I went for a regular visit to the cardiologist, who has never received any awards for bedside manner. My blood pressure was sky-high on my leg so he took it with a cuff on my right wrist. It was better but still high. When I explained about the blood pressure on the leg…lymph nodes removed on one side, port on the other, he asked what I was using the port for. I said not for anything at the moment, but having had cancer, you never know when you might need it again. I said I had planned to ask him what he thought about leaving it in. He said, “Well, it could be a problem, if you got an infection. It is a foreign body in your arm.” He added, “It could be a problem if a blood clot went from it to your chest.” Needless to say, that was very helpful information, scary, too. A couple of weeks later when I went to the Cancer Institute for a port irrigation (flush), I asked the nurse her opinion. She said that whatever you do, anything is a risk. Now, that’s my point. Isn’t it a risk for another surgical procedure? My oncologist never made it sound risky to leave the port in. I asked the nurse what most people do. She said that people usually have them removed about six months after the end of treatment. It’s been nine for me. Then I did recall that when I had a broken collarbone, the P.A.’s first action was to send me to the hospital for an ultrasound to make sure I didn’t have a blood clot. I have been looking forward to my next appointment with my oncologist to once again ask his opinion. I think I’ll have the port removed, but it will be scary to undergo another procedure. Hopefully, it will be preferable to a blood clot in my chest. The cardiologist said to check back with him after I’ve seen the other doctor, to send him copies of any test results, and then schedule a heart echo. He also mentioned a stress test. I’ve already failed that once, and it caused me to have an angiogram. Quite sure I still can’t pass a stress test, don’t even want to try.