Love/Hate Relationship With The Thing In My Chest

“The Alien,” I said. “I hate it. It freaks me out” It does! No one wants something the size of a bottle cap embedded in their chest.

This is how the port is placed, but it’s all under the skin.

Yesterday was treatment day. Carrie was my nurse. She is most days.

As she prepared the potion to be dripped into my chest we chatted about my catheter port. It’s how I get IV fluids. It’s a small receptacle under-the-skin below my right shoulder. Small tubes connect it to my central artery. A needle still breaks my skin but it’s orders of magnitude less invasive than a normal IV line.

“The Alien,” I said. “I hate it. It freaks me out”

It does! No one wants something the size of a bottle cap embedded in their chest.

On the other hand it’s been used over twenty times. That’s a lot of times my arms or hands were spared.

“I’m glad you’ve got it,” Carrie said. She wondered how my veins would have stood up to this amount of use?

I have a love/hate relationship with this thing in my chest. I’m not getting rid of it any time soon.

7 thoughts on “Love/Hate Relationship With The Thing In My Chest”

  1. Hi Geoff, I had a port in my chest, too! I still have the scars. One to put it in and one to take it out. Mine were only there for 6-7 months. The difference from breast cancer and pancreatic cancer. I guess. I also have a couple of tattoos for the area that the radiation was suppose to work on. Ports are no fun but it was better to have the port than getting stuck with needles all of the time! Take care:-). Barb

  2. Do you have a “port pillow”? I’d be happy to send you one or the directions. It is a small pillow (about 3 x 5″) with Velcro that wraps around a seat belt to provide cushioning/protection for the port.

  3. When all your I V treatments and tests are done it will still be a while after before it gets removed, I’m sorry to say. It is a blessing to spare your arm veins.. Hugs Geoff

  4. Hi Geoff,
    I’ve been following your progress for awhile now. I have had my port for over 2 years now and so happy to have it rather than having my vanes being abused. I too have/had pancreatic cancer (2years) have to stay on chemo to prevent it from returning. Being treated at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford. Their cancer center is now part of Yale/Smilo Cancer center.
    Wish you the best.

  5. Hi Geoff

    My husband had one also with his lung cancer he started out with great veins but after awhile there weren’t any left for treatment. I felt the same way. It look like something out of an alien movie, but saved a lot of pain and discomfort

    JoAnn

  6. hi Geoff I had 2 chemo treatments and someone made a mistake I had the runs don’t want that . starting to lose my hair in bits and pieces I knew that was coming. going back for next treatment this Thursday .Is your studio still running good?

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