He's Scared!!

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So Jay has just told me today that he is scared about this PICC line being inserted he's scared it's going to be painful and how he'll cope with it. If anyone out there has any experience of having one of these fitted would be grateful for some advice on how to handle it. He's not sleeping great either he said. My snoring aside he says he just wakes up and can't get back to sleep so he just gets up and sits in the living room for a while then goes back to bed. He says this line is hopefully to make things better for him and he appreciates this but just can't stop worrying. He's asked if we can go out tomorrow for a while, I said nothing stopping us today, but he feels really sh*t today again he said. Just so unbelievable how a year can change things we were preparing for his operation this time last year to get rid of the cancer and now here we are trying to contain it. Thanks

Vicky x

Buzz K over 1 year ago

@pattyk Sorry to hear your husband is worrying about the PICC line insertion.
My husband had one fitted in August to have TPN. They did it in his room and I was there watching. I was fascinated by the procedure (I know it sounds a bit odd!). He just had a local anaesthetic in his arm which felt no different to a blood test or cannula being done. After that he couldn’t feel much at all perhaps an odd sensation but no pain. It was all over in about 30 minutes. I t certainly made blood tests easy after that and I understand is great for chemo too. Last week he had a port fitted in his chest to get his new lot of chemo, Folfox starting on the 19th Dec. Ask the hospital if they have covers for the PICC line to wear when showering or if not you can buy them online easily. They cover them up after each use and are easily hidden under a T shirt or shirt.
Tell him not to worry, he will be fine. Sending lots of positive vibes to you both.

Karen x

PattyK over 1 year ago in reply to Buzz K

Thanks Buzz (Karen)

Yes, I've heard of those covers you can get limbo covers I think they're called Karen062 mentioned them here yesterday when I was on. The procedure sounds quite straightforward then. I had a vision of these wires hanging out your arm but seems thats not the case either you do have wires, but they're strapped in and they can strap them down on to your arm in a way. I just hope he manages to cope with it ok. I think once it's in and he gets into the way of using it and it being there he'll be fine. Didn't take long for him to get into the way of using the stoma.Thanks.

Vicky x

crankshaft over 1 year ago in reply to PattyK

Hi Vicky

Please tell Jay not to worry. I had a PICC line fitted at Guys and the procedure was straight forward and totally painless. Once fitted it saves all the hassle of having a canula for the chemo, blood tests can be done through it and I didn't find it in the way at all. It sounds odd but it does help you through all the c**p you have to go through.

Best of luck to Jay

John

PattyK over 1 year ago in reply to crankshaft

Thank you so much John! I am so overwhelmed here today for all the positives for this PICC line insertion. I just hope it goes as well as everyone is saying here for him but then you are all the ones who have had experience of it. He's just had a really sh*t day and hopefully tomorrow will be better. Take Care.

Vicky x