Today was treatment day and my lovely nurses let me film them accessing my port. A lot of people that I talk to, have no idea how I have treatment, what's a port? how does it all work? So welcome to today's journey.
This is a 'Power Portacath' - yes mine is purple/magenta, just like this one.
A portacath (port) is an implanted device giving access to veins for people who need regular long-term administration of drugs like chemotherapy.
The port is a small rounded device made of titanium metal, it is implanted
sub-cutaneously in the chest under sedation and with a local anaesthetic - mine is positioned just below my right clavicle.
There is a tube which is connected to the port that runs in a tunnel under the skin going over collar bone then enters the large vein in the neck with its end lying in the right side of the heart. This allows for drugs to be instantly diluted by the blood stream and distributed efficiently to the entire body.
Below is the video we filmed today. Fair warning there is blood, and needles in this video - it's not gory at all. The needle going into the port is quite often painless for me. If I do have any pain it is a quick sharp pinch feeling that lasts a couple of seconds, very manageable.
Comments