“Adapt the remedy to the disease.”

- Chinese Proverb

One of the first things you will encounter before beginning your breast cancer treatment is the procedure to have a port implanted. It is usually done one week before your chemotherapy treatments begin, and it is a minor surgical procedure during which you are mildly sedated for your best comfort.  If you are like I was when I first received my diagnosis and made the decision to begin chemotherapy, you have probably never heard of a port, much less what it looks or feels like or how you will feel or look like once you have one. That said, after reading this article, we hope you will feel better informed and have yet another item for your toolkit. 

Now, take a deep breath, release it, and read on!

First, what is a port?

According to the National Cancer Institute, a port is a device used to draw blood and give treatments, including intravenous fluids, blood transfusions, or drugs such as chemotherapy and antibiotics. The port is placed under the skin, usually in the right side of the chest. It is attached to a catheter (a thin, flexible tube) that is guided (threaded) into a large vein above the right side of the heart called the superior vena cava. A needle is inserted through the skin into the port to draw blood or give fluids and other treatments. A port may stay in place for many weeks, months, or years.  

By now you’re probably wondering what a port actually looks like once the procedure is complete. Well, the best visual I can give you is this: your port will look a bit like a small lump — similar to those benign fatty-tissue lumps that some people have on their arms. You know, like a small grape just underneath the skin. But believe me when I tell you, it is ok. Breathe; stay with me.

I had my port procedure on May 31st, 2019, one week prior to the start of what would be my first chemotherapy regimen. It’s a day I will always remember because it just so happened that in the very next curtained-off area to where I was in the hospital, I overheard a doctor speaking with a female patient who was having her port removed after five years of having lived with it!  A sentiment that in that moment let me know that this had a beginning, and it could also have a very good ending! 

What I also now know is that life with a port in and of itself is not that different from how you lived your life before a port, but there are a few things you need to be mindful of and some things that you may need to adjust.

So first, let us break down in layman’s terms what a port is and is not.

What it is

• A easy-to-access device for your treatments — eliminating the need to have blood drawn from your arm

• Tucked under your skin and virtually undetectable under most clothing

• Painless — only accessed for treatment or bloodwork. A numbing cream is applied an hour prior to prevent pain at the site.

• Highly temporary — dependent on the patient and their specific treatment journey, it could be removed after a few months or a few years.

What it is NOT

• A metal device or implant that interferes with day-to-day living or with other medical tests or procedures

• Sharp, protruding, or detectable device visible above the skin’s surface

• Painful or regularly requiring creams or pain medicine for day-to-day living

• Always permanent or unremovable

Adjusting to life with a port:

4 quick tips to add to your Breast cancer navigation toolkit.

1 | Wardrobe

Depending on how you feel about others being able to “see” your port, you may have to make slight adjustments to your wardrobe — meaning, if you normally prefer strapless dresses or tops or tops/dresses that are sheer or tight-fitting and you do not want your port to show, you may either want to temporarily switch to clothing with more coverage or add a light scarf for coverage (these can be very stylish and practical).

2 | Skin

Depending on your skin type and degree of sensitivity to the tape used around the area of the port during your infusion treatment, you may need to apply a soft lotion or oil to your skin to prevent irritation or skin peeling. For more information on skin/hair/nail care, please visit the Beauty Room on how to Breast cancer!

3 | Maintenance

Depending on the regularity of your treatments, you may need to have your port flushed to ensure smooth functionality. This is done by a nurse, who uses a bit of the saline solution to clear out the port. It is painless and takes just a few minutes. It is part of the process during your infusion treatment, but it’s also proactively done if you do not have regular infusions to ensure the port is working properly.

4 | Acceptance

Embrace your port as a means to your treatment process. I know it can feel overwhelming now, but I also know that with proper planning, proper care, and a bit of humor, you too can live well with your port and see it as a conduit for your healing.

I call my port “Temp,” a name I came up with by “channeling my inner llama.” I thank “Temp Port” before and after every treatment for serving me well, being the conduit to remedying the illness, ensuring my body is receiving the therapy well, and most importantly, helping to heal me. You could say that I have adapted it as the leading remedy for my body as I navigate how to Breast cancer, and you can too!

With love,
Amelia O.