 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | A port will spare your veins. Chemo has a nasty habit of destroying even the most prominent veins. I had a port even though my veins were good. Now many surgeries and a few years later, I am glad I had the port as my veins arent quite so good anymore.
Keep the good nutrition going and you will sail right thru. Every single day take in at least 2500 calories and 48 oz of water. if you get get more in do it. Your body is fighting the cancer and treatments so it is burning up calories at an amazing pace. You could take in 3500 calories every day and still would have trouble keeping your weight steady. Thats how much energy goes into fighting this! Water is especially important to flush out the kidneys. Swallow water every single day to keep your swallowing muscles active. Even if you have the feeding tube, keep swallowing daily.
Best wishes with everything!
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive  | 
