It seems akward but after a few days I got used to it. Showering was a challenge but Saran Wrap kept me dry for 3 months of daily showers. I also didn't lift anything heavier than a quart of milk, to the chagrin of my Pooch.

Opsite PICC dressing and the paper tape solved any skin allergy problems I had at the onset. You can discuss these issues with the nurse who does your dressing changes or LLMD. The chance to get well is worth the transient discomfort.

PICC lines seems really scary, but they're actually not that bad. It takes a little while to get used to it and sometimes it's kind of cumbersome, but overall it's pretty easy to adjust to.

When you have it put in (are you going to the hospital to have it inserted?) they will probably numb your arm where they're going to insert the line, then insert it with a needle (I don't know all the details because I wasn't watching when I had mine put in, my head was turned the other way). Then they'll take an x-ray to see that it's placed in the right place near your heart. They will either stitch it in place (there's a little butterfly part where the stitches can go) or they'll put a hep lock (I think that's what it's called) that holds it in place. Then they put a dressing over it to keep it sterile.

They'll probably keep you there for a little while afterwards, but I'm not sure how long is standard. I had an allergic reaction to a dye they used because my veins are so bad so they kept me there for a few hours afterwards.

Once it's in, you may have some pain for a few days. Some people have bad pain, some people don't have any (I had very little). After a week or so, you'll start to get used to it. The hardest part is showering, and that can be done with some creativity. I've heard that Saran Press 'N Seal is very good for this.

I used a Xerosox that's like a big rubber mitten that goes up your arm, above where the line is. Then you pump the air out of it with a little pump built inside it and you have an airtight seal. I used it to go swimming during the summer I had my PICC line and it worked really well. The only problem is that the top can be kind of tight, so it can be uncomfortable to wear it for very long at a time.

You have to be careful not to lift too much with the arm you have the line in. I think 5 lbs. is the limit. Other than that, there's not a lot of restriction. Just can't get it wet.

I hope this helps you! It's a scary thing to think about, but once it's done it gets to feel really normal and you almost forget it's there.

--Annie

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I am NOT the most stoic person in the world (when I suffer everyone knows about it - LOL!) but the picc line was so much easier than I expected. Truly, it was not bad at all. I would much rather have a picc inserted than have a filling at the dentist!

Yes, they numbed my arm, had me lying down w. an xray machine over me so they could watch how they threaded in the line. I also took an ativan before the procedure and felt calm and was joking with the staff the whole time.

I actually had no pain. Nothing. And I'm telling you, I am not stoic! LOL!

The worst part was that it became a little awkward later when I wanted to lift something, and showers were a challenge. I would use saran wrap and just work at trying to keep it dry.

Also, I didn't feel it at all when it was in. No sensation of it. Sometimes you can feel the abx go in, like they are a little cold (the Claforan was supposed to be refrigerated but then taken out).... but from the line itself, nothing.

Someone told me ahead of time to drink a lot of water beforehand. I am not sure why: I think it increases blood volume and makes the veins much easier to thread through?

Does anyone else remember being told this?

It must have worked because it was an easy procedure.

Now about the dentist.....

I also wanted to add a little disclaimer about my mentioning swimming with a PICC. This isn't necessarily a GOOD thing to do as there is ALWAYS a risk that the line could get wet and then get infected from the bacteria in the water. Once I got my Xerosox and got used to using it in the shower, I decided to try swimming with it and I was comfortable doing this and didn't have a problem. But please don't take my experience to mean that it's okay to swim with a PICC line. I never swam for very long at a time (10 minutes at the most probably) and didn't do a lot of actual swimming because I didn't want to overuse that arm, but it was nice to be able to get into the water for a little while while on vacation.

--Annie

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Hope this helps. What day do you have the line put in?

--Annie

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To shower, I buy gynecological vet gloves that go up to the shoulder and rubber band it. It keeps it very dry and is a very cheap method. You can get them at Farm and Fleet or some similar store.

The nurse told me not use xerosox where you pump the air out, because the suction has actually pulled out the picc line of several of her patients.

The one issue is what Annie said, if the dressing gets wet, it is a prime source for bacteria who like wet warm enviornments to grow.

Also you cannot control what you are exposed to in the gym pool. You might take a shower before getting in, but not everyone does. Even though the water is chlorinated, it doesn't kill all germs. People have foot fungus, infections etc.

A lake might be even worse, they definately have some fecal content and other sorts of bacteria/protozoa.

Besides with swimming you might be overusing your arm with the PICC causing more problems-migration of the PICC, excessive rubbing inside the vein causing irritation and maybe phlebitis.

I know it is hard, I had my PICCS in the summer and love the lake and ocean. There are devices you can use to keep it dry, but IMO the risk of possible secondary infection is not worth it.

It doesn't hurt and it didn't hurt when they put it in. It did hurt for a few days, I think maybe a couple of weeks afterwards.

It irritated my vein and I had to take Ibuprofen for it, and the stitches did hurt for a while.

Two really important issues:

1. keep it clean and dry. Change your dressing at least twice a week and keep a sterile field. Don't! contaminate your gloves while your cleaning. Just be particular and careful and clean. A staff infection is no fun.

You want have anything to worry about as long as you listen and do exactly as they tell you don't skip any steps or get lazy. I truly believe that's when people get infections.

2. Don't let anyone take your blood pressure in the arm you have the pic in, and don't you accidentally do it at Wal-Mart either.

The pic line will explode and it will hurt like &*(^ and they will have to cut you open to get it out of your vein. Doesn't sound like fun.

No one told me about this and I almost did it. Can you imagine. I love mine. Look at it this way at least now you have a visible sign of how bad you feel and you don't have to explain how sick you are all the time.

Also instead of that stupid mesh sock they give you to hold the line in place that doesn't work, I use the stretch bandage by Coach.

I completely understand about the swimming concerns. I wouldn't have done it unless I felt comfortable with it and was used to the Xerosox and knew how it worked for me. And I never did "real" swimming where I was using my arm. This was a personal decision and I'm not saying that everyone should do it.

Tikbit,

Normally the dressing only needs to be changed once a week. Some nursing companies may routinely do it more often than that, but it's not standard. I know that if I had the dressing changed more than once a week, it would only irritate my skin a lot more (the alcohol dries it out and having the dressing put on and taken off too often can be rough). But, as I said, it depends on the nursing company. I was told that my dressing could go as long as 10 days without being changed in a pinch, but every 7 days is recommended.

Cootiegirl,

You're asking good questions, but they can't be answered without knowing what medicine your teen will be going on. Each medicine has different dosage and infusion schedules. Rocephin is the most common IV antibiotic used for Lyme and it can be given either once or twice a day, the infusions usually take about 20-30 minutes. Other meds are different (the only other one I've had experience with is IV Zithromax which was given once a day in about a 60 minute infusion).

--Annie

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quote:

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Originally posted by SteveInMinnesota:
I have reluctantly agreed to a picc line inserted next week after 3 months of oral antibiotics. I have to get well, but the idea of having something intentially inserted into me that close to my heart just scares the living daylights out of me.

Can people tell me about their experiences with a picc line? What can and can't you do? What should I be concerned with? Any input would be appreciated.

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Do not be afraid. It is a relatively easy proceedure. You will definitely feel soreness in your chest for a few days after and especially around the stitches, which may bleed the frist night. Otherwise, you will hardly know it is there, escept for the tube taped to your bicep. You can cut the feet off of different colored sockes to accessorize you PICC so that it becomes a fashion statement. You will at least get some interesting looks.

Steve: Not to scare you, but my first PICC was actually touching my heart. I had to have that one removed after 3 weeks because the chest pain just got worse. This is uncommon. I might suggest that you ask the Radiologist to make sure he/she keeps the PICC shy of your heart about 3/4". That's what my nurse told me to say for my second PICC. Unfortunately, the PA who did the 2nd PICC was overly cautious and gave me a line that literally stopped at my shoulder. That one lasted 16 weeks, until my superior vena cava became irritated from the meds. What you do is watch the monitors while they are inserting so you can see just how close to the heart the line is going. It's actually kind of fascinating to watch. Speak up if you have any questions during the proceedure. Trust me, you will not feel the line.

Maryanne: I can't help but suggest that you have the line inserted in the hospital. There is no way a nurse can be sure where the line is going without radiology equipment. That said, I will venture to guess that what you are getting is in fact a "mid-line" and not a PICC line. I have had several mid-lines inserted by my nurse at her office. That live only goes about 5 inches up your arm. It still has a Heparin Flush Lock. However, you cannot draw blood from it and, these lines usually have to be moved approximately every 2 weeks. I just can't imagine that you are getting a PICC inserted at home. Glad your daugher-in -law will be there for you. Might want to ask your MD what type of line you are actually getting. BTW, the mid-line is also painless.

First of all, it shouldn't be as bad as what your imagining

I've had two PICC's and then got a portacath cuz I ended up needing longer term abx, and PICC's aren't really suited to go long term.

Both my PICC insertions went well. The second one was kind of scary, because the nurse couldn't find a vein, so she sent me to radiology and they used an ultrasound to find a good vein and then had like 6 technicians surrounding me making sure my arm staying in a good position, etc. lol....I actually asked for a sedative because I was nervous and they wouldn't give me one! but I was fine. It turned out fine.

What you might expect after your PICC insertion:

your upper arm, shoulder, and collarbone may feel hot and achy and maybe even extremely painful. Some veins don't like PICC's as much as others, and clamp down, and those tend to be the more painful ones. If you have lots and lots of pain, use a warm hotpack over your arm and shoulder. My second PICC was very painful, but not to the extent of taking narcotics, just tylenol as often as possible, heat, and I really didn't feel good that night.

After the initial insertion my nurses had me keep a soft measuring tape and measure my arm each day and record it, so I could tell if my arm was swelling. That might be a good idea, because if your arm swells you'll want to let your nurses or doctors know.

PICC's are an infection risk, but if you are clean and make sure your tools stay sterile, you should be okay. Theres the obvious: always scrub your hands at least 30 seconds w/soap before you do your meds, and make sure to use alcohol wipes before you insert needles or plug into your lines.

What I always did was use a bleach wipe or bleach solution and a FRESH towel on our kitchen table, then go get my supplies but not open anything, and then scrub my hands, make sure to dry on another fresh clean towel, and then open my supplies and start. So make sure you and your environment are clean before you open your sterile supplies and syringes, and you should be okay.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask and I hope I can give you any tips!

Good Luck and take care!!!
And btw, the PICC insertion is more scary than painful, and it's really not even that scary You'll do fine. They use a numbing medicine first before starting to insert the catheter, so I didn't feel a whole lot after the numbing medicine. I could feel it threading up the vein but it wasn't painful. Mostly it felt like a lot of pulling and tugging when they were inserting the catheter.

Lishka, 18

if your kids would wanna chat with another teen whose been thru the whole PICC experience, I've got email and AIM! I'm 18, I had my first PICC 2 years ago... and since then I've had another one that was for 4 months, and then now my portacath which Ive had for about a year and half.

email:

[email protected]

I saw a man walk into my nurse's office one day with his bandage hanging off and his PICC dangling. (He also did not look particularly well bathed). My nurse lit into him like the nuns I had in Catholic school when you got caught doing something sinful. She told him, in no uncertain terms, that he was to call her if his bandage EVER came loose again and read him the riot act about infection and the importance of keeping the site and his supplies sterile. She told him he could die from sepsis. The room was silent after that.

When the steam stopped coming out of her head, she took one look at my bandage and asked what the heck I had done. Yikes! The edges had curled because I had taken a sauna the day before. She didn't yell at me but begged me to please come in for a bandage change if I insisted on taking saunas, as the toxic perspiration can get trapped underneath.

So, be clean and always call your nurse if your bandage comes loose.

Okay, this may be a dumb question, but am I going to be able to continue working without anyone noticing?

I will sign back on here after I have it done and let everyone know how I'm doing.

Thanks again.