Port Defunct

I actually get my bloods done at my local pathology from my arm. They are not too bad.

 The only reason they do bloods at oncology from the port is just a test to see if it is working properly as the taxol can be moody if not pumped exactly where it needs to go. The incompetent nurse is in the oncology treatment area where I get my chemo.

Sorry, sometimes my posts lack proper explanations. The thoughts are in my head but fotunately no-one can read my head or I would be whisked off to the padded cell!

My port was moody too. I had mine repositioned because the Muppet who installed it made a critical error but the second try left a slight kink in the tube which showed up when they did a die test. I found that if I positioned myself with a pillow in the centre of my back and my shoulder pulled down it worked. Massive contortions but what ever it takes... It was slow to draw bloods but functioned well enough for infusions. When I had it removed we found that I'd grown very attached to it and there was sheathing on the tube which can form a bit of a plug at the end. When I say I was attached to it, you can read that as I'd completely surrounded it with scar tissue which probably explains why it used to be so sore. Painful or not, it was much better than the alternative.

The stabby nurse thing is difficult, isn't it? I let them have one go then politely ask for someone else. Don't feel bad about doing that, this is not about them and some people may be assessed as competent but have no talent for finding veins. If you know one of them is no good, have a quiet word when you arrive and say you don't want to be assigned to her. You do have a choice--you wouldn't let a hairdresser who had already given you a crappy cut have another go would you?

 The nurses in our chemo unit are excellent and go to great trouble to get it right. If I have to have bloods taken--i finished chemo in March 2017-- I give them a call and pop in at a time that suits them. I won't go to either of the pathology services because there is no way of knowing who you will get and they are in too much of a hurry.

It's hard isn't it about nurses - or pathology staff. I had a couple of blood tests, at a time when I was having them about three time a week, with a staffer who just just couldn't do it. Multiple goes, a lot of discomfort. So I just politely said I couldn't have her again. But of course there was an option, I could have someone else and the pathology centre was entirely understanding. As you say, the port gives you a degree of choice. Best wishes with the GP.

To be quite honest, I don't know. One nurse hurts me so much when putting in a cannula that it is worth having the port just for her. The other nurses are great. As a public patient they allocate a nurse to you for the day and you are stuck with them so when I get her I know I am in for a tear filled 30+ minutes. Ten minutes for her to dig around with the cannula and twenty for the pain to subside, I only have ten minutes worth of pain with the port. My onco had me look at the pain versus the pain in the worse case scenario of each and the pain with the port was much less than the pain with the cannula when this one particular nurses administers it. Yet I had two nurses that put in a cannula without any pain at all. My Onco said this way I can choose which way I want the chemo administered so if I have a good nurse for the day and if the port is tender that day (probably from me sleeping on it) then I can choose the cannula. As I said, not sure how I feel. I am going to my local GP to see what she can do about the pain under my arm leftover from when they put it in. Thank you

So how are you feeling about keeping it,  having been quite happy to get rid of it? 
I'm the opposite to most, clinging to my safety net 3 years after my last chemo  :p

My Oncologist decided to rescind the port decision. So today I went for my treatment where the nurses once again attemted to draw blood from the port without success. They then put in the 'drano' (not sure of its proper name) sent me for a walk, had me wait and then tried again. Zilch. So down I go to have it dyed and X-rayed but before that happens the xray nurse wants to give it a go. First attempt, blood! Xray doctor cancelled and back up for my chemo treatment I go.