Out with the Old and in with the New

It’s been some time since I last wrote an entry because things have become rather routine and predictable.  Today, however, that changed a little.  Before I had my first round of chemo two years ago this month, I had a port installed on the left side of my chest.  The port is a small device with a tube that runs to a major vein.  It has a rubber top, and a special needle is used to penetrate the overlying skin and penetrate the top of the port.  Then blood can be withdrawn and other fluids such a chemo drugs can be injected into the vein through the port.  Two infusions ago, my old port did not work properly.  Flushes and/or chemo drugs would flow into the vein, but blood could not be drawn.  The most likely reason was that a fibrin sheath had formed over the tip of the tubing inside the vein.  The sheath acted like a one-way valve that opened when fluid was injected, but closed under suction.  Then during the last infusion two weeks ago, there was significant resistance to the injection of fluids, so they had to infuse my chemo through an IV in my arm.

 
Consequently, I had to go in today and have my old port removed and a new one installed.  It all went very smoothly, and it was interesting because I was awake but sedated and very relaxed while the nurse practitioner performed the procedures.  I’m glad to have my new port because it is a power port, which allows contrast medium to be injected when I have a CT scan.  My old port was small and had not been approved for the injection of the CT contrast.  Given that I have a CT scan every eight or nine weeks, the new port will save me from having future IVs.  I’m a little sore at the two incision sites, but Tylenol helps.  My new port will get its first test on Monday when I go in for my next CT.  Wednesday I’ll learn if my tumors are behaving themselves or not.  If not we’ll have to come up with a new game plan; otherwise, I’ll go into another three-round cycle of pemetrexed, which will take me into the new year.

David