I had 8 treatments over a 5 month period with no port and absolutely no problems with veins.

Now I had a port installed because I didn't want to have the nurses poke me every time I went for a chemo treatment. I have had vein problems for years, with rolling veins and other things, so when I read about ports, I asked to get one. It was one of the best things that I did. The nurses used it for blood tests, chemo treatments, herceptin, and other treatments. One poke after some skin numbing spray, and it was so easy. I am an advocate for ports. Just made my life so much easier.

Get a port if your insurance pays for it. I watched my father go through chemo for prostrate cancer without one. It became more and more difficult to access his veins. I convinced him to get one, believe me it was a battle but it was so much easier for him and the staff at Sloan Kettering. When I was diagnosed it was a no brained.

I had a port put in and felt it was the right decision. Not only easier on my veins but easier for the nursing staff at the chemo center. It may look odd if wearing certain clothes but that was minor to me. The port was removed within a month after my last round of chemo and still have a small scar tissue but. . . . The life of a cancer patient right. Good luck on this phase of treatment and just know that it will pass and then it's all a fuzzy chemo past. They call it chemo brain.

I reluctantly had a port put in and it was the best decision I made! It made treatments PAIN FREE! I numbed the area before each visit and was amazed at how easy treatment was. My BFF had a dr who didn't think it was necessary, but now her veins are shot, even though she decided to have a port put in after her 2ndA/C treatment. My port was removed in the surgeon's office. If I ever need chemo again, God forbid, I would most definitely have a port put in again.