Morning all, hope everyone had a good weekend?
Sooo, todays the day where it all becomes very real for me, not that i haven't accepted what's happening, i cant very well get away from it, the pain is enough of a reminder never mind anything else lol i have a good way of dissociating myself from high stress environments and situations, a coping mechanism honed over the years!
It seemed to hit me last night i a big way, my journey is going to be a long one, there has been talk of reconstructive surgery with plastic surgery, stoma bag and other things that I just had to bury for the time being to get me to this point
Does anybody have any good tips for living with this thing coming out of my arm? Comfort wise and maintaining the area?
Many thanks in advance
Hi Happyforager2 . I am not from this group, but had a PICC line in for my own cancer for several months. I found it painless going in. Once in, you go for a quick x ray to make sure it is positioned correctly. Most of the time it is taped up and after a while you forget about it. Other than any strenuous exercise such as golf or tennis, You can generally carry on as normal. I bought a roll of elastic bandage (tubigrip) and cut a fresh piece every day to keep it clean and tidy. You cannot get it wet. You can buy waterproof coverings for the bath or shower, but I just wrapped it in clingfilm for showering which did the job. It needs to be flushed weekly which just takes a few minutes. Rather than going to the hospital, I had an arrangement with the practice nurse at my local GPs. I hope all goes well. Best wishes.
