Can I fence with a medical port?

October 14, 2019 6:46 AM

I may be up for some more intense treatment for my multiple myeloma (still collecting second opinions). In the past, I've gotten oral and subcutaneous therapy, but my doc wants to put me on something that requires frequent IVs. I have terrible veins, but I've always resisted getting a port because I thought I'd have to give up fencing. My oncologist says I might be able to fence. What say MeFites?

I've found one statement saying you can't play football or rugby with a port. My oncologist thinks I can fence with a port if the chest protector would cover it. Looking at chest protectors and trying to figure out where ports go, I'm not sure (I'm female - not sure how well a chest protector for men would work). This chest protector for women seems to cover the most. Searching online, I've found parents of student athletes trying to come up with ways to cover ports. I also found a post by a man who continued his hobby of shooting, with the gun kicking back into the port with no problem (to the shock of his nurses). And someone on my cancer board knew a teenager who got a port in his abdomen so he could play football (I'm glad that a pediatric doctor figured this out, but I'm thinking adults might be expected to suck it up). My preferred weapon is saber, which means I mostly get hit on the arm and head. I also like historical fencing with heavier weapons, but giving that up wouldn't be as devastating.

Fencing is a big thing for me in terms of quality of life, but I can see where lots of IVs with my shitty veins would be a nightmare. Any thoughts or ideas?

posted by FencingGal to Health & Fitness (16 answers total)

I'm not a fencer, but I've had a port. I can see why football or rugby wouldn't be great, as it involves full body contact with tackling, etc. Unless fencing results in heavy impacts to your chest that might dislodge it somehow, I don't see how it would be a problem. Mine sat about three inches below my collarbone.
posted by something something at 6:57 AM on October 14, 2019 [1 favorite]

Also - I don't have particularly shitty veins, but ports are a wonderful, amazing invention. A hundred times better than getting IVs. It's at least worth a try - if it interferes with your quality of life, you can have it removed.
posted by something something at 6:58 AM on October 14, 2019 [1 favorite]

I bet you could up a size of a chest protector to get a little extra space and the coverage of you talked about location prior to it being placed.

When I fenced as a student we were using whatever the school had, so there was always somebody wearing a few sizes to large somewhere. It didn't matter at that level of fencing and didn't seem to hinder movement (but it does increase target area a little bit!)

Might not be the most comfortable depending on the length of time you fence for.
posted by AlexiaSky at 7:04 AM on October 14, 2019

Best answer: Also consider how your underarm protecor fits and it's thickness. It might be enough on its own depending on placement and the amount of protection you need.
posted by AlexiaSky at 7:08 AM on October 14, 2019

I very recently watched a video on YouTube from someone saying they had opted for a Fooport instead of a Blahport specifically so they could fence. I wish I could find it for you but all I get upon searching is videos about property fencing. But someone is doing it, so it is at least possible.
posted by DarlingBri at 7:10 AM on October 14, 2019 [1 favorite]

You fence sabre? I would think it's fine as long as you can find a chest protector that covers it (entirely, you don't want any pressure from the edge of the protector). I would have had a lot more hesitations if you were a foilist like I was, you get hit hard in the chest sometimes in a way that happens rarely in epee and even rarer in sabre.
posted by stillnocturnal at 7:16 AM on October 14, 2019

Best answer: I'd worry about the occasional collision--like if somebody misjudged the distance for a flunge, for example. Non-fencers sometimes underestimate the speed and power involved in fencing, so your oncologist may not have a very good sense of the risk involved. Could you bring in some video to make sure they understand what kinds of situations you might be in? If the people you fence with aren't super intense and athletic, this might be less of a concern, since you won't be running into each other with so much momentum.

Also, you probably already know this, but USA Fencing requires chest protectors for foil fencers to have soft padding, and there's no reason you couldn't use a foil chest protector while fencing saber. Leon Paul sells a pad that goes over the chest protector you linked.
posted by Hypocrite_Lecteur at 8:43 AM on October 14, 2019

I have a port right now and the placement is about three fingers below my collarbone. There is the tube that runs up and over collarbone but I don’t think that would be a problem. I think you would know right away if there was a problem with being hit and the port. My cat jumped off my chest/port and I felt it for sure.

Also, could you choose which side it is put on? Do fencers get hit more on the right side? My port install is on the left, a bit unusual but I had a lot scarring/radiation damage to the right.

It is sooooooo much easier and faster to have a port, treatment days used to involve at least 20-30 minutes of trying to find a vein.
posted by five_cents at 8:53 AM on October 14, 2019

Also, it’s not a permanent decision - if it does impact your fencing too much you could opt to have it removed. Quality of life is more important than shitty veins.
posted by five_cents at 8:55 AM on October 14, 2019 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Yeah, I was about to ask what weapon and suggest switching to training in sabre for a while. If you already fence sabre I think you're in a better position than if you fenced epee (I once had an epee remove a mole on my chest THROUGH a plastron). I would not trust the Barbie chest to fully cover the port, based on pictures I'm looking at of where a port goes, but I suspect a Barbie chest plus plastron plus flicky weapon means you'll be okay.
posted by babelfish at 9:14 AM on October 14, 2019

Best answer: The only problem I can think of with the stormtrooper chest protector would be that you might need to have a little doughnut or extra padding over the port just to keep it from constantly pressing on the port. Unless your sabre partners are pointy lungers (like foil and epee). I think it would be a good idea to show the doctors some examples of the actions and maybe bring your saber and proposed protection so they can really get an idea of what you're wanting to do.
posted by zengargoyle at 9:17 AM on October 14, 2019

Best answer: this is for pacemakers/icds, but depending on your port placement, could work: https://www.paceguard.com/.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 10:08 AM on October 14, 2019

Best answer: Think about which side you're more likely to get hit on - if it's the left side you might have to convince your care team to put the port on the left since they prefer the right.

I was not concerned about impact but was concerned about pressure (heavy landscaping work, hiking packs, etc.) and I've found that padding not only protects me but keeps me more conscious of it so I'm more mindful.
posted by headnsouth at 10:44 AM on October 14, 2019

Best answer: You could also check out the proctective gear people use for historical fencing (HEMA). We wear much heavier jackets over our chest protectors, and they'll take a lot of power out of any hit you take. Some well-liked brands are SPES, PBT and Neyman, if you want to have a look (can't link because I'm on my phone).
posted by CompanionCube at 11:59 AM on October 14, 2019 [1 favorite]

Instructions on how to make a DIY bespoke chest protector which can cover specific bits of your chest. According to the creator this has served them well for four years of HEMA, which is quite a bashing.
posted by Vortisaur at 1:02 PM on October 14, 2019 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Update: I bought the PaceGuard mentioned by misanthropicsarah and brought it into the interventional radiology clinic, where I talked to the PA. He was very impressed with it and said he would have absolutely no qualms about me fencing if I used it. I asked about five times, and he kept saying he was sure it was fine. I also asked if he'd seen port problems due to trauma, and he said he'd never seen that happen. So I am good to go. Thanks everyone.
posted by FencingGal at 1:44 PM on January 23, 2020 [2 favorites]