hello my husband is due to have a pic line fitted soon for his treatment im nervous for him and thats its going to be painful has anyone had one fitted and can send me information x
PICC lines are great - save so many needle jabs during treatment and can help protect the hand / lower arm veins from the risk of chemo damage and can be used for the many blood tests too.
Takes around 30 mins or so to fit - minor discomfort afterwards for a day or 2 while it settles in and needs a waterproof sleeve for the bath or showering. There is a minor risk of infection at the entry site and they have to be flushed to keep them clear and avoid the risk of clotting but overall most who have had one swear by them.
You can read further info clicking this link PICC iv Lines.
Hope this is of some help until a member here who has one replies, G n' J.
I hope all goes well with the PIC line. Sorry I do not have one. I have a portacath. It is fitted in your chest under local and was rather painful to fit. It's much easier now it's settled and saves me being stabbed aimlessly multiple times just to get blood/treatment. I think PICs are easier to fit but a bit of a pest re keeping them dry etc.
I rarely see or hear of PICs fitted for lung patients. I guess often for chemotherapy they have 4/6 cycles of chemotherapy at a time so they can usually manage. I have the port as my veins were terrible before treatment and just got worse with chemotherapy. I was also started immunotherapy soon after, so we decided we had to have access as it was making me very uncomfortable and a pest for fruitlessly stabbing me every time they wanted to access my veins.
I have a pic line and it is the best thing I had done. My veins had all collapsed so getting cannula in was difficult now it is so easy. A nurse will come each week to flush line and change dressing. Hope this helps.
