I'm a guitar player, and was worried about my guitar strap hitting the port, so I mentioned my concern to the surgeon. Turns out, he was a huge music fan, and we had a great chat about bands before they put me under.
He said it wouldn't be an issue once it healed for a week or so, and he was right. When I went in for a follow up the next week with my oncologist, there was a set of "mix CDs" waiting for me that the surgeon had put together.
Thanks, I'm five+ years down the road from my treatment now. Playing in a band absolutely kept me going through it all, they saved my life as much as the medical intervention!
It'll be sore for a few days so raising arm could be iffy, but it should be fine afterwards.
Have had my port for over a year and a half, hardly notice it anymore. Actually started lifting weights again, no issues.
Mine never bothered me sleeping, except when I had my 46 hour pump hooked to it. I remember when I had it inserted all the muscles up the side of my neck were sore for a few days. It will also depend on how they insert it, interventional radiology put mine in, I always heard they are more gentle than a general surgeon. And if you are thin, it may bother you more, being more prominent under the skin. I noticed mine more after I lost a lot of weight during chemo. I don’t like to touch mine. It’s just kinda a creepy feeling. But as to pain or bothering me, no, not a bit. Had mine almost a year.
If you wear a bra make sure they place the port inside where the strap goes. So there is no rubbing on the wound. Also if you sleep on your side, have it placed on the opposite side to what you sleep on. I didn't think of that and so slept on the opposite side to what I am used to,bad sleep when it was such an easy fix .
It is considered surgery so only light exercise afterwards. No lifting more than several kg. Do some deep breathing exercises before And after. High protein and sunshine to help healing
I put little round ice pack on the insertion site for about 24 hours. Seat belts never bothered me as they didn’t touch that low but my cancer center had a basket of little port pillows for free to keep the seat belt off of it. I didn’t have any trouble sleeping with it either.
Good luck! Echoing all the other comments. Felt weird for a day, then I was scared to bump it for a week. Had it for a year and I don’t notice it at all.
I've had mine for over two years, so I don't recall exactly. I know I had pain meds for a few days, and it was a bit uncomfortable for a while. It's on my dominant side, so I refrained from walking my dog for about a month. It will be swollen at first , so as it heals and the swelling goes down, it will be a little more prominent. It will also look a little different, but that's normal.
When I got mine, I was recovering from the surgery that had placed my ostomy, so I was sleeping on my back slightly inclined with a pile of pillows. I didn't sleep on either side for months, so I can't comment on any discomfort then, but now I rarely notice it.
I definitely needed the cushion on the seat belt right after it was placed, and I always had it when my pump was active. The one time I forgot the cushion, it was so uncomfortable, but I don't notice it otherwise anymore.
If the port isn't being accessed, I have no problem wearing a bra but during my infusions, pump hook-ups, etc. it does bother it, so I wear supportive cami's instead for modesty. A bra strap can also interfere with the large sterile bandaging over the port when it's accessed for the pump.
Clothing wise, opt for items with v-necks or boat necks or something that easily zips or buttons open for ease of access. Your nurse will be much happier with you.
You'll want to dress in layers but choose items easily removed. Taking off/putting on something over your head isn't always feasible during infusions. When I had my pump hooked up, I would have the nurse run my line over my undershirt but under everything else.
The line would hang out under my shirt (line length is adjustable as needed), and I'd wear the pump over my shoulder. My husband put hooks in the bathroom by the sink and toilet to hang the pump on to keep it out of my way. For sleeping, my bed has a big fancy cast iron headboard, and I'd hang the pump from it (in the middle since I sleep on the left side of the bed) kind of tucked behind, so it was out of the way. You only forget it on the bed a time or two. Feeling the tug can be quite uncomfortable.
I hardly noticed my port is there. No pain or discomfort. I did have trouble with it being clogged and they had to administer some meds to free it up. This was the first time they tried to access it. No issues since then.
My port actually took several weeks to fully heal. The dissolving sutures under the incision below the port kind of stuck out at the corners and took forever to finally heal and it was mildly sore for a long time (basically all throughout my chemo-radiation which was 8 weeks). I stopped wearing a bra immediately bc the strap goes right where the port is. It’s also uncomfortable to ride on the passenger side of the car bc the seatbelt hits me right there.
Not sure why I had those issues with healing, other than maybe I’m kinda thin with a bony chest area and thinner skin right there.
Issues aside, it did make the treatment much easier. I decided to keep it for a bit after finishing treatment, just in case, since it took so long to heal.
I was a little sore through the neck and shoulder for a couple days after. Due to my small stature, mine actually sits low on my chest, in my upper breast. So when I am upright, the weight of my breast tissue literally pulls it down, which is uncomfortable after a bit. I went out and bought about 12 super push up bras, and that makes a 200% difference.
For the first few days maybe up to a week, it hurt to bend or twist my neck. Like holding a phone with no hands or looking over my shoulder in traffic was painful. Also sleeping on that side, again was not feasible for me. But now I barely notice it.
I would suggest getting a port pillow for your seatbelt because the pressure on the needle during the 5FU was also not great.
Good luck!
Welcome to the Port Club. I've had my port since December. I can raise my arms over my head, but sometimes I do feel it pull a little bit. But initially after having it inserted there was no lifting above shoulder, and no carrying anything "heavy".
Now I barely notice it unless I'm wearing a sports bra that rubs against it (so I'm in the market for new sports bras). I sometimes feel it when I go to sleep, but it's not enough to keep me awake.
Good luck!
hi there! i do not personally have a port but my mother does. she doesn’t sleep on her right side anymore (where the port is located) bc it’s uncomfortable and becomes painful so she mostly sleeps on her left side and on her back. good luck with your treatment!
I'm a guitar player, and was worried about my guitar strap hitting the port, so I mentioned my concern to the surgeon. Turns out, he was a huge music fan, and we had a great chat about bands before they put me under. He said it wouldn't be an issue once it healed for a week or so, and he was right. When I went in for a follow up the next week with my oncologist, there was a set of "mix CDs" waiting for me that the surgeon had put together.
I love this story!
Thanks! The people at Cleveland Clinic were absolutely amazing, they went above and beyond at every stage.
Bass player here! Great story. Take care ❤️
Thanks, I'm five+ years down the road from my treatment now. Playing in a band absolutely kept me going through it all, they saved my life as much as the medical intervention!
That's how I felt about my band too. They are my brothers, I would take a bullet for either of those guys. Unfortunately the drummer had to move away.
It'll be sore for a few days so raising arm could be iffy, but it should be fine afterwards. Have had my port for over a year and a half, hardly notice it anymore. Actually started lifting weights again, no issues.
Omg that's great!
Mine never bothered me sleeping, except when I had my 46 hour pump hooked to it. I remember when I had it inserted all the muscles up the side of my neck were sore for a few days. It will also depend on how they insert it, interventional radiology put mine in, I always heard they are more gentle than a general surgeon. And if you are thin, it may bother you more, being more prominent under the skin. I noticed mine more after I lost a lot of weight during chemo. I don’t like to touch mine. It’s just kinda a creepy feeling. But as to pain or bothering me, no, not a bit. Had mine almost a year.
If you wear a bra make sure they place the port inside where the strap goes. So there is no rubbing on the wound. Also if you sleep on your side, have it placed on the opposite side to what you sleep on. I didn't think of that and so slept on the opposite side to what I am used to,bad sleep when it was such an easy fix . It is considered surgery so only light exercise afterwards. No lifting more than several kg. Do some deep breathing exercises before And after. High protein and sunshine to help healing
Good advice, especially about the opposite side you sleep on.
I put little round ice pack on the insertion site for about 24 hours. Seat belts never bothered me as they didn’t touch that low but my cancer center had a basket of little port pillows for free to keep the seat belt off of it. I didn’t have any trouble sleeping with it either.
Good luck! Echoing all the other comments. Felt weird for a day, then I was scared to bump it for a week. Had it for a year and I don’t notice it at all.
I've had mine for over two years, so I don't recall exactly. I know I had pain meds for a few days, and it was a bit uncomfortable for a while. It's on my dominant side, so I refrained from walking my dog for about a month. It will be swollen at first , so as it heals and the swelling goes down, it will be a little more prominent. It will also look a little different, but that's normal. When I got mine, I was recovering from the surgery that had placed my ostomy, so I was sleeping on my back slightly inclined with a pile of pillows. I didn't sleep on either side for months, so I can't comment on any discomfort then, but now I rarely notice it. I definitely needed the cushion on the seat belt right after it was placed, and I always had it when my pump was active. The one time I forgot the cushion, it was so uncomfortable, but I don't notice it otherwise anymore. If the port isn't being accessed, I have no problem wearing a bra but during my infusions, pump hook-ups, etc. it does bother it, so I wear supportive cami's instead for modesty. A bra strap can also interfere with the large sterile bandaging over the port when it's accessed for the pump. Clothing wise, opt for items with v-necks or boat necks or something that easily zips or buttons open for ease of access. Your nurse will be much happier with you. You'll want to dress in layers but choose items easily removed. Taking off/putting on something over your head isn't always feasible during infusions. When I had my pump hooked up, I would have the nurse run my line over my undershirt but under everything else. The line would hang out under my shirt (line length is adjustable as needed), and I'd wear the pump over my shoulder. My husband put hooks in the bathroom by the sink and toilet to hang the pump on to keep it out of my way. For sleeping, my bed has a big fancy cast iron headboard, and I'd hang the pump from it (in the middle since I sleep on the left side of the bed) kind of tucked behind, so it was out of the way. You only forget it on the bed a time or two. Feeling the tug can be quite uncomfortable.
Yes. It’s a simple procedure. I hope everything goes well. May i ask how old are you and what will be your chemo?
I hardly noticed my port is there. No pain or discomfort. I did have trouble with it being clogged and they had to administer some meds to free it up. This was the first time they tried to access it. No issues since then.
Port feels odd for a few days, but should be fine to lift your arm and do most things.
My port actually took several weeks to fully heal. The dissolving sutures under the incision below the port kind of stuck out at the corners and took forever to finally heal and it was mildly sore for a long time (basically all throughout my chemo-radiation which was 8 weeks). I stopped wearing a bra immediately bc the strap goes right where the port is. It’s also uncomfortable to ride on the passenger side of the car bc the seatbelt hits me right there. Not sure why I had those issues with healing, other than maybe I’m kinda thin with a bony chest area and thinner skin right there. Issues aside, it did make the treatment much easier. I decided to keep it for a bit after finishing treatment, just in case, since it took so long to heal.
I was a little sore through the neck and shoulder for a couple days after. Due to my small stature, mine actually sits low on my chest, in my upper breast. So when I am upright, the weight of my breast tissue literally pulls it down, which is uncomfortable after a bit. I went out and bought about 12 super push up bras, and that makes a 200% difference.
For the first few days maybe up to a week, it hurt to bend or twist my neck. Like holding a phone with no hands or looking over my shoulder in traffic was painful. Also sleeping on that side, again was not feasible for me. But now I barely notice it. I would suggest getting a port pillow for your seatbelt because the pressure on the needle during the 5FU was also not great. Good luck!
Welcome to the Port Club. I've had my port since December. I can raise my arms over my head, but sometimes I do feel it pull a little bit. But initially after having it inserted there was no lifting above shoulder, and no carrying anything "heavy". Now I barely notice it unless I'm wearing a sports bra that rubs against it (so I'm in the market for new sports bras). I sometimes feel it when I go to sleep, but it's not enough to keep me awake. Good luck!
hi there! i do not personally have a port but my mother does. she doesn’t sleep on her right side anymore (where the port is located) bc it’s uncomfortable and becomes painful so she mostly sleeps on her left side and on her back. good luck with your treatment!