How long did you keep your port in after finishing chemo?

[renee2u]

During my treatments I ended up in the hospital because of a blockage or looping in my bowels issue... they put me on TPN (steak and potatoes in a bag) for almost 6 days and I was NPO during that time. The TPN is very thick and ended up clogging my power port. They could never get a blood draw again from the crazy thing. My chemo went thru just fine but trying to get a blood draw was impossible. They put heparin and all kinds of activators in but nothing worked. So once my first round of tests came back NEG and NED... they removed it! So.. mine was only in for 3.5 months after treatments! Thank goodness.. I hated that thing!

[tom c]

Just to vent on this topic (I just finished chemo and am keeping my port in for six more months): how annoying is it to ride in the passenger seat with a right-side port?!?! I have to hold the seatbelt out in front of me to avoid the painful rubbing.

[Gaelen]

Oh, I agree. Tom--no picnic to be driving and have a left side port, either--especially if it's accessed. I have just used the waist portion of the seatbelt, and put the shoulder belt behind me when the port is accessed or painful. Stopped by a cop at a license/registration checkpoint, he lectured me about wearing the full seatbelt and I flipped back my shirt front to reveal the port access and bandage. That shut him up...

Ports are also not always 'bra friendly', especially if you carry any weight 'on top.' However, ladies...finding the correctly supportive bra DOES help relieve any muscle pain that the port may cause.

[tom c]

Hahaha. Love the story about the cop, Gaelen! Never thought of the port and pump as a get out of jail free card, but I guess it can be!

[weisssoccermom]

I had mine put in late July '06 and I only used it for the one week of the continuous pump during radiation. My skin was oh so sensitive to the adhesive in the dressing. We tried a few different hypoallergenic dressings, but to no use. I am extremely sensitve to all adhesives(which is a huge problem) and the dressing issue wasn't working. My skin was oozing, bleeding, raw and horrible and to this day, I still have scars from that darn adhesive. I then switched to the Xeloda. My onc wanted me to keep the port in for potential later use but I had it taken out in September '06 after radiation treatments were all done. Mine bothered me (maybe I didn't give it enough time to heal??) and it just plain and simply disgusted me. My port did a half flip on me and was constantly rubbing against my collar bone which was very painful and annoying. In addition, and probably because of the half flip, it started to develop an infection. It hurt to access it and I was beginning to dread the next time I had to have it flushed so I was ecstatic to have it out once and for all and be done with it. I did one infusion of oxi via an IV (no problems) but developed an extreme reaction to the drug during infusion and never had it again. That was in November '06. Remained just on Xeloda and still doing fine.

I can't say that I was sorry to see the port go. I absolutely HATED mine and it was the one part of all of this that I truly regretted. But I can't go back and change it so I just live with the scars, etc.

Jaynee

[helen098]

I had my surgery 6/6/6 port put in 7/7/6 ended checo mid jan 07 and had my port removed
6/7/7. it was the soonest my onc would remove it (right after I got my one year cat scan - and it was clean) he said there was no reason to leave it in or take it out in my case and I wanted it out. It didn't hurt but was uncomftorable and I hated to look at it when I showered or changed clothes and it hurt if someone huged or came anywhere near my chest.
I asked my onc at every apointment if we could take it out yet. After we did he asked me if I experiened closure - I did. The port made me feel like a cancer patient.
now I am not too happy about the scar - though I don't think I can do any thing about it

[weisssoccermom]

Addressing Pat's comments about driving. There is a product (see link - mine was an older version but basically the same thing) that contains a silicone gel that really does help with the seat belt issue and can be used for either right or left hand ports.
http://www.aboutsofttouch.com

Just a word of advice for women having their port installed. Have the doc mark the area that he is going to put the port in when you are either SITTING or STANDING AND with your bra on. That way, you know where your bra straps hit and how high up the port needs to be placed. There are too many stories out there of women who had their port placement marked when they were lying down and well let's just say that gravity has a different effect in that position. Helps avoid problems later on.

Jaynee

[Sally1898]

Having my port installed was hell -- ELEVEN shots to numb me out, extremely unpleasant. Because of walking with crutches, my port-area is very muscular, and it all had to be cut through, the port was placed VERY deep. It became disloged before final sutures, so all had to be taken out, and repeated. I was flushed every week at chemo, for 52 weeks, then every 8 weeks afterwards. I kept my port for 5 years, then my onc. said it was time to have it out. After the nightmare of insertion, I was terrified, but it went ok, not so much recuperative pain. Now the scar is faded, almost forget it's there.

[terrytech]

I still have my port since finishing chemo in 2004. i don't believe they remove it if you are a Stage 4. It sort of became part of my chest, i don't even know it's there, except when I get it flushed every 3 months.

[Terry]

After reading all of your post it looks like with exception to Magnolia that most of you that are stage III and IV keep yours for one/+ years and stage II and less get there's out right away. I had mine out two months after my surgery (had chemoradiation then surgery). I had so much trouble with my port working and it caused me terrible nerve pain in my shoulder and back. I was so glad to get rid of it.

[CBLACK]

My husband finished chemo in March 2007 and still has his port in. His surgeon likes to wait two years since diagnosis, because of the recurrence rates in the first two years. Hopefully it will be out this August/September.