My Cancer Journey

Having the port, port-a-cath, was a good decision for me. It provided access to a vein easily so that a nurse did not have to find one every three weeks when I had my treatments. She just needed to find the port and put the needle through my skin. It had a catheter connected to it that accessed a good vein below my left collarbone. It worked perfectly.  Tuesday, January 14, 2025, four weeks after my last Kadcyla treatment, my surgeon removed the purple heart, my port. The port had not hurt, or really bothered me much, but I did not want it in me any longer than I had to.  If you do not use the port for infusions, you need to go to the cancer center to have it flushed with a saline solution every three months to prevent infections. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but in order to do it, the nurse needs to access it as if you are going to get an infusion. The saline solution “tastes” like they are putting a chemical in your body. It’s nasty. It doesn’t take long, but why go thro...

The first week after the first infusion was the worst one overall. Your body has a difficult time figuring out what to do with the drugs in your system. The nausea lasted less than one week for me, but the fatigue, although worst the first week after each treatment, was always there. It was a workout just to take a shower. I was huffing and puffing and not physically able to squeegee the glass shower door. During weeks two and three, while I was able to clean the shower door after showering, I moved very slowly. It might seem counterintuitive, but going for walks helps you not feel as exhausted; especially when combined with sunshine. I took many short walks outside. Usually very slow ones as they took a lot out of me. The pre-med steroids make your face round and ruddy. It is not a pretty look, but there is not much you can do about it. I also gained about 20 pounds, which I did not need, but it is better than losing weight. You need your strength so you can fight. I am very slowly lo...