does everyone get a picc line for iv rocephin ?? The plan is for 6 weeks. I would think it would be uncomfortable unless its in the upper arm. My veins are good, I am a little scared of the picc
Posted by Bon (Member # 5999) on :
Hi ! I have had a few Picc Lines in my day, for "IV" Rocephin.
Upper arm is the site they put mine always. As for being uncomfortable.....when they first insert it yes it is a bit , after that not really.
Nothing to be afraid of at all ! Just keep reminding yourself.....this is for a good cause.
Chin Up ! Bon
Posted by timaca (Member # 6911) on :
It felt a bit odd for about a week. After that I was fine. Had it in for 6 1/2 months.
Timaca
Posted by seibertneurolyme (Member # 6416) on :
Hubby got his new PICC line in today. Has had one in continuously for over 3 years now. Initially had to be replaced very frequently as he was not treating hypercoagulation then.
The one he replaced today had been in for a year. Has never really had any problems.
I always take the stitches out and just use pieces of silk tape instead (one under and one over the little tab thing -- don't know what it is called).
Clean around the incision site about once or twice a week with a little hydrogen peroxide on a cottonball and cover everything up with one of those 4x6 bandaids. He uses a cut off tube sock to anchor the lines.
Be sure to flush the line at least once a day with Heplock.
You should not have any major problems. It always seemed to me like more people get infections from ports than from PICC lines.
Stenuous exercise is a no-no, but you probably don't feel up to that anyway.
Hubby has always had his lines put in in the cardiac cath lab and they use a low density x-ray to make sure of the placement. Only takes about 15 minutes start to finish.
He has myoclonus and tremors the worst in the left arm which is where his PICC is -- his lines have held up very well although I frequently (multiple times per day) have to fight to hold onto his arm so I can administer IV Ativan.
Bea Seibert
Posted by Michelle M (Member # 7200) on :
Hi Patti.
I was a PICC line weenie too.
Man, was I stressed.
Turned out, it was such a piece of cake.
Not much harder than giving blood (yeah, boy, were those the days!!!)
It makes a giant leap forward in treatment for many; you'll forget you have it in your arm, most likely.
I had two cool nurses place mine and was joking and carrying on with them. We got to laughing and despite a perfect first placement and xray, we were having so much fun, they completely pulled the line out. I thought the nurse was going to cry. She said, "I can't believe I just did that."
I said, "Oh for crying out loud, it wasn't any big deal, I'm sure you'll do a grand job putting it in again."
So I had mine placed twice in the space of an hour. (No, can't re-use the first spot.)
Piece a cake.
Michelle
Posted by WildCondor (Member # 434) on :
Why only 6 weeks? What kind of protocol is that? What else will you be taking along with the Rocephin? If it were me, and it was only 6 weeks, I'd get a hep lock or get stuck every day in a vein. You can get a midline in your upper arm too.
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