Misc When to get a port

[BlueIV]

Any thoughts about a port for IVing?

I'm supposed to use up my hand veins before moving on to the arms. I'm wondering how much I would regret skipping the hands, going with the arms for now and then getting a port when those are useless. I'm getting frustrated trying to get my hands and I won't always have someone around to help me out when I need my medication.

I haven't tried my arms yet, although I have had others start the IV in the antecubital and it seems much easier.

 

[BlueIV]

How long should I keep trying my hands? The veins work fairly well when someone can get into them. They are deep, don't stick out well and are difficult to see and feel though, so getting into them is the issue.

 

[T. Calderone]

Since this is going to be a frequent occurrence, I suggest asking your healthcare provider for assistance. It's important that you get this medicine and I can't see why they can't send a nurse out to help you with this. In a situation such as yours, you have to be your own best advocate in order to get proper treatment.

 

[BlueIV]

I need to be in practice with doing it though, so I can treat myself right away if I have an attack. I have a kit I take everywhere I go, but it's useless if it can't be used quickly.
Less importantly, I don't want to be tied down. I already turned down a small conference at a lake because it would have been an hour away from medical help.

 

[detoxdiva]

best thing you can do is be your own advocate, talk to your doctor, get a second or third opinion. I will say that a port or a picc, brings on another issue of infection. I have seen many patients in the hospital get a port or a picc and end up getting a blood infection, which if not caught in time can go to your heart. So these sites have to be cared for to the highest of standards. But only you and your doctor can out way the risks with the rewards

 

[BlueIV]

Yeah, I would need to discuss that option more. I'm just wondering if it's worth trying my hands longer. It's been a bit over a month and I'm wondering if this frustration is worth keeping my arm veins longer.

 

[detoxdiva]

Yeah, I would need to discuss that option more. I'm just wondering if it's worth trying my hands longer. It's been a bit over a month and I'm wondering if this frustration is worth keeping my arm veins longer.

You should look up youtube videos about accessing a port. I don't know exactly what your situation is, but every time you need to access it, it's not so easy. It's a long process that has to take place to ensure that you do it right and sterile, usually a first timer will take up to 30 minutes to do the whole process and do it right, where as someone who has done it many times, it may only take 10-15 minutes. Depending on how many times a day you have to access a vein would be the amount of times you would have to access your port. Now if you get medication like every couple hours, you may just leave the access point in all day, which can lead to more of a risk for infection the longer it is there, or if you just get meds once a day, then put it in, do the med and then take it out. it just all depends but at least if you educate your self by watching a few videos and doing so research, when you do decide to have this conversation with your doctor, you will be at a much better advantage then most patients. Knowledge is the Key!!

 

[BlueIV]

Thanks! The video thing was a good idea, and I should look up more. This video makes it look so easy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKXmySpexi8
Is it connecting the external stuff that's usually time consuming, or does it usually take much longer to access without the experience? I've checked out some facebook groups, and on there I haven't heard any complaints about ports, everyone seems to love them, but those are people who usually went for years trying to get shitty veins.

 

[sekio]

There's a reason you only see people with IV ports in the hospital - it's a direct line to get a blood infection.

 

[dopemaster]

If you are going to IV for any reason it is so important to rotate sights or you will just end up with less sights.

I have enough collapsed veins as living proof. What works well today will eventually crap out tomorrow if you keep hammering on the same veins.

 

[detoxdiva]

If you are going to IV for any reason it is so important to rotate sights or you will just end up with less sights.

I have enough collapsed veins as living proof. What works well today will eventually crap out tomorrow if you keep hammering on the same veins.

That's a great point! there is a mega thread on here about IVing drugs, whether legal or illegal drugs, it's the same info. But yes you have to rotate sites, if you can using 3-4 different sites, that way by the time you go back to the 1st site it will have been 4 days and you have given that vein some time to heal. It may even help you to look at a map of the venous system in the body. I am sure you can google it, there may be veins that you can stick that you don't even realize are there. Using a tourniquet helps greatly and allow some time for the veins to "pop".

On the mega thread, there are some maps of the veins in the hands and arms I do believe if I remember correctly

 

[detoxdiva]

There's a reason you only see people with IV ports in the hospital - it's a direct line to get a blood infection.

That's not quite true, many cancer patients will have ports that they upkeep at home, or patients that need IV medication more frequently. But yes it does offer an open site to infection

 

[BlueIV]

I'm rotating my hand veins as much as possible. It's tough when I end up doing 3 hand sticks and having to go to the arm anyway though. I have a vein map, the nurses are doing what they can, I'm drinking, I'm using heat and I have a tourniquet.

I wouldn't go straight to the port, I'm just thinking that starting off higher up than my hands might be worth the extra time I could get before needing a port.
From what I've heard I wouldn't even need to worry about flushing a port, I do enough prevention and the medication isn't harmful to the site/veins like chemotherapy can be.

 

[detoxdiva]

no you do need to flush a port, after every use. how many times a day do you have to inject something? Did they tell you to start with hands first, I ask because I think in my opinion if you have good veins in your arms, I don't see why you can't rotate between your hands and arms to give your hands a break. Do you have home care, a nurse that comes to your house? If you are needing to inject enough times a day and have a nurse that comes to your house, what about doing an IV that you can keep for 4 days and then start another one? Just things you can talk to your doctor about, you can also try to google your issue as well, sometimes you can find some alternatives you have not thought about before.

 

[BlueIV]

Oops, double posted.

 

[BlueIV]

I inject about twice a week, but that can increase during flareups. I'm going in once a week, and the others it's my husband. The training clinic doesn't offer home care. For now, they will only do my arm if I've failed twice and they have failed once in my hands. They've only trained me for the antecubital in my arms as they only want it used for emergencies, or after the failures.

If at home we've failed twice I'm actually supposed to go to the emergency room, but they don't mind if we try more than that or end up using the antecubital.

 

[BlueIV]

no you do need to flush a port, after every use.

You're right, I went back and doubled checked and it was just referring to extra flushing between doses. I guess for most, 2x a week is enough so having a port wouldn't require extra work on non-dosing days. I really need to learn more about this.

Thanks for your input!

 

[granddeception2]

No worries

 

[legalizeall]

Shouldnt all your questions be asked somewhere more informed on this topic, like a professional md office, like your doctor. The internet is not the most accurate place to ask on questions like yours. Cant you ask these to your doctor? You seem like their is alot you dont know. Im just wandering why you would come here or any place online to ask?

It seems that serious issues can happen if your not doing everything right so why chance it by following someones advise here that you dont even know. Your acting like you cant ask your doctor this stuff for some reason. I have heard of people trying to do this that were only recreational users and didnt have a medical problem.

 

[BlueIV]

I don't get to see my specialist often. I've seen him once for my diagnosis and will follow up in a year. My GP has never had anyone on home IV therapy, and isn't familiar with my condition. I'm going to be given another medication in a few weeks as prevention without even seeing the doctor, my nurse takes the info and the doctor prescribes it from that. I'm not used to getting things from a doctor via a nurse.

I'm not just going to listen to people on the internet and walk in to my doctor's office asking for a port. I'm seeking out information and listening to comments to help figure out what I want and if it's even worthwhile at this stage to press for an appointment just to find out more. One nurse made it sound like a port is a last resort only, another said that if she were me she would get getting one right away. People here at least at least have first hand experience with getting IVs all the time instead of just performing them on others - it makes a difference.

One of the first questions many people asked who work in the health field asked me when I told them about my treatment was if I would be getting a port. This was before I even knew anything other than my diagnosis, the med I would be on, and that I would be learning to do it myself. I had no idea then how often, where, etc.

Some of my comments come from frustration. My hands are covered in bruises. I spent a night in the ER with a doctor who was completely ignorant only offering me meds that are known not to help when he should have been paging my doctor. If I'm out somewhere and have an attack I might not be able to successfully start my IV.