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Questions For IV Med Recipients

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Posted 4/24/2009 4:22 PM (GMT 0)
I have been receiving Remicade for about 6 months now about every 6 weeks. I do not have a subcutaneous injection port. Everytime I go into the hospital for my Remicade dose, the nurse asks me if I have a port or if she needs to start one. I have talked to my doc about the remicade and it seems that I will be continuing the med for the foreseeable future. I am very seriously considering asking to have a port put in when I am in the hospital for my colostomy reversal in a few weeks. The reason that I want a port is because the nurses have said that my skin and veins are getting very tough to access and they have trouble getting the small site started. I had a treatment yesterday and had to get stuck four times before we got a viable site.

Do you have a subcutaneous IV port? What kind of port do you have? How long have you had it and have you had any problems with it? I just read Randynoguts post about his IV line needing replaced after 6 years. Is that an extremely long time to have one without major problems or normal. Thanks for any information.

Posted 4/25/2009 1:56 AM (GMT 0)
I personally do not have a port and never even thought about it. My daughter used to have one for chemo, but it has been out for years now. There was never a problem with it, but the doctors said that it's a good idea to have it removed as soon as it is possible because of the risk of infection. That's my two cents!
Posted 4/25/2009 5:03 AM (GMT 0)

atctackett said...
I have been receiving Remicade for about 6 months now about every 6 weeks. I do not have a subcutaneous injection port. Everytime I go into the hospital for my Remicade dose, the nurse asks me if I have a port or if she needs to start one. I have talked to my doc about the remicade and it seems that I will be continuing the med for the foreseeable future. I am very seriously considering asking to have a port put in when I am in the hospital for my colostomy reversal in a few weeks. The reason that I want a port is because the nurses have said that my skin and veins are getting very tough to access and they have trouble getting the small site started. I had a treatment yesterday and had to get stuck four times before we got a viable site.

Do you have a subcutaneous IV port? What kind of port do you have? How long have you had it and have you had any problems with it? I just read Randynoguts post about his IV line needing replaced after 6 years. Is that an extremely long time to have one without major problems or normal. Thanks for any information.

Hi atctackett yes Randy had his a long time he got a new one now and it depends on which type of port your thinking about getting i just got my central line taking out cause it was blocked now i'm going in for a (Hickman) on Thursday,some of the ports only last a few years some block easy the central has 3 lines you can get your blood drawn throw it and get your MEDS also i think the hickman has 2 lines which is all you reallly need they do have to be flushed once a day the central anyway but the person you need to talk to is Randy he explained everything out to me so now i understand what is going to happen and the best line to get the ones that last the longest the ones that only need to be flushed once a month,its alot easier after getting in a port or picc i had one now since 6 years cause my veins are shot there tough and they won't thread any more so these lines saved my life really. Look Up Randy. Your  Friend Jenn yeah

Posted 4/25/2009 9:21 AM (GMT 0)
hey Shawn. its a lot to go through for an every six week thing. although it is conveinient, there are other things to consider as well. cost is one. depending on if your insurance would cover it is another.. they may deem it as not necessary and the price can be in the thousands. plus it is a foreign object in your body that your body will always be trying to get rid of. so the extra cost of caring for the port or line is an issue. the cost of "accessing" it when you get an infusion may be steep. there are risks with every procedure. when they implant it you may get a serious infection. especially in the OR during bowel surgery, there may be some bowel contamination during the session that could get you very ill. im not saying , not to get one but ask the questions before hand so you know whats what.
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