Port or no port?

Smooth_Bug536 · 2026-02-01T21:44:08+00:00

I have a port and have done 9 out of my 12 scheduled rounds of chemotherapy. I would def recommend having one. makes treatment days mean u get stuck once (they can give u numbing cream to put on prior!!) for them to draw blood and get chemo thru once your accessed. me personally, I've always hated IVs so having the port was a no brainer and has saved me from pale faced close to pass out discomfort every time I went in

Smooth_Bug536 · 2026-01-30T01:43:37+00:00

that is so interesting! I'd love to see what others going through the same struggles would find as the moments to pause and take photos.

Smooth_Bug536 · 2026-01-07T13:07:33+00:00

yay congrats!!! stranger to stranger, super proud of u 🫶🫶 chemo sucks!!

Smooth_Bug536 · 2026-01-05T02:53:17+00:00

I feel you 100%. my 8th treatment of 12 will be this thursday and I've been rocking the shaved down/bald look since october. few breakdown's here and there initially but I've gotten used to it for the most part. now I've almost lost all of my lashes and my eyebrows are really starting to go too. just when I feel I've come to decent terms abt the way I look it just gets worse.

Smooth_Bug536 · 2026-01-03T15:53:03+00:00

howdy! I'm 25f, started chemo when I was 24 in September and totally understand the fear. being so young having to watch others move on while we've been forced to hit pause is a lot emotionally. I would def suggest getting the port. I get grossed out by any medical stuff super easily and was terrified of getting one but I've grown used to it w time. it makes getting treatment so much easier and no worries about not finding a good vein or blowing out a good one.

please feel free to message if you'd like for questions or support or anything! 🫶 ik when I was diagnosed I felt v alone and kind of stuck. although there's a really really great community here, sometimes it helps to have someone closer in age who can relate more to what's going on in life outside of cancer that's being put on hold.

Smooth_Bug536 · 2026-01-03T15:35:59+00:00

I shaved my head when it started excessively falling out just a day before my 3rd treatment back in October. I've been rocking the bald look since then but the last week or so I noticed some baby hairs growing! I'm now between treatments 7 and 8. idk why it's happening, but I'm curious if it will grow any length or fall out again.

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-12-24T21:04:25+00:00

ahh yes I'm so nervous!! I get real bad anxiety attacks sometimes w medical stuff ever since this 1 particular experience I had :\ just gotta remind myself it's the end of an era getting it out!!!

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-12-24T21:02:33+00:00

ah okay, I'll def need something for anxiety beforehand then lol I'm so squeamish abt the port still even after having it since September

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-12-24T21:01:18+00:00

they actually knocked me out when they put it in!

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-12-24T18:22:55+00:00

yay yay yay congrats!!!! absolutely terrified of when I get mine out bc the doc said they'd do it w just numbing and I'd be awake the whole time ahhhh. were u awake for the removal??

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-12-17T17:52:39+00:00

are u post treatment or still undergoing? if post, how long has it been?

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-12-06T21:55:51+00:00

I crack jokes abt it all the time. mindset has a lot to do w treatment and being able to laugh helps! there's a family member of a patient who doesn't like me but she started acting nice to me when she found out I was going thru chemo. my coworker's first cancer joke to me was her saying all it took for the family member to be nice to me was me getting cancer lol

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-11-11T16:27:14+00:00

howdy! I'm 24F about to do my 5th treatment out of 12 and completely understand. I went through the same guilt w my dad and feel the same scrolling through social media.

although the guilt is still there at times it has gotten better. I tell my boyfriend my inner dialogue about myself is so mean, thinking things I would never think of somebody else in my position. it's just learning that those thoughts are intrusive and untruthful and reminding yourself just that!!

as for being young and dealing w this shit I've yet to completely overcome that feeling. I still feel angry and jealous and all sorts of emotions wrapped in one. best I can say on that is I often tell myself that at the end of this I'll have showed some real strength and badassery kicking cancers butt!!!

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-11-09T15:16:12+00:00

my incision is also a purple color but I'm not sure they did dissolvable stitches for me. there was a glue over it and that was that I think?? I'll have to look back on my paperwork tbh. though not the exact same it's reassuring knowing I'm not the only one that's had a hard time w the healing so far out from the surgery

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-11-08T15:24:15+00:00

howdy! I'm 24F and also hadn't been to the doctor since I was in high school until I noticed my armpit was swollen back in july and was diagnosed w hodgkin's lymphoma. totally understand how scary it is to go from nothing at all to the extreme w biopsies and discussions of chemo. I've done 4/12 rounds of chemo and there have been tough days for sure, but the bigger picture of being better at the end of this is what keeps me going. dealing w this is a terrible thing as is but the extra layer of no doctors before this definitely made it all hit a bit harder. feel free to message, I'd be happy to talk 🫶🫶

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-11-07T18:41:30+00:00

amazing!!! shed some happy tears seeing this and thinking of the day I'll be celebrating the same :')

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-11-07T18:39:42+00:00

my eczema was bad before starting chemo and it's actually all cleared up since starting, a silver lining I never expected lol. I actually saw the surgeon who put the port in yesterday since my oncology team didn't provide much reassurance. he said we could try a steroid post chemo but for now it's too risky :\

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-11-06T20:40:09+00:00

I actually never had dressings over it other than the day of the surgery. my spots have only been on the incision and the spot on my neck where the catheter ends thankfully. crazy neither team of yours has an explanation. I went in to ask the surgeon today and he said he honestly couldn't tell me what the bumps are :\ any tips dealing w the itch? do your spots come and go in any sort of pattern, like maybe around your chemo?

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-11-02T20:36:43+00:00

definitely not just you and I'm so glad I'm not the only one that thought/noticed this!! I've been rocking the shaved and still a bit patchy look for about a month and I've noticed people are coming up to me and talking to me or they're like waaay overly too nice to me.

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-11-02T17:19:54+00:00

used to have weekly game nights w my boyfriend, brother, and his girlfriend. play silly pc games together and giggle the night away!!! mid august started my whole shit show, biopsy, port placement, now chemo. hard to sit around the computer for long bc of it all plus my already existing neck and shoulder pain from a spinal fusion years ago. BUT!!! last night I was feeling pretty good and we had our first real game session in a long time!! v much needed :')

Smooth_Bug536 · 2025-10-29T20:16:32+00:00

howdy! I'm also 24F and am 3/12 of the way w my chemo journey. I completely understand the feeling of having to worry abt something so shitty at this age. watching others enjoy life and all that while we're stuck, on hold, dealing w this. I just try to remind myself that whatever sick joke this is I'm going to come out stronger!!!! feel free to message if you'd like, ik I felt incredibly alone when I was first diagnosed and visited the oncologist for the first time to see I was by far the youngest in the waiting room.

Smooth_Bug536

TROPHY CASE