my port put in Dec 2004 then had chemo administered the same day....not ideal, but everything was fine. I STILL have it...ruins the dress line, BUT...it stayed loyally working thru the rectal cancer, the bowel obstruction (they fed me thru it), and the chemo for the breast cancer....19 months and counting! I LOVE it...no side effects on mine, and I am scheduled to have it removed (my LAST vestige of the fight with the beast) at the end of this month. It is REALLY the way to preserve those precious veins!
Hugs, Kathi
I, as of August 12, am NED!!!!
(Take stats with a grain of salt, but BELIEVE that the treatments are going to work!!!!)0 -
Sorry to respond sooooooo late! I still have my port and will be 5 yrs clear from STAGE 4 this October (where I will celebrate HEAVILY with my friends from this site in Halifax, Nova Scotia!)betina61 said:Thanks to all you that answered my post, NOw I am more confident about the port, and that is the way I am going to do it, is great to have all of you as my new friends.
It's easy to manage it, really no big deal. I plan on having mine removed by the end of this year, and just kept it as my security blanket in the event the monster returned. Thankfully, I haven't used it since July 2002 after my clean up chemo was finished.
Fight the good fight!
Stacy0 -
Better late than never Betina. I went thru 6 months without a port. There were medical reasons I could not have one but thats another story. After 4 months my veins were sore and it was difficult for the clinic nurses to find useable veins.My veins were almost non existing after my chemo and remain difficult to access even now.I would opt for the port if I was told I could have one. It would have to be preferable to being stabbed every treatment.StacyGleaso said:Sorry to respond sooooooo late! I still have my port and will be 5 yrs clear from STAGE 4 this October (where I will celebrate HEAVILY with my friends from this site in Halifax, Nova Scotia!)
It's easy to manage it, really no big deal. I plan on having mine removed by the end of this year, and just kept it as my security blanket in the event the monster returned. Thankfully, I haven't used it since July 2002 after my clean up chemo was finished.
Fight the good fight!
Stacy
Ross n Jen0 -
Sorry it's taken me a few days to reply; I had a busy weekend. After 5 treatments: Neuropathy has gotten progressively worse. It sets in sooner (actually, DURING the treatment) and hangs on a little longer which is about 3 days when it's pretty bad and then it gets better. By the following week, he's able to actually drink cold frozen beverages, but still experiences a little discomfort. His feet are cold almost all the time and it's definitely affecting his coordination. I think maybe he's one of the unfortunate few who may have more severe problems with balance & coordination. He's fallen a few times and we call it the 'chemo stumbles.' Also, over the past two weeks he's had difficulty holding on to things. He drops things easily.betina61 said:Hi! I am going to be in folfox as well, tell me too many side effects for your husband after 5 treatments?
I hope this won't discourage you because I think this is the 'latest greatest' course of treatment for colon cancer and you should follow your oncologist's recommendation.
I am currently looking into the B6 vitamin that many Folfox patients are taking to counter some of the neuropathy symtoms, though our oncologist is very much against additional meds that he doesn't prescribe.
Hope this helps; feel free to ask more questions and good luck with your treatment. You're in our prayers.
Pepperdog0 -
Well, I must be the only one who has ever had trouble with her port!! I was dx stage III with 1 lymph nodes, (but I've been NED since 6/06!) The procedure to implant the port was a breeze but a couple of months after I started chemo my arm became very swollen, from my wrist to my shoulder. I had developed a blood clot! I took 3 days of heparin shots in my stomach and stayed on coumadin until my chemotheraphy was completed (1 year since I was on the Avastin trial) and my port was removed about 4 weeks after my chemo ended. I have also developed a "frozen shoulder" and have been undergoing physical theraphy to try to lessen the pain and get a better range of motion. Having said that, during my chemotheraphy sessions, my port gave me no problems and was easily accessed with no pain(I applied a lidocaine cream 1 hr before starting my chemo). So, don't want to alarm you since it appears everyone else has had such a good experience but thought you should know that once in a great while it can cause trouble! I agree with everyone about your stats. My onc. told me 50/50 chance without chemo and it went up to 70% chance with chemo plus the Avastin. So, I think you made the right decision. Good luck and God Bless. P.S. The incision DOES get better looking and will begin to fade..just give it time!0
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You are on the same exactBetsydoglover said:Betina -
Ports are a very common way of delivering chemo. That said - I was on Xeloda/oxaliplatin/Avastin - I received all 6 treatments without a port (Xeloda was oral, but the others are IV). By the time of my 4th treatment, my chemo nurses were really pushing for a port, but my doctor felt I only had a couple more treatments before a "break" and therefore if I could take it, she could take it. I managed fine. That said, the oxaliplatin (part of your FOLFOX regimen) caused serious, but TEMPORARY, neuropathy in the arm that received the oxaliplatin IV. And, my oncologist says that if we end up having to do chemo again - at least if we have to do oxaliplatin - then we will get a port.
I know that lots of people on this site can share port experiences with you. When I received my chemo, most people in the room at the time had ports.
Take care,
Betsy
You are on the same exact treatment as myself, Xeloda/oxaliplatin/Avastin. I did my first 6 chemo's without a port. Several of my veins are now lumpy, the pain from the Oxy didn't go away for a week or so, and my veins started "hiding" from the needle.
I just got my port put in this past Wednesday. Went to the hospital at 8:00 am, did paperwork, taken to a room, ekg, etc. went down to surgery at 11:00 am, back at 11:30 am, released at 12:oo noon. Quick easy. Very little pain.
I'm not dreading my chemo next week knowing that the vein pain will not exist this time.0
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