Picc lines

Hi 

Warm welcome to the club no one wants to join :-/

Sorry to read you are undergoing chemo with all that entails, but those who have had a PICC Line (info link) fitted are thankful they made that choice.

There can be a small risk of infection around the entry site and you may have read about blood clots but these are fairly uncommon.

My wife had a similar Groshong iv line in for her chemo and a year of Herceptin and had no issues whatsoever over that 15 month period. Most can be used for the many blood tests carried out which saves a lot of jabs too...

BTW - What type of cancer and chemo drugs are you being treated for as there are probably other areas here you would find helpful and supportive ?

Hope this is of some help for now, G n' J

Hi Whitewings,

If you are needle phobic, PICC lines are the best thing. I had mine in for 15 months and it didn’t cause me any bother at all - it made the whole experience much more bearable so I would definitely go for it if you are struggling with the needles and cannulas.

Greg

Hi thank you... I hd my last round of fec a week Friday and I start a new type alongside herceptin  on the 3rd nd 4th Oct. I have grade 3 breast cancer , already hd my lymohnodes  removed. The plan is another 3 rounds then my op after x mas followed by radiotherapy.  I have dealt with my daignosis with out reaching out as I do find it very hard to tell about,  in the beginning I was very open and talked about it but I was hospitalised  with neutropedic sepsis after my second round and I've not been the same sinse, I feel like giving up and find each round harder. After my 3rd round of fec on Friday 13th i am again in hospital with sepsis. I am willing to do anything to make this easier but hve a huge phobia of needles 

Hi Greg

Thank you, I know what your saying makes sense I just fear catching it, or just knowing it's there , I really am a massive wuss with needles I don't know how I've come this far but it's beginning to look like it's my only option . Thank u for replying and offering yr advice   have you finished your treatment if u dont mind me asking?

Sorry just clicked on your profike and read your story.... i need to get used to this lol

Hiya 

Sounds like you are being treated for HER2+ Positive Breast Cancer then ?  Same as my wife way back in 2012 who also got neutropeanic sepsis and had a 3 day stay on antibios.

There is a very active (and friendly) September Chemo Club you could get involved with. Just click/tap the link and it will take you to the first page of around 18. It runs every month and is somewhere to chat about side effects getting advice and support.

Hope the next chemo drug is kind to you, G n' J

Hi yes sorry thts it,  good to hear your wife recovered,  I will try that link thank you. Havnt actully worked out how all this works yet and I'm not very technical lol 

Thank you 

Hi Whitewings,

You’re definitely aware of its presence at first and it can be a bit of a pain with things like showering or when you roll over in bed, but after a while I genuinely forgot it was there and the taking of bloods and treatment is so easy. I would go as far as to say I got quite attached to it and was a bit sad to see it go. I have a small scar where it was and every time I see it, it is a reminder that I went through some tough times, but more importantly a reminder that I got through those hard times and the PICC line was there with me to help me along the way.

Greg

Hi Greg,

Is the pic line put in under a local anaesthetic? After two recent surgeries I don't want another general.

Babs x

Hi . Hope you don't mind me joining in a this late stage. I had a PICC line in my arm for several months. A very quick local anaesthetic which I did not feel. You lie down with your arm above your head as it is inserted. I didn't feel a thing. Afterwards a quick chest x ray to check it is in place. As Greg says, a bit of a nuisance when showering as you can't get it wet. You can get fancy covers, but I used to wrap it in clingfilm in bath or shower. I bought a cheap roll of tubigrip and cut a fresh piece off every day to keep it tidy. As I had to have weekly blood tests, it did away with all the needles. Overall, no problems with it at all and I wore it was a badge of honour. Removing it takes seconds and is painless. Wishing you well. Best wishes.