I get staggered about the difference between oncology wards and virtually everywhere else in the medical system when it gone to getting a needle in a vein. I got through 6 months of chemo, and a further nine months of herceptin alone without a port although for most of that time I had only one arm to use, blood tests and all. But a small bit of surgery, and in spite of a warning to a very sure of herself nurse, that my veins weren't all that cooperative we had four tries before handing me over to the anaesthetist. Not suggesting you don't get a port, but my experience has been that oncology nurses are much more practised and much better at it!