Pick Lines for Chemo

Options
mysunshine48
mysunshine48 Member Posts: 1,480
edited May 2015 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After


Help! I have had only one treatment, but the nurse had a lot of difficulty getting an IV in. Since I am only having 4 treatments, my MO thought just an IV would work. However, now I have other issues like blood clots, so she wants to put in a pick line. I have asked on other chemo boards about anyone who has had this. No responses yet. So, I started this topic. Anyone know if they are safe. (I am prone to blood clots), do they hurt - I am also a wimp. I live alone. How would I clean it? Any help you can offer would be appreciated. Thank yo

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • little-k
    little-k Member Posts: 24
    edited May 2015

    Hello mysunshine48. I will start chemo next week, on Thursday. Yesterday I had a vein assessment and chemo class and will have a PICC line put in a couple of hours before my first treatment so I don't have it yet but I was told the following:

    The PICC line can result in blood clots in the arm however the nurse told me she sees that happen most often when people "baby" the arm, and it is usually in the first week. I will need to be a bit careful for the first two weeks in terms of lifting heavy things, and I shouldn't play golf (which I don't anyway), but I should otherwise continue to use my arm as normal. For the first five days I will need to apply a hot compress under my arm, not over the PICC, which will help relax the vein while it gets accustomed to having the line in. I will do that every couple of hours. If a blood clot forms, it can be treated with medication.

    I cannot swim with the PICC line, and it must be covered when I take a shower, as it should not get wet. If the dressing gets wet underneath or becomes loose the dressing will need to be changed, but the PICC line will not.

    The dressing will need to be changed the day after it is inserted, and then flushed once a week. During the weeks I have treatment that will be taken care of at the hospital, during the weeks I don't have treatment a home care nurse will take care of the dressing changes/flushing of the line.

    The nurse told me that I will be given something for the pain when it is inserted, and there may be discomfort during the first week but if I don't baby that arm too much it should be fine after that.

    I hope this helps.


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mysunshine48
    mysunshine48 Member Posts: 1,480
    edited May 2015


    Good Morning, Thank you for the information. I wish I had gotten this before I started chemo. I have had one treatment. Now, I do have blood clots in that arm, probably due to the IV, so I am told. I am just going back to my oncologist this morning to see what to do. I am out of arms - really! LOL not funny, but can't have anything done in the arm where lympth nodes were removed, and now this show up in the other arm. I had an ultrasound last night and the blood clots showed up.upperarm has been very tender and a little red. I thought I was getting lymphadema. If it's not one thing, it's another.

    Any help you want on the first week of chemo, just ask! My first week was not fun, but I have learned and hope the next treatment goes better. Be prepared is my motto!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mamabee
    mamabee Member Posts: 546
    edited May 2015

    When I had chemo, I originally had a port but then I developed a clot on the port. So the port was removed, I was put on Lovenox and had a PICC line inserted. I'm a wimp too, but I got through it! I went into the infusion center once a week to have the dressing changed and to have it flushed. The insertion procedure was painless and easy for me. I was admitted to the hospital as a day patient and a nurse whose only job was to insert PICC lines did the procedure. For me the worst part of having a PICC line was taking showers. I was never able to find a cover that worked for me so I used a makeshift combination of towels and Glad Press and Seal, like in this video - Good luck - you'll be done before you know it!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories