Updates on Port

Well yesterday I did my walk-in to the ER, amazingly that time just kind of flew by between having the PA check me out, to a nurse that access me without a hitch and having an radiology nurse come down to check me.

When I got access and check for blood return, there was very little . . . There was slow movement with the blood, almost like clumps from my dad's point of view. For me I just really couldn't look because all I could see was bad news and not much else.

When the radiology nurse came and tried it, the blood return still was the same so we went on down to Radiology Intervention and did TPA. So as we waited anxiously for 30 mintues to come, when the time did we still were having issues with blood return. It got better but not like it should be.

So we went ahead and did the dye test, overall the port is working fine but there may be either a clot or fibrin sheath that is causing all the problems. It's like for example I don't feel any discomfort when getting a flush when my head is turn away but I feel a little discomfort when my head is turn facing forward.

We did another round of TPA and waited 2 hours, during those two hours my dad and I went to say hi to some old friends on short stay and then headed out to eat at Wendy's then stop by shopko since it's right next door.

We return back and the blood return was again a little hesitant but if might be due to the nurse didn't do an flush first then check for blood return. So can I say that the second round works? That I'm not sure but even after the dye the Radiologist that read my dye test said that there's nothing that would indicate a problem or no reason why I can't keep using the port.

So in other words, we won't know how things goes with the port until my next infusion which is next Friday. You can say that my nerves and being anxious grows on my mind as my infusion day comes closer.

I wish that somehow that there were more definite answers to reasons why I was having issues but again if it is fibrin sheath which most likely is, that there's really no way to dissolve it if it's on top of my port and not within the port itself.

My dad did some research on the new and improved ports nowadays, I think if we need to change out the port I will get a new one. After just talking with my parents and talking with a lot of people from the CVID facebook group that I would hate to start having problems and reactions/side effects after going for 17 years without them. 

But at least one thing came out of this little trip to the ER, I did get heparin after not being able to get it at my last infusion.