posted
I have had a PICC since November 08. Drove myself to the hospital, took the doctor all of 5 minutes to put it in (about 1/2 total procedure), got first infusion, drove home, made dinner for my family, and then drove a soccer carpool. I have had absolutely no problems with it..have traveled out of the country, which is sort of a pain, but manageable. Anticipate having the PICC for a few more months, but frankly, it's my security blanket. I am feeling better and better each month.
-------------------- IV graduate. As of 1/10, oral Omnicef, Minocyline, Mycobutin, Levaquin, and Flagyl. Lyrica and a bunch of supplements. Posts: 123 | From Atlanta | Registered: Mar 2009
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posted
I had to have one in for about 6 months, but went through 4 of them in this time period.
Anytime my fever would spike, they would get nervous about the PICC being infected and they would pull it out and put a new one in.
My last one I had accidetally got pulled out by a nurse who was gossipping while doing my pick. They were really scared there would be a piece of it left in my arm, but there wasn't.
I love the PICC line, it is so worth it!
Posts: 303 | From Jekyll Island, GA | Registered: Sep 2008
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kreynolds
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15117
posted
I currently have had my 2nd PICC in for 8 months..
My first PICC was a nightmare! This was done in August of 2007.
Needless to say, they put the PICC in a very bad spot(the crook of my forearm).
So everytime I bent my arm it would stop the flow of the ABX.
I only had it in for 2 months before it became infected.
I was hospitalized for a day due to the infection.
Now after seeing the right people and going to a very good hospital, I have had 0 problems.
When you first get it in you just have to watch for bleeding. I think it should be no more than
a quarter size at most. The main thing is to keep it very clean and dry.
I have what they call a Power PICC. Its a really durable PICC that can last a long time if maintained properly.
-------------------- Diagnosed CDC + 6/2007
Quest: + IGG Bands 18,23,39,41,58,66 and 93.
Quest: + IGM Bands 23,39
Quest: + Bartonella (B.Henselea & B. Quintana),+ Babesia, and + Mycoplasma and Lyme-Induced Addisons Disease
+ Biofilm blood test 12/2010 Posts: 1185 | From New York | Registered: Apr 2008
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posted
Hubby has had a PICC line continuously for about 5 1/2 years. He gets it switched from one arm to the other every now and then.
The one he has in now has lasted 16 months -- the longest the same line has ever been in. Not exactly sure how many different lines he has had in total. When he first got the line I remember one having to be replaced within a week -- this is before he was tested and treated for hypercoagulation. He has had the line get pulled out in his sleep before -- once at home and once in the hospital.
He has never had any problems fortunately. I do all the dressing changes and all his IV's -- insurance has never been willing to pay for home health care. The doctor's office trained me to do the IV antibiotics. Also have done IV magnesium, IV vitamin C, IV glutatione, IV phosphatidylcholine (the Kane protocol) and IV seizure and pain meds.
The IV Ativan is the reason he has had the PICC line in so long -- was on that for about 4 years. Currently I am doing IV phenergan but that is down to about once every 5 days so we are hopeful this may be his last PICC line. Trying to hold out in case the mystery bug requires IV meds.
The first couple of years the PICC lines were done by a cardiologist on an out-patient basis at the hospital. The local hospital where we live now has trained a nurse to put in the line -- they do a portable chest x-ray to check the placement of the line.
I generally hear more stories about people getting infections from ports than from PICC lines.
If the line ever gets clogged 99% of the time they will pull the line if you have to go the ER. Hubby used to need the IV Ativan multiple times daily and if there was ever a problem with the line it naturally happened on a weekend.
This is not medical advice, just my opinion based on hubby's experiences.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
I've had mine since January 30. No problems here at all, and I think it will be worth it.
Posts: 236 | From Washington | Registered: Jul 2008
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posted
My son has had his PICC for about 2 months now, no problems other than some burning at the site when the dressing was changed. The home care nurse uses alcohol pads now to clean the site during dressing changes and the burning issue is gone.
Kreynolds, when you had the line in your elbow - was it a PICC or midline? Midlines usually go in at the elbow and extend to the upper arm - they are only good for about 4-6 weeks. PICCs go into the upper arm (usually) and extend to just outside the heart.
Posts: 263 | From Capital Region, NY, USA | Registered: Jun 2008
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Tracy9
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7521
posted
I got one January 29th. On January 30th it had to be pulled due to a blood clot in my arm. On March 7 I was hospitalized for three days as the superficial blood clot turned into a DVT, much more dangerous.
I am now being treated with Coumadin and under the care of a hematologist. I get my IV Rocephin via a heplock/peripheral IV which needs to be changed weekly and only goes about an inch into my vein.
My issues were likely due to a blood clotting disorder. I am awaiting results of an extensive workup. This is not something that should happen to just anyone.
13 years Lyme & Co.; Small Fiber Neuropathy; Myasthenia Gravis, Adrenal Insufficiency. On chemo for 2 1/2 years as experimental treatment for MG. Posts: 4480 | From Northeastern Connecticut | Registered: Jun 2005
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kreynolds
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15117
posted
tcw:
no it was a PICC...
the surgeon was retarded! I asked him" how am I supposed to keep my arm straight for 3 months??".
-------------------- Diagnosed CDC + 6/2007
Quest: + IGG Bands 18,23,39,41,58,66 and 93.
Quest: + IGM Bands 23,39
Quest: + Bartonella (B.Henselea & B. Quintana),+ Babesia, and + Mycoplasma and Lyme-Induced Addisons Disease
+ Biofilm blood test 12/2010 Posts: 1185 | From New York | Registered: Apr 2008
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posted
I have a long midline (28 cm) in 9 weeks now. I have had no problems so far thankfully. I am hoping it lasts at least 6 months.
I do my own bandage changes with my brothers help using strict sterile procedure. The nurses in my local doctors office don't know their arse from their elbow!!
The biggest risk I took was going down to have them look at the line and report back to my LLMD that it looked fine.
She ignored the sterile pack I gave her and started mauling the insertion site with an unsterile glove whilst lecturing me on the risk of infections with such "contraptions"
-------------------- Pos BB and Bart(Q & H IGG pos) Began treat 1 year after start of illness. Diagnosed Feb 2007. Posts: 648 | From Ireland | Registered: Jan 2007
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