Does anyone here have a Medi-Port catheter?

[auntAgonist]

I'm having surgery on the 4th of November to have one placed. Thank goodness! No more painful digging around for veins, no more horrendous bruising when said veins blow out.

Last week the IV clinic nurses tried to insert a PICC line for TPN without success. Both arms had something blocking the veins 13 and 14 cms in and they couldn't get in far enough to place the line. It was a painful experience.

Does anyone here have experience with a port?
I'll receive TPN , Iron Infusions and blood, not all at the same time of course

aA
kesha

[Warpy]

1. I have experience with the other side of the port.

They're better than permanently placed central lines because when they're not in use, there is no break in the skin and infection rates are much, much lower. They do need to be accessed with special needles, but those don't hurt any more than having any other needle pierce the skin for any reason. They can be left in place for years at a time, just periodic flushing needed when they're not being used for infusions.

You will be able to feel it under the skin if you go looking for it. It shouldn't show, though.

[auntAgonist]

2. I think it's a good decision to have one. As I said, they have such a hard time

accessing veins. I like that it's easy to access and not as prone to infection.
I had a PICC go bad once and ended up so ill I thought I'd never recover.

Thanks for your response Warpy.

kesha

[oftheforest]

3. Besides infection,

you must be on the watch for signs of bloodclots.

[auntAgonist]

4. I tend to be very vigilant in that I have a 'syndrome' called Trousseau's. I am on blood thinners.

Trousseau syndrome is an acquired blood clotting disorder that results in migratory thrombophlebitis (inflammation of a vein due to a blood clot). Although not always associated with an internal malignancy, many cases do show an underlying cancer.

http://www.dermnetnz.org/systemic/trousseau.html


thanks.
kesha

[oftheforest]

5. You certainly have alot to deal with there.

Sending good thoughts your way for your upcoming surgery.

[hedgehog]

6. Mine has been in since last Winter, and it does a nice job

for both bloodwork and infusions.

[auntAgonist]

7. It's in and the surgery went well according to the Dr. There was some concern

that they would run into scar tissue but wasn't a problem.

I will say though it hurts like a sonofagun!!!

I have percocet to manage it though and as long as I stay ahead of it I'm ok.
Coughing, sneezing and even sniffling hurts ... yeah, I am a wimp.

[hedgehog]

8. We all have different pain threshholds; if it hurts, it hurts!

Make sure with your doctor that the pain level is within normal bounds. The percoset script probably means you're OK. Here's hoping you feel better soon!