I am going to get a PICC line in over the next couple days for IV treatments. I was wondering if anyone has had one before? Was it painful, how long did you have it? Was it a pain to take care of? AHHH...I'm so nervous!!

Kassandra

I had a PICC line when I was first diagnosed becasue I had to to daily IV feedings. I had it for a month. I was in the hospital, and they did it right in my hospital room. It was in my left arm. They will numb the site and feed the line in using ultrasound to make sure they get it in the right place. The lidocaine hurt a little, but the PICC line didn't hurt much. My arm was a little achy for a few days, but not too bad. I had a home health nurse that would come to my house once a week and change the dressing, but it doesn't sound like you will have yours that long. The only care I really had to do with it was flushing it with saline daily to keep it from clotting.

I much preferred it to the other types of central lines I have had before. I also had a port-a cath (1 year in 1994) and a groshong (2 years during cancer treatment). The PICC line left a much smaller scar that I can't even see anymore. It was smaller than a freckle. The procedure to put it in and take it out was also much easier - in the hospital room rather than an operating room.

You do need to make sure it doesn't get wet or yanked on my your clothes. I had a sleeve thingie that I rolled it up in during the day and just wore long sleeved shirts. Nobody even knew I had it most of the time.

I can answer more questions if you want. Feel free to PM me if you are nervous about it.

Colleen,
Thank you for your reply. I am going to have it in for iron IV's and they will administer them at the Dr's office, so I won't have to flush it or anything on my own.

Since I won't be going to the hospital for treatments, I am assuming I will go to the hospital for the placement of the line? Is that right? I guess I will find out soon...ugh!

I just worry about these kinds of things, my had once almost doubled in size just from a needle for the start of an IV, without any liquids in it or anything! It was ridiculous. Can people reject the PICC line? (does that make sense?)

Kassandra

Sorry for so many questions.

I had mine put in while I was already in the hospital, but I'm sure it could have been done as an outpatient procedure. It was not even placed by a doctor, it was placed by 2 nurses that had gone to some special training. They rolled a portable ultrasound machine right to my bedside.

I don't know if one can reject the line. All it really is is an IV that is intended for longer term use. The main concerns with it will be, of course, infection and clotting over of the end that is in your body. It is put into a larger vein in your upper arm, so it's not like when they try to put in an IV line in the tiny veins in your hand or wrist. They cover the end that goes into your skin with a piece of gauze, and then cover the whole thing with a larger piece of adhesive. It's kind of like a clear bandage that is about 4 inches by 4 inches. Think of contact paper. The only part that sticks out of this covering is the tube that they will use to hook the IV into I think the tube part was about 5 inches long or so.

I know it sounds scary, but mine really wasn't that bad.