I've had one in my arm since I started chemo in September. I honestly can't remember how long it took but it wasn't painful at all and has been worth it's weight in gold because I have very difficult veins to get blood out of!
Hi, thanks for the feedback back, I was diagnosed with breast cancer before Xmas, had all tests done but I’m at a stage where on Friday had to have bloods taken but the nurse could not get anything and I start chemo on Monday so they don’t know as yet no results of blood test, I’ve terrible veins and when they get one they collapse so gets me in a panic, I was told about the picc line but still petrified
I had a picc line put in, in September for my chemo. My chemo finished last month and I had it taken out. The procedure of putting it in place was easy. They used ultrasound to find a vein and then numbed the insertion area. The insertion bit was pain free and took a few minutes - I didn't feel anything.
When they clean and redress make sure the skin is dry before they put the new dressing on as my arm came out in terrible blisters several times and that was worse than having the picc line in!
It can be a little uncomfortable until you get used to it - but my veins are terrible too - so it was worth it.
I have exactly the same veins! When my picc line was fitted the tiny area where the line is inserted is numbed first and after that I felt nothing at all.
Once it's fitted it has to be flushed out and cleaned on a weekly basis and the nurses can get as much blood out when needed.
It's covered in some gauze and some very good sticky covers which don't come away and I bought some plastic sleeves off Amazon to keep it dry in the shower.
I’m new to all this so I don’t know how to tag all of you that has replied, but thank you so much for your input, like I said needles are my worse fear, even having the scan with the dye plus the biopsies and then having to have a clip put in my breast, I was ready to give up, I have white coat syndrome and even the blood nurses use to dread me walking in, so the feed back I’ve had is making me decide that yes I will need the picc line, it’s just when u read the side effects and it says it takes half hr to put in that’s when the panick sets in, I had a set back due to chest infection so my chemo was suppose to start on the 5th Feb but now it’s the 9th I’m having it even though I’ve not really had the pre assessment, I started the steroids this morning so that’s one part of the assessment I suppose
