no blood draw port question

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Kathleen808
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Location: Hawaii

no blood draw port question

Postby Kathleen808 » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:41 pm

Hi,
Dick and I are at the hospital for his chemo. They are not getting any blood from his port. His port has been in for 2.5 years. His port has medial and lateral sides to the port. Two weeks ago they did not draw blood from the port either and they went ahead with the infusion. They are now deciding whether of not to do an x-ray. Looking to see if this has happened to anyone else ( I know it has but don't remember the particulars.) What could the problems be? What should the hospital staff do? They are talking about an x-ray. Looking for info as we sit here waiting.
They told him to walk around and swing his arms he did. We don't think that's it since he was surfing this morning before coming in.
Thank you before hand.

Aloha,
Kathleen
Kathleen
DH 1/09 3c 51yr rsct
Folfx 3/09
1 l nd 9/09 Flfri Avstn
PET clr 6/10
Folfri Avstn 7/10
ND 10/10
1/11 lng mets Flfri Avastn
ND 2/12
9/12 Flfri Avastn
10/12 grwth lng mts Erbtx Avstn Irintcn
1/13 stabl
9/13 grwth
8/16/14 passed into eternal peace

nicola smith
Posts: 1040
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 9:06 am

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby nicola smith » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:46 pm

Has he tried lying on his side with one arm over his head? That's worked for me me in the past.
UC history
11/09: Dx, CEA 2.9
02/10: colectomy, temp ileo; pT3N1Mx
10/10: 12 Folfox6
03/11: jpouch
2010/11/12/13/14: 6 PET and/or CT's - NED
quarterly 03/2010- 03/2015: CEA range 0.8-1.3
03/2015: discharged to GP :D

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Kathleen808
Posts: 1761
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:49 am
Location: Hawaii

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby Kathleen808 » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:49 pm

nicola,
Which side would he lie on? Port side or non port side?

They are now waiting for paper work to do a dye study. Any info?

Aloha,
Kathleen
Kathleen
DH 1/09 3c 51yr rsct
Folfx 3/09
1 l nd 9/09 Flfri Avstn
PET clr 6/10
Folfri Avstn 7/10
ND 10/10
1/11 lng mets Flfri Avastn
ND 2/12
9/12 Flfri Avastn
10/12 grwth lng mts Erbtx Avstn Irintcn
1/13 stabl
9/13 grwth
8/16/14 passed into eternal peace

RixInPhx
Posts: 1904
Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 11:53 pm
Location: Phoenix

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby RixInPhx » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:50 pm

That was me, 4 weeks ago.
I wasn't getting good draw since February, and finally it was decided to get a CT with contrast.
As soon as the tech lit me up (prior to contrast), the problem was evident:
The catheter had completely coiled up into the vein and around itself, such that the end was 'sucking' against the vein wall.

Worse than that, the end can burrow into or even thru the vein, such that the chemo is being injected into tissue rather than flowing blood.

They said this happens sometimes, especially to booby women who toss and turn and stretch to get comfortable in bed.
I'm not that booby, but must sleep in a wierd sideways contortion due to the tumor's position in my belly.

They removed the old port that day, then waited a week for healing before installing the new port.

All flows well now.
M 61, Dx 6/10 CRC st 4, unknown primary CEA 843
2 kg peritoneal mass, met to skull; no surgery
Various regimens of all CRC chemo drugs
Mets to lung 8/11 CEA 135
Folfiri/Erb/Ava 12/11 CEA 320
No progression 5/12 CEA 192

nicola smith
Posts: 1040
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 9:06 am

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby nicola smith » Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:56 pm

Kathleen808 wrote:nicola,
Which side would he lie on? Port side or non port side?



They are now waiting for paper work to do a dye study. Any info?

Aloha,
Kathleen


He would lie on the non-port side
UC history
11/09: Dx, CEA 2.9
02/10: colectomy, temp ileo; pT3N1Mx
10/10: 12 Folfox6
03/11: jpouch
2010/11/12/13/14: 6 PET and/or CT's - NED
quarterly 03/2010- 03/2015: CEA range 0.8-1.3
03/2015: discharged to GP :D

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surfingon
Posts: 448
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 4:11 pm

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby surfingon » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:40 pm

Kathleen,

The problem is that they can't get blood out but can infuse? If that's it, then it could be what is called a fibrin tail, like a clot of plasma, as I understand it, which acts like a flapper valve, sucking closed when an attempt is made to withdraw blood, but which is pushed open when fluid is infused. The cure is a slow infusion of the clot-busting drug TsP, which can take up to 4-5 hours but sometimes works quickly. Sure hope that's the issue for your husband, as it is relatively simple, compared to other possible issues and usually does not require a surgical fix..

Aloha,
Rachel
caregiver to husband John
Stage III CC 3-05
liver+ colon resect Nov '06
FolfoxA , FolfiriA
7 liver RFA's, 1 lung RFA
died April 29, 2009
http://sheddinglightonthecancerjourney.wordpress.com/
http://sheddinglightonthewidowsjourney.wordpress.com

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jmarie
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Re: no blood draw port question

Postby jmarie » Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:48 pm

My port has been very finnicky(sp) lately. I have to lay on my back and turn my head to the left(leftside port). Even with doing this, only a few nurses at the oncology clinic have been able to get blood back. I just get my blood work through my arm so I don't have to fight with it every week. Today my nurse(hospital) can't get anything as usual, he called my Onc to see if he should order some Cath Flow. My Onc told me as ong as infusions were working he wanted to wait to have one of his nurse try. His exact words was "i don't walk anyonf Monkeying around with it". His nurses are the only ones who have been able to get blood back. I have wondered if it is just old and thats why it is having probles, It is also 2 1/2yrs old. Not sure if after a few years it is just time to replace, I hope not.

That is awesome that Dick went surfing the morning of chemo. That must really feel good for him to be well enough to surf, and I am sure that makes you happy too 8)

Sorry if I am not much help, I am in the same oat though. I hope they figure it out quickly so he doesnt have to miss tx.
DX Stage IV 11/25/08
mets liver lung, kras mutant
Baby 2yrs old! I am 32yrs
Too many chemo txs to count
trying to find a clinical trial
"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf"

gep
Posts: 418
Joined: Wed Aug 19, 2009 6:21 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby gep » Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:01 pm

My husband's been having similar problems. Sometimes they can get blood out of the port and sometimes not. They checked it in radiology and they said it's okay. They can get the chemo in him, no problem. We asked the nurse practitioner about getting a different port. She said the issue now is that at NW in Chicago they want you to be off avastin for a month before and maybe after to change the port. She said she didn't think it's worth it. Sometimes laying with the head back helps.
Gloria
caregiver to Eli
dx 8/07 3B
7/09 - liver & celiac lym node
1/10 Liver Res & Lym nodes out
7/10 Back - Liver & other lym nodes
12/12 hit chemo wall
1/12 Clin Trial - MEK & AKT inhibitors
3/12 Trial failed/ spheres 4/12
7/30/13 Eli died.

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Russian27
Posts: 491
Joined: Sun May 17, 2009 9:47 am

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby Russian27 » Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:14 pm

Happened to me with both ports. Nurses could not draw blood but went ahead with the infusion. My first port started leaking under my skin. When we realized that I was in a lot of pain because I had a huge bump under my skin filled with chemo. It started to hurt really bad after several hours, the pain remained for a couple of months. My second port had a kink that would not allow blood draw. They could see it only on x-ray.
I ended up with a picc line that was fine for a while until it got infected.
I am convinced that if there is a problem with a blood draw the port should be checked to avoid bigger problems.
Dx at 39(12/2008), Stage IV, omentum mets,
0/16 lymph nodes positive,
right colectomy 1/2009,
FOLFOX + avastin 2/2009-7/2009
Thank You Colonclub! 2015

AQHA girl

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby AQHA girl » Tue Jun 07, 2011 9:11 pm

The chemo nurses couldn't get blood from me a couple of times. They had me lean forward and cough. Turn my head to the side and cough. Finally had me lay all the way back in the recliner, that worked. So now when they can get a draw, I just lay back ... it works for me.

My onc also had some concerns regarding my port and sent me to a dye study - I thought it was cool, I could see the image..anyhow, my port was behaving, so whatever is going on with me isn't my port. :? any other scan I have no idea what I'm looking at.

Rosie

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DianeWantsToStay
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Location: Oregon

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby DianeWantsToStay » Thu Jun 09, 2011 4:17 am

i had my port not draw the first time it was used. i was still in hospital. they had put the port in when i had the colectomy. my ivs usually on last for two days before the collapse. they did them everywhere (arms, hands, thumb) and they required someone who really new what the were doing. they even grabbed someone from the ER to do one. then one swing shift i got a new nurse 'just filling in'. she was a chemo nurse. I though 'great!' she wanted to use the port badly so she asked for permission from the surgeon. he said ok. she comes back with another nurse and a couple of needles. starts 'palpating' the port. hurt like hell i assume because it was new and still a bit swollen. pain. first needle doesn't reach it. palpate again. pain. second needle didn't reach. Chemo nurse sends second nurse to get a longer needle. now i'm alone with her and she keeps paplpating, which at that point was agonizing, she keeps at it saying 'it has to be done over and over. my creepy radar was going off. other nurse comes back with needle and the get it in, supposedly. they can't get a draw. they hang the bag any way. i wake up the next morning with my shoulder and part of my neck completly swollen, all the fluid had gone in my flesh.

later that morning someone from the ER came to give it a try also gave me a local and couldn't get a draw. she thought it might have moved with all that palpating, or may be there was a blood clot. she refused to use it and got an iv in my thumb.

a couple of days later the did the xray with contrast. did't see anything wrong with so they gave me a local and went ahead and tapped the keg, got a blood draw just fine.

i don't know what happened. i just know that the one palpating crazy nurse will never touch me again. but Ms."cancer is a blessing because it brings out a beautiful spirituality in people" is a topic for another thread. i do have to say though that plenty of us already had a beautiful sprituality thank you very much. I'll shut up now. :wink:

-diane
Last edited by DianeWantsToStay on Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:54 am, edited 2 times in total.
dx multiple sclerosis 1/08
dx stage IV colon cancer 3/11

Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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DianeWantsToStay
Posts: 40
Joined: Tue May 24, 2011 3:55 am
Location: Oregon

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby DianeWantsToStay » Thu Jun 09, 2011 4:24 am

AQHA girl wrote:The chemo nurses couldn't get blood from me a couple of times. They had me lean forward and cough. Turn my head to the side and cough. Finally had me lay all the way back in the recliner, that worked. So now when they can get a draw, I just lay back ... it works for me.

My onc also had some concerns regarding my port and sent me to a dye study - I thought it was cool, I could see the image..anyhow, my port was behaving, so whatever is going on with me isn't my port. :? any other scan I have no idea what I'm looking at.

Rosie


i remember thinking the image was really cool too.

-diane
dx multiple sclerosis 1/08
dx stage IV colon cancer 3/11

Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

nicola smith
Posts: 1040
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2010 9:06 am

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby nicola smith » Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 am

DianeWantsToStay wrote: Ms."cancer is a blessing because it brings out a beautiful spirituality in people" is a topic for another thread. i do have to say though that plenty of us already had a beautiful sprituality thank you very much. I'll shut up now. :wink:

-diane


Amen :lol:
UC history
11/09: Dx, CEA 2.9
02/10: colectomy, temp ileo; pT3N1Mx
10/10: 12 Folfox6
03/11: jpouch
2010/11/12/13/14: 6 PET and/or CT's - NED
quarterly 03/2010- 03/2015: CEA range 0.8-1.3
03/2015: discharged to GP :D

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jmarie
Posts: 2230
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 3:33 pm
Facebook Username: Jessica Ramos Smith
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Contact:

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby jmarie » Thu Jun 09, 2011 9:16 am

Did you get answers on Dick's port? Mine is still not giving blood back.my I fusions went in fine, just no blood back. For now they can't do much because I have been on Avastin and my platelets are so low, so if it needs to be replaced they can't do it for a while.
DX Stage IV 11/25/08
mets liver lung, kras mutant
Baby 2yrs old! I am 32yrs
Too many chemo txs to count
trying to find a clinical trial
"You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf"

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Kathleen808
Posts: 1761
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:49 am
Location: Hawaii

Re: no blood draw port question

Postby Kathleen808 » Thu Jun 09, 2011 12:03 pm

Hi,
They were able to loosen the clot with the medicine shot into the port. Both sides eventually drew blood. Dick had his regular chemo yesterday and we hope that is the end of this little bump in the road.
Thanks for all your support.

Aloha,
Kathleen
Kathleen
DH 1/09 3c 51yr rsct
Folfx 3/09
1 l nd 9/09 Flfri Avstn
PET clr 6/10
Folfri Avstn 7/10
ND 10/10
1/11 lng mets Flfri Avastn
ND 2/12
9/12 Flfri Avastn
10/12 grwth lng mts Erbtx Avstn Irintcn
1/13 stabl
9/13 grwth
8/16/14 passed into eternal peace


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