I just had a new port put in my left upper chest about a half-an inch from my collar bone. It was placed under general anesthesia by a terrific Cardiologist almost two and a half weeks ago. I had my old port that I had for three and a half years removed. It was in my left arm in the midddle, right below my elbow bend. It was called a PASS-Port, which is the same as my new one but just smaller and MUCH harder to access because the diameter is about half the size of my new one. I wish I would have understood my options better. Since I had just moved to Memphis and previously had 4 PICCs at the Atlanta clinic, I was thrilled to get something different. I didn't realize at the time that it would make any difference. The problem that bothered me every day and made for a horrible recovery is that where they usually place it in your arm is right by a nerve bed and to place the PASS-port you have to cut the muscles and the nerves and re-tether them to to the PASS-port. Well, I don't know about the rest of you but I heal very slow and usually not properly,which is what happened. My nerves never properly healed and so from that day on I didn't have full motion/bend of my arm and would have horrible sensations like hitting your funny bone but the kind that would last for hours. About three months ago the nurse had a hard time accessing it because the muscles in your arm roll easier and if you had exercised or lifted anything to heay with that arm the port would hurtand the muscles would swell. So she proceeded to keep trying access it and by the fifth try I couldn't even move my arm. Usually she does a great job and since where I'm at no one but her knows how to access PASS-Port I rely on her. Since I can't do myself one -handed and no on else had the special training needed, I went home and we tried again in 3 days. She got it and then the next two months were fine , but then I needed IV's. I went on for three weeks and wasn't geeting any better .PFT's were still in 30's and MRSA and Pseudimonas were still alive and strong. It kept hurting more and more and so then IV's stated taking over 6 hours to infuse. I went and had a Fluoroscopy and the said that it had been severly punctered and had bad clots because the more tubeing, higher chance of clots . The said that my meds had been seeping around the site since beginning and said probably didn't get meds. I'm now going on third week of new Iv's and steadily inproving.So all that said, I highly recomend not to have a PASS-Port put in at all costs, and I also recommend it near collar bone directly inline with nipple. I really like that even with more revealing outfits it does really show that bad. But who cares about a little scar when the won't have daily nerve irritation, ya know what I mean? <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Marlene, 18 CFRD
Memphis, TN
