Dr. Glliam could not work me into her schedule for the 19th
and they had a cancellation for tomorrow so I took it based on the fact
that I will be up first –otherwise I would have an interventional
radiologists do it rather than my surgeon---
I need to be at the hospital for 6:30 am and will be in surgery by 7-7:30am
"Becoming Wiser Through Breast Cancer and Other Living Things"
OKAY- the plan now is I am getting my ”PORT” tomorrow morning at 7 am. – hopeful will be done and back at work by 11:30 am
Through a port
(sometimes called by brand names such as Port-a-cath or Mediport)
inserted in your chest during a short outpatient surgery. A port is a
small disc made of plastic or metal about the size of a quarter that
sits just under the skin. A soft thin tube called a catheter connects
the port to a large vein. Your chemotherapy medicines are given through a
special needle that fits right into the port. You also can have blood
drawn through the port. When all your cycles of chemotherapy are done,
the port is removed during another short outpatient procedure.
Benefits
The benefits of having a chemotherapy port over using a traditional IV include:
- Greater comfort – A single needle stick through your skin is usually all that is needed to access your port. With IV therapy and traditional blood draws, sometimes many needle sticks are needed to find a good vein, especially if your veins have been damaged from repeated blood draws and infusions.
- Avoiding delays – Not only do you avoid the delay of having your nurse attempt to find a good vein to draw blood or infuse chemotherapy, but having a port can reduce the time needed to prepare your hand or arm for the procedure.
- Lowering the risk of "extravasation" – When an IV is used, medications are more likely to leak (extravasate) into the tissues surrounding your hand or arm. Since many chemotherapy medications are caustic to tissue, a port can reduce the risk of inflammation related to leakage of these medications.
- Easier bathing and swimming – Since a port is completely under the skin, you can usually bathe and even swim without being concerned about the risk of infection.
If you have a port or catheter, make sure you watch for any signs of infection
around it. Chemotherapy can weaken your immune system, so you may be
more susceptible to infections. If the skin around your port or catheter
becomes red or swollen or you have a fever, contact your doctor right
away.
How Does a Port Differ from a PICC Line?
PICC
stands for "peripherally inserted central catheter." A PICC line is
usually placed in a vein for shorter-term treatment (for example, for
access that will be needed for one to six weeks only.) PICC lines are placed in your arm closer to your skin (subcutaneous) and does not reach as close to your heart as a port catheter.
