Should I get a port?

Appreciate the reply. You’re in the minority- I succumbed and got the port. It’s uncomfortable at night. I’m glad you seem to be doing so well without it!

The port is great if you have recurrent disease. If you’re only a first timer, I agree. It would be a little overwhelming. Wait and see …

Glad you got the port! You’ll probably have some discomfort for a while; it took some time for scar tissue to harden around mine. However, the twinges weren’t too bad and two years out I don’t even know I have it. Like many of us, I am receiving maintenance infusions every three weeks, so I am grateful for it. Use the lidocaine an hour and a half in advance, cover it with a bandaid, and you won’t feel the needle prick. Hugs!

So kind of you to follow up! Yes, 4 weeks out it’s still uncomfortable. I’m still not comfortable sleeping on that side. I garden a lot and - for example- reach with pruners- and it definitely lets me know it’s there. But on infusion day I love that it’s there! So to anyone else making the decision- it’s not simple but people like you really help!

I think that some people adapt to the port better than others, maybe due to thicker/thinner skin? I’m “bony” (my oncologist’s adjective) so maybe that’s why I felt it more. After the initial discomfort it was more annoying than it was painful. And it certainly helped with the infusions, as did the lidocaine. Cancer World is full of all kinds of things that we wish we never had to know about.

Many people prefer ports for chemo, and keep them for awhile in case of recurrence or mets…chemo is strong and can be hard on IV…immunotherapy is often given by IV.

Yes, I kept mine for a while because of fear of recurrence. Longer than my doctor wanted me to. But one day I knocked a heavy backpack into it (it went sideways) and ouch! Happy to have had it removed but should have had proper anesthesia for the procedure. (Another thread!)

@ffr Here's hoping you do not need another port. That thought of recurrence is with all of us. I redirect myself so that I won't dwell on those thoughts. Because of your questions, if any of us need a port we know what to ask for in anesthesia. No placement with anesthesia. Look, I'm pretty stoic about many things but for medical procedures especially concerning cancer, I'll take all the comfort available to me.

We are definitely on the same page! The fear of recurrence is something I am always trying to manage. My therapist gave me a few mantras, so I’ll end with this one: “I’ll deal with it if it happens.”