Should I get a port?

@ffr
My port insertion was done with day surgery and I was totally knocked out. In and out of day surgery in about 4 hours. I told them I was afraid and they opened my IV with meds before I got to the operating room. Knocked out on the way there!
Take care

@charlotte12
My doctor never recommended the port but the infusion center nurses wanted to know why I didn't have one. After seeing other patients with a port I told them I want one!
Yes, my port clogged already and they have clog busting drugs that work. But most of the time they get it going by having me cough, push in saline quickly, lay back and breathe deep, stand and cough. They have always made my port work with little discomfort to me.

I’m also an emphatic yes. You are saving your veins for the future and making it easier on yourself now. There will still be times they need to do blood draws and cannot use the port; save your veins for those. I think for some people it is an acceptance issue, but you can always have the port removed if you are one of the very lucky ones for whom this does not come back. Those six infusions are just estimates and then there are all the blood draws. I’m two years in and even with a port my arm veins have suffered greatly. Please do yourself a favor and get one. Just make sure you have a surgeon who does lots of them. I have had zero issues with mine.

Thanks, Julie, appreciate it.

@dj12 Thanks, appreciate the reply.

@dj12Thanks. This was a surprise to me- my surgeon didn't mention it

It is much easier to get the chemotherapy infusions through the port. I had six cycles of chemo in 2008 without the port, and it became too difficult for the regular nurse to find my vein, and a hospital specialist had to do it. In 2022, when my ovarian cancer, I got a port—much easier, less painful, less anxiety!

@hlthcr2000

People keep asking me when am I going to get my port removed. I tell them when I’m 5 years cancer free. That hasn’t happened, so I still have it.
My port was also inserted under a general anaesthetic. No way would I let them do it with a local!

Thanks. Appreciate you sharing and hoping you get that port out and remain cancer free! 💗