Last time the nurse accessed my port I told her that oncology nurses were like sailors. She asked why, and I responded "...Because they are always at a different port."
What is a port? When I was told I would receive one I had no idea what it would look like or what living with it would entail.
Chemotherapy can cause the veins to shrink and recede with time, having a port allows for easy access (both in drawing blood out and putting drugs in) and keeps you from turning into a human pin cushion. Running chemo directly through smaller veins can also be very irritating and damaging, so running chemo directly into larger veins helps.
Now, there are lots of models of ports and also alternatives to it, like a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) and a central line. Length and frequency of treatment seems to determine what method is utilized (although, I suppose other considerations might be present), since a PICC line is more apt for shorter treatment cycles and central lines more apt for frequent access. A PICC line is inserted by a trained nurse, into the arm, and it can remain aprox. for 6-12 months.
For both the PICC and central lines, the access point is outside the body and requires more care. A port on the other hand, is surgically implanted totally beneath the skin, needs minimal care, and can remain for years (or until the silicone septum wears out).
For this post, I will focus on the port. (Later on, I will also discuss my pump that I take home after chemo.)
Advantages of a Port
Besides a longer length of time, the port has other advantages. Since it sits completely under the skin it is less susceptible to infection and requires little maintenance by the patient. Also, the port allows for fluid to enter quickly into the body as you have a larger line.
Surgery
My surgery was early in the morning. I could not eat or drink after midnight or wear nail polish, lotion on my skin, and makeup. Why? Body lotion makes it difficult to properly clean your skin (you know, your frenemy, bacteria!), nail polish interferes with the monitors that the anesthesiologist use- and blue nail beds are a sign that sufficient oxygen is lacking. As for makeup...I dunno, its distracting to the surgeon to operate on pretty ladies?
I went in, got sleepy drugs, and when I woke up again I was...a BIONIC WOMAN. I was like Iron Man, with a cool titanium thing in my chest. Unfortunately, it does not glow, which I feel is quite a missed opportunity.
I had no sutures, instead they put a purple superglue on that falls off after the wound heals. It ached alot- like someone had punched me in the shoulder. Sleeping on my side, I could tell a foreign object was poking me, but this faded after less than a month and now I barely notice it. The scar is about two inches long, and one of these days I'll draw some eyes on it to make a bored smiley face.
Ok, but...what is it?
My port is a Smart Port (see what it looks like there) which is made by a medical company called AngioDynamics, and it sits below my left collarbone.
I can only describe it as a titanium chamber with a silicone entry called a septum. It is accessed by a special needle that pierces the skin, then pierces the silicone, into a chamber that in turn leads to a catheter threaded into the superior vena cava. The silicone can be pierced many times before weakening, and it "heals" when the needle is removed.
Living with a Port
As much as my (two) surgeries for the port sucked (the second one to fix a kinking of the catheter line just 4 days later) I really appreciate this little thing. It doesn't hurt to access (a teeny prick!), allows me to get chemo, avoids bruised veins on my arm, and it really needs no care from me. Except for a little bump on my chest, its not even noticeable. Although...I'm still kinda sad that it doesn't glow like Tony Starks.
What is a port? When I was told I would receive one I had no idea what it would look like or what living with it would entail.
Chemotherapy can cause the veins to shrink and recede with time, having a port allows for easy access (both in drawing blood out and putting drugs in) and keeps you from turning into a human pin cushion. Running chemo directly through smaller veins can also be very irritating and damaging, so running chemo directly into larger veins helps.
Now, there are lots of models of ports and also alternatives to it, like a PICC line (peripherally inserted central catheter) and a central line. Length and frequency of treatment seems to determine what method is utilized (although, I suppose other considerations might be present), since a PICC line is more apt for shorter treatment cycles and central lines more apt for frequent access. A PICC line is inserted by a trained nurse, into the arm, and it can remain aprox. for 6-12 months.
For both the PICC and central lines, the access point is outside the body and requires more care. A port on the other hand, is surgically implanted totally beneath the skin, needs minimal care, and can remain for years (or until the silicone septum wears out).
For this post, I will focus on the port. (Later on, I will also discuss my pump that I take home after chemo.)
Advantages of a Port
Besides a longer length of time, the port has other advantages. Since it sits completely under the skin it is less susceptible to infection and requires little maintenance by the patient. Also, the port allows for fluid to enter quickly into the body as you have a larger line.
Surgery
My surgery was early in the morning. I could not eat or drink after midnight or wear nail polish, lotion on my skin, and makeup. Why? Body lotion makes it difficult to properly clean your skin (you know, your frenemy, bacteria!), nail polish interferes with the monitors that the anesthesiologist use- and blue nail beds are a sign that sufficient oxygen is lacking. As for makeup...I dunno, its distracting to the surgeon to operate on pretty ladies?
I went in, got sleepy drugs, and when I woke up again I was...a BIONIC WOMAN. I was like Iron Man, with a cool titanium thing in my chest. Unfortunately, it does not glow, which I feel is quite a missed opportunity.
I had no sutures, instead they put a purple superglue on that falls off after the wound heals. It ached alot- like someone had punched me in the shoulder. Sleeping on my side, I could tell a foreign object was poking me, but this faded after less than a month and now I barely notice it. The scar is about two inches long, and one of these days I'll draw some eyes on it to make a bored smiley face.
Ok, but...what is it?
 |
| Case courtesy of Dr Henry Knipe, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 26966 |
My port is a Smart Port (see what it looks like there) which is made by a medical company called AngioDynamics, and it sits below my left collarbone.
I can only describe it as a titanium chamber with a silicone entry called a septum. It is accessed by a special needle that pierces the skin, then pierces the silicone, into a chamber that in turn leads to a catheter threaded into the superior vena cava. The silicone can be pierced many times before weakening, and it "heals" when the needle is removed.
Living with a Port
As much as my (two) surgeries for the port sucked (the second one to fix a kinking of the catheter line just 4 days later) I really appreciate this little thing. It doesn't hurt to access (a teeny prick!), allows me to get chemo, avoids bruised veins on my arm, and it really needs no care from me. Except for a little bump on my chest, its not even noticeable. Although...I'm still kinda sad that it doesn't glow like Tony Starks.
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