"To port or not to port, what was the question?"

As a frequent flyer of the CGH ED department, my spouse has done everything possible to make the visits easier on their body. This includes getting a smart port inserted in their chest so that chemotherapy, pain management and fluids can be administered in a way that is more efficient and less painful. I believe my spouse’s veins are scared and hard to access as a result of 6 months of chemotherapy and multiple trips to emergency due to crashing white blood cell counts.

Over the last year we have become adept at advocating for what we believe is needed.

On our latest visit we advocated for the ED doctor to use the port and contact Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac) as I believe they are required to do, neither of which occurred, until after my spouse’s discharge. Our oncologist informed us that they were contacted post discharge. What was the good of that? Our oncologist was unable to have any input into the care plan.

I got the feeling that no one in the ED department nor the ward knew how to use a port. I feel using the port would have reduced pain and increased patient experience.

I have felt over the past year that as much as we advocate for care to happen in a manner that we see is right, we are disregarded and ignored.

I have also felt that the medical team in ED have been very hesitant to contact Peter Mac even though we have repeatedly asked and it has been requested by Peter Mac.

Most of the stays have been, in my opinion, somewhat horrific. Bar the caring clinical team, which has been mildly reassuring.