That should be it.
I had my portacath out this morning which, as far as I'm concerned, signals the end of my treatment. It's been a hectic and stressful 11 months and I am so pleased to be free of the whole slicing, za...
Forum Discussion
@Shorelle. The port (potacath or infusaport) is a device that sat under the skin on my chest with a catheter that went into a large vein. I had chemo 11 years ago and it damaged the veins in my arms (this doesn't happen to everyone) so I decided to have the port installed to make chemo easier this time. Oncology used a special needle that clips into the port and delivers the drugs that way.
Not everyone needs one--it was a good option for me even though mine had its own quirks and didn't always behave itself. They can stay in for years with a bit of basic maintenance. Quite a few ladies who have Herceptin end up with one, just to make access easier if they are having issues with their veins. They are not painful once they settle in, but I found it a bit creepy (it feels like a fat dollar coin under your skin) and was glad to get rid of mine.
Not everyone needs one--it was a good option for me even though mine had its own quirks and didn't always behave itself. They can stay in for years with a bit of basic maintenance. Quite a few ladies who have Herceptin end up with one, just to make access easier if they are having issues with their veins. They are not painful once they settle in, but I found it a bit creepy (it feels like a fat dollar coin under your skin) and was glad to get rid of mine.