My port placement went so crappy for me! I know, everyone got me so excited to get a port and this weekend had me angrier than ever...not at you guys, at the surgeon and the docs involved. Things are working for the better with it, though.
First of all, the surgeon that did the placement was sooo rude. The day before the placement, he came into my room and was not receptive to any of my questions or concerns. He looked at me and said, "We're putting in a port and of course there are risks, as with everything. For example, when you fly a plane, sometimes it's delayed, sometimes it's just fine, and sometimes everybody dies."--excuse me?? That comment freaked my fiancee out way more than it did me, but it was not necessary. I later asked him about pain post-op. I asked what to expect. Agony? Irritation? The resident with him said I wouldn't wake up wanting my arm gone and he then said to me, "It's no big deal. It will just be like a really bad PMS day."--EXCUSE ME?? That comment had me furious all weekend long. I was told this surgeon was a good surgeon, though, so I didn't request a different one.
The day of the placement, my CF doc specifically requested I come back from surgery accessed. I told three people in the OR, in addition to the surgeon, to make sure that they accessed me while I was still under. I woke up NOT accessed and was told "We don't do that down here."
For the next two days, I was visited by over 10 people to try to access my port. I had oncology nurses, IV team nurses, CF nurses, and a few others that often access ports. It took three people at one time just to find where my port was--I later learned that it is so hard to find because he put a pediatric port in me. I'm 25 years old and am not a tiny person. An adult size would be perfect for me. One nurse actually bent 2 needles trying to access my port. Because no one could access it and I had to start IVs, I had to go all weekend long continuously getting peripheral IVs. I blew 6 IVs in two days. My 6th IV had me screaming and I finally flat out refused any more. I was so angry because the reason I got a port was to avoid all of this. One nurse was able to get it accessed but with no blood return, so she deaccessed it (which I understood, she was concerned).
Things are looking up, though. I had two xrays done of my port after being visited by the surgeon again. It's still where it's supposed to be. I went down to radiology to get a mediport dye test done, to see how it's flushing and why there's no blood return. Before the radiologist put in the dye, he got a blood return. That almost made me cry-I told him I wanted to kiss him, lol. So far today, after going to radiology, my port is working ok...I'm still a little apprehensive about it-I immediately expect the worst when the nurse comes in to flush it and hook up a med.
I'm mixed about the placement. It's on my left side, which is what I wanted. It's right above my boob, almost in it, lol. The surgeon told me he put it there, lower than he usually places it because he remembered me mentioning I was nervous that I would be really self conscious about how visible it might be. I didn't even think he was listening when I said that. I wonder, though, that where it is might cause problems in the future when it needs to be accessed? Who knows, though...that could happen even if everything went 100% exactly the way it was supposed to go.
I still have hope that it will be great in the end. I'm still so very grateful for all the positive feedback I got from you guys, even though this initially went in the opposite direction. Now that my port is working properly, I'm seeing the benefits and am getting excited about it again. Like I said, I'm still a little apprehensive, wondering if the ball will drop again, but I'm sure the longer I have the port, the more these feelings will subside.
Sorry such a long post. I was going to post it in a new topic, but then just decided to reply here.
<3