Why did my chemo port need emergency removal?

Port complications can happen for various reasons, including changes in weight or tissue, and it sounds like your medical team acted quickly to prevent any potential infection. Missing treatments naturally creates worry, but taking care of the port issue now helps ensure safer treatment moving forward. Wishing you a smooth recovery and hoping others in the community can share their experiences with port-related challenges during their melanoma treatment journey.

Hopefully everything is straightened out and your back on your treatment. I have my PRT scan Tues and I had my SIGNATERA/NATERA test done last wk. I hope everything is good 🙏🍀. My Mayo Clinic appointment on Az is 9/8. It time there

Hi Jill, yeah had my port removed and got my first treatment in with Hillman on Friday. It went ok but was a long day. They switched me from the Opduolag to Opdivo and Yervoy. Doing both for 3 more treatments every 3 weeks then just the Opdivo every four weeks. How did your Signatera test and PRT scan go? Hope you are doing well

PET is this weds and test results hopefully the end of the week. Hope your treatment goes well.

Keep me posted, praying it all good news!!!

Hangin in there. Ready for another round of Opdualag come Wed. Tolerating it fairly well these days. It seems to affect my calcium level for some reason. Hypercalcimia is absolutely no joke but at least we know. Hopefully meeting my new oncologist on Wednesday as well. My current one is moving to OU Cancer Center in Tulsa. 😏 No recent imaging. We're treating, waiting and praying. 🙏🙏 Feeling overall pretty well. Hope you are the same.

My 9/2 Signatera went up to 0.62 from negative 😢. My PET scan looked ok. I Have a appt at the Mayo Clinic this coming Weds 🙏🍀

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Hi David and Jill, just wanted to check in and see how you guys are doing. I’m suppose to have my second treatment at UPMC Hillman tomorrow but just got my blood test results and my liver counts are way out of whack again, up over 220 so I am guessing it will be back to the prednisone and weekly blood tests and no treatment until they come back down. Seeing my oncologist tomorrow morning to see for sure what the plan is. It’s just frustrating. Anyway, hope you guys are doing well and will be thinking and praying for you guys.

Hey William, it's certainly a roller coaster isn't it. All my numbers seem to be good for now. Praying my kidney function continues comes up. Taking Opdualag still. Waiting for my next CT scan to see whether it's growing, shrinking or staying the same. 😜 Plugging along. Working to stay healthy and praying for positive progress. 🙏🙏 Thanks for checking in.

Hope all is doing well. This Yervoy and Opdivo combo giving me a run for my money so to speak. Feeling more side effects this time with nausea and fatigue. The Zofran helps but my appetite isn’t much to speak of. One more treatment with both then just the Opdivo and a scan in early Nov to see if it’s things are improving. Hope you all doing well and making progress. Sending positive thoughts and prayers !!

Thanks for checking in. Holding my own these days. Still on Opdualag monthly. Currently waiting on my latest CT scan for progress. Met Friday with the oncologist at OU Health and discussed TIL therapy and another option in case the current treatment isn't working. Overall though I'm feeling better than I have in a year. Hang in there y'all!!

David and William. I had my Signatera test on Monday and waiting anxiously 🙏🍀. If it goes up higher, different options for me 🤪My chest CT showed 3 small nodules indeterminate and my PET scan had only showed 1. I’m not sure if the Mayo Dr., would want to wait for my regular 3 mo. PET (as is planned) in early November. Good luck to all of us.

Please keep us posted Jill. Glad you are feeling better David.

Hi guys, sorry to bother but just need to vent. Was at my PCP today and I have lost another 12 pounds since my last treatment on the 18th. My cancer team thinks it might be gastritis or colitis since my nausea is constant and I just cannot eat. I take a couple bites of food and it just doesn’t taste good or have any appeal. They are calling me in stronger nausea meds and a round of steroids plus sending me for a scope to see what’s going on. Guess the fear is getting the better of me today. As you know having cancer, any ache, pain, different symptoms always makes you worry if it’s the cancer getting worse. I am hoping it’s just the side effects but I know we always live with that fear and anxiety. Anyway, hope you guys are good and sorry to bother with this but just needed to vent to people that understand what we are living with and going through. You guys take care and always hoping and praying for you.

William! Sorry to hear how you are feeling yes the opdivo -yervoy combo packs a punch!! I only had 2 doses of it but still dealing with GI side effects. No nausea. Just diarrhea have been on steroid taper starting at 60 mg in early Sept will be down to 5 mg for 2 weeks Tuesday. Follow up pet scan nov 5. Its s scary journey but youre not alone! One dah at s time. Dont let the bad days win!

Hang in there William. Just got my CT scan results It was not as positive as we had hoped. There was some growth in my nodules, not dramatic but still. Meeting my new oncologist this week and meeting with my oncologist at OU Health about possible TIL therapy. Lots to discuss and learn. Technically I'm feeling better than I have in a year. The battle goes on and prayers continue for us all. 🙏🙏🙏 Hang in there and keep us posted.

Hi David, sorry to hear there was some growth even if it was small. Let me know how you like the new oncologist. My new one mentioned the TIL therapy and explained it but doesn’t think I am to that point yet. The steroids are helping this colitis or gastritis but it’s definitely not fun, just no appetite at all. I’m glad to hear you are feeling better though!!

Hi Beverly, it definitely packs a punch. Told my wife this is the first time since this began I actually feel like a cancer patient or feel sick and I hate that. The steroids are helping a little but it seems to come in waves, good days and then some bad days. Guess the key is not the let the bad days win. Thank you for your response will be thinking and praying for you!! Hang in there, we fight on!!

William have you had any imaging since starting these Meds?? When is your next scan scheduled??

My SIGNATERA test shot up to 3.44 😢. Big jump. I have a virtual appt with my Mayo Clinic oncologist and see why he wants to do. I know he talked about a clinical trial if it went up more 🙏🍀

Went for treatment yesterday but couldn’t do it due to liver counts, thyroid, and pretty much everything else in my bloodwork is out of whack. Doc decided not to do the last two treatments with the Yervoy, my PA said “you basically have a forest fire going on in your body and we need to put it out before treatment can resume”. So, weekly blood tests again to monitor counts then when I can resume treatment it will just be Opdivo. Have to get a scope on the 14th for the colitis then scan early November. Also did a Netara test so waiting and praying it’s coming down and get some good news for a change. Thank you guys for always listen to me vent. It’s so nice to have people familiar and understand. I appreciate you guys so much and so happy I met you here. I hope you all are doing well and always keep you in my thoughts and prayer. Stay strong!

Met virtually with my oncologist in OKC yesterday. He says it's time to switch to Opdivo/Yervoy. I just had an Opdualag infusion so we'll start the new stuff on November 6. While we do that for four treatments we'll test me for possible TIL treatment if necessary. The good news is I'm feeling well. Not looking forward to possible side effects of O/Y but it is what it is. Hopefully it works for me. Positive thoughts and many prayers all around. 🙏😊🙏👍

It’s is a potent one two punch and is suppose to be effective. I was originally scheduled to have 4 treatments as well but they pulling the plug on the last two which I understand why but concerned missing those last two won’t give me full effect it was supposed to. I hope you fair better than I did. The first one wasn’t bad I didn’t start feeling the side effects to a little after the second one. Will be thinking about you. Best of luck

William and David. I only got 2 of the four treatments as well. But they stopped mine due to improvements in my scan. It packs a punch but it worked really well for me! Regardless if side effects. You just trade one problem for another it seems! My colitis finally resolving after 3 months!! Good luck to you both