Hi Melinda,

During my 16 infusions this only happened to me twice and my nurse would also have me lift my arm or lay down and that helped -- then a lot of flushing the port. The nurses were never concerned with it nor did they make any recommendations on how to ensure it didn't happen again so I didn't worry about it too much. I think as long as they eventually get blood return it's okay but if you are worried I'd ask the nurses if you can do anything.

My port is always like that. It is very positional. I have to lay down, arms up, cough, stand up, bend over, you name it, I do it. Sometimes it can be the needle up against the side of the port or a little blood clot on the tip of the catheter which would require the use of the drug. Really not too much to be concerned about unless you are having pain or anything else unusual.

It definitely is a skillset. I have accessed many ports & there was only one that I couldn't access. It was turned on it's side & I could feel it but just couldn't get the needle in. I got another nurse to try & she got it on the 1st try.

The nurses usually can clear out the clog by using heparin, the injection that they insert into the port. Some ports are quite tricky. I had a port for 4 years when I was having chemo for bone mets, then had it taken out after I finished my treatment. Then I had another one inserted last 18 months ago when I got a second primary tumor. I haven't had clogging issues, but I have had some nurses get frustrated trying to flush the port. Some seem to have the magic touch. Others just don't have the skillset to do it.

I had chemo every week (Abraxane & Herceptin) and mine started to do the same thing after the 6th week. I also had to do strange things to get it to work. Usually a fake cough (2 or 3 times)putting my arm over my head or sometimes just turning my head a certain way.

The nurse never seemed to be worried. But I do have to say once I started my AC chemo every other week, I didn't have any more troubles. I don't know why.