Herceptin ladies (Finished)

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Cat64
Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
After completing all Chemo/Herceptin, how many of you had your Onc "recommend" to keep it in? Did you keep it in or remove it anyway?
My diagnosis was IDC, my Onc suggested I keep mine in for another 2 years! Does this mean he expects me to have a recurrence or is it just the norm for this type of BC?
Cat

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  • mwallace1325
    mwallace1325 Member Posts: 806
    #2
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    IDC
    I also had IDC but my onc told me to take it out after treatments were done. Yours may just be more cautious than mine.

    marge
  • smalldoggroomer
    smalldoggroomer Member Posts: 1,184
    #3
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    I'm not done yet but I think
    I'm not done yet but I think when I am done I would want it out. I don't want to go get it Heparin locked every 4 weeks. If it is needed later they can put it back in..But that wont happen.
  • Jean 0609
    Jean 0609 Member Posts: 2,462
    #4
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    Congratulations on being done!
    I still have until June, but my onc said I could have it taken out right after I was done.
  • tommaseena
    tommaseena Member Posts: 1,769
    #5
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    Jean 0609 said:

    Congratulations on being done!
    I still have until June, but my onc said I could have it taken out right after I was done.

    My port
    I finished my Herceptin 7/30/10 and had my port taken out in October per my oncologist recommendation.

    Margo
  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member
    #6
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    tommaseena said:

    My port
    I finished my Herceptin 7/30/10 and had my port taken out in October per my oncologist recommendation.

    Margo

    My surgeon wanted me to keep
    My surgeon wanted me to keep it in at least 1 month after herceptin. I'm wating to see what my insurance does as of Jan. 1 before I decide to have it out in Dec. or Jan.

    Also IDC, DCIS, triple +

    Sher
  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #7
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    Ask your Dr.
    I assume you are referring to the port. Ask your Dr. to be sure you know what his/her reasons are, but my Oncologist wanted to wait several months (don't remember how many). I got it out before I had reconstruction done. I decided another one can be put in if and when it is needed, but I feel more "normal" without the port.

    That's my take on it. seof
  • Alexis F
    Alexis F Member Posts: 3,598
    #8
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    smalldoggroomer said:

    I'm not done yet but I think
    I'm not done yet but I think when I am done I would want it out. I don't want to go get it Heparin locked every 4 weeks. If it is needed later they can put it back in..But that wont happen.

    Congratulations on being
    Congratulations on being done with Herceptin!
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #9
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    seof said:

    Ask your Dr.
    I assume you are referring to the port. Ask your Dr. to be sure you know what his/her reasons are, but my Oncologist wanted to wait several months (don't remember how many). I got it out before I had reconstruction done. I decided another one can be put in if and when it is needed, but I feel more "normal" without the port.

    That's my take on it. seof

    I could NOT wait to get that pain in the butttttttt
    port out of my body ... With that being said ... Talk to your Oncologist and confirm his/her reasoning for keeping your port in. Like you, done with chemo therapy, done with the 1 year of herceptin -- I just want the darn thing out .. wanted not to feel it daily while scrubbing my body during shower time - or when I sat in the recylinder and reached to pet my dogs .. felt the pull of the port (located upper inside right arm) .. so I hurt my port/arm daily.

    I also equated port with chemo and sickness. Just me, and my wacky ways.

    Let us know how it turns out ?


    Vicki Sam
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #10
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    Sher43009 said:

    My surgeon wanted me to keep
    My surgeon wanted me to keep it in at least 1 month after herceptin. I'm wating to see what my insurance does as of Jan. 1 before I decide to have it out in Dec. or Jan.

    Also IDC, DCIS, triple +

    Sher

    Congrats Cat!

    Congrats Cat!
  • Cat64
    Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
    #11
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    VickiSam said:

    I could NOT wait to get that pain in the butttttttt
    port out of my body ... With that being said ... Talk to your Oncologist and confirm his/her reasoning for keeping your port in. Like you, done with chemo therapy, done with the 1 year of herceptin -- I just want the darn thing out .. wanted not to feel it daily while scrubbing my body during shower time - or when I sat in the recylinder and reached to pet my dogs .. felt the pull of the port (located upper inside right arm) .. so I hurt my port/arm daily.

    I also equated port with chemo and sickness. Just me, and my wacky ways.

    Let us know how it turns out ?


    Vicki Sam

    Oops!
    Yes, I was referring to my port! :-)
    Other than completing treatment, the one other thing I looked forward to most was having that "eyeball" removed from my chest! My Onc said once they take it out, they can't use that area again?? (I was kind of hoping not to ever have to use one again) So, now here's another question: Can they install a port on the side where the Lumpectomy was? Or even in a different spot on the same side?
  • jnl
    jnl Member Posts: 3,869 Member
    #12
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    seof said:

    Ask your Dr.
    I assume you are referring to the port. Ask your Dr. to be sure you know what his/her reasons are, but my Oncologist wanted to wait several months (don't remember how many). I got it out before I had reconstruction done. I decided another one can be put in if and when it is needed, but I feel more "normal" without the port.

    That's my take on it. seof

    No chemo for me, so, no
    No chemo for me, so, no port, but,want to say congrats to you!


    Leeza
  • Sher43009
    Sher43009 Member Posts: 602 Member
    #13
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    Cat64 said:

    Oops!
    Yes, I was referring to my port! :-)
    Other than completing treatment, the one other thing I looked forward to most was having that "eyeball" removed from my chest! My Onc said once they take it out, they can't use that area again?? (I was kind of hoping not to ever have to use one again) So, now here's another question: Can they install a port on the side where the Lumpectomy was? Or even in a different spot on the same side?

    I'll have to ask my surgeon about using inserting the port on the radiated side if needed. What kind of port do you have? Mine is a Purple Power Port. I wasn't told that it can't be used in same area again. If my bc comes back in my breast, I'll be having bilateral mastectomy.
  • kya911
    kya911 Member Posts: 157
    #14
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    jnl said:

    No chemo for me, so, no
    No chemo for me, so, no port, but,want to say congrats to you!


    Leeza

    When I am finished my Onc
    When I am finished my Onc said to keep my port in for 2 years. It really does no bother me at all.
    Mine is the Purple Power Port also.
  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    #15
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    Congrats you're done!!!
    I had mine removed when I had reconstructive surgery. So after my Herceptin, I think I had it in for about 2 months before surgery.

    I just wanted it out!

    Cat, why don't you ask him?
  • Lighthouse_7
    Lighthouse_7 Member Posts: 1,566 Member
    #16
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    sea60 said:

    Congrats you're done!!!
    I had mine removed when I had reconstructive surgery. So after my Herceptin, I think I had it in for about 2 months before surgery.

    I just wanted it out!

    Cat, why don't you ask him?

    I had mine removed after I
    I had mine removed after I was done with Rads. Couldn't wait to get it out! LOL. Everyone had a different opinion when I would ask, but ultimately, it was my decision. Like smalldoggroomer said, if I need another one, so be it, but that won't happen! :)
    Good luck with the decision.
    Hugs,
    Wanda
  • Cat64
    Cat64 Member Posts: 1,192
    #17
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    Lighthouse_7 said:

    I had mine removed after I
    I had mine removed after I was done with Rads. Couldn't wait to get it out! LOL. Everyone had a different opinion when I would ask, but ultimately, it was my decision. Like smalldoggroomer said, if I need another one, so be it, but that won't happen! :)
    Good luck with the decision.
    Hugs,
    Wanda

    My
    Port is a Smart Port. I was so disappointed when he said I should keep it in for 2 years, that all I recall him saying was, I couldn't have one put back in the same place. I see him in another month from now, so I will ask him then to be more clear on the reason. I know it is up to me whether to keep it in or not, but the insurance I have won't pay for it to be removed. Everything is on a Self-Pay basis now which makes things more difficult!
    Thanks everyone!
    ♥ Cat
  • Megan M
    Megan M Member Posts: 3,000
    #18
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    Cat64 said:

    My
    Port is a Smart Port. I was so disappointed when he said I should keep it in for 2 years, that all I recall him saying was, I couldn't have one put back in the same place. I see him in another month from now, so I will ask him then to be more clear on the reason. I know it is up to me whether to keep it in or not, but the insurance I have won't pay for it to be removed. Everything is on a Self-Pay basis now which makes things more difficult!
    Thanks everyone!
    ♥ Cat

    I am sorry Cat that your
    I am sorry Cat that your oncologist recommended to keep your port in. I was fortunate and didn't need chemo, so no port.

    You should ask him again to explain in more detail. Good luck!

    Hugs, Megan
  • Bella Luna
    Bella Luna Member Posts: 1,578 Member
    #19
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    Yahoo!!!
    Congratulations on finishing up with your chemo treatment plan! That is a HUGE accomplishment in your recovery! I also had IDC and was on Herceptin. I had my port removed this past September. My oncologist said it was ok to have it removed.
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #20
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    kya911 said:

    When I am finished my Onc
    When I am finished my Onc said to keep my port in for 2 years. It really does no bother me at all.
    Mine is the Purple Power Port also.

    My congrats are late Cat,
    My congrats are late Cat, but, I am so happy for you!

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