Port Problems, Week 2

I went over to the cancer center this afternoon. My port was accessed, no blood return at all. It was flushed, and then I was given the clot buster drug. After an hour, still no blood return, they continue to let me sit. (I got two classes of papers graded.) About 5:40, Tara came over to talk to me. She could've given me another dose of the clot buster drug, but didn't think it would work, if she did, that would've had me there til after 7 pm. Instead, the nurse in charge, tomorrow afternoon, will call next door to the doctor's office and have them call over to the hospital (specials) to schedule a time next month to have my port checked. I should know in the next couple of days. That means taking a day off school to have my port checked. There is something in my port that is not allowing blood return and it needs to be removed.

Problems with my Port

I was scheduled for 4 pm this afternoon to get my port flushed. After icing my skin above my port, the nurse inserted the needle, and flushed my port, but she got no blood return. I took deep breaths, lifted my right arm, then my left arm. I coughed and took more deep breaths. They put the chair back, so my head was lower than my feet. I sat forward. I got up and walked around for a few minutes. I was given some normal saline for a few minutes, but nothing worked. A call was put into my onc, and he said to give me the clot buster drug. First, the needle was removed and a different one was inserted, still nothing. I was given the clot buster drug a little after 5 pm. Three different times during the next hour, my nurse tried to get a blood return. Nothing, Nada, Zilch. No blood whatsoever. I was given Heparin, and scheduled for next Tuesday again at 4 pm. If it doesn't work next week, then I will get to spend a day at Specials over at the hospital to have my port checked.

Figures, that when I don't take grading in, my port doesn't work.