A Picc Line is a peripherally inserted central catheter, It is a form of intravenous access that can be used for a prolonged period of time. It can stay in your body for up to a year and it allows you to stay hydrated with IV fluids in your own home.
Between both pregnancies, I have had a total of five Picc lines. One got infected, a few were pulled out prematurely and one lasted the full length of a whole pregnancy.
I have spend a total of 14 months of my life with Picc lines in my arms, making it difficult to shower and sometimes sleep. I have formed a deep love/hate relationship with them.
I used both a gravity pole and an electric pump to receive IV fluids through my Picc lines. The pump was great, it was hidden in a special backpack, so I could leave the house (not that I ever felt well enough to leave the house). The gravity pole was equally effective as the pump, just not as noisy and slightly more confining.
A medical supply company delivered the supplies I needed to care for my Picc line, weekly. Some of the supplies included; bags of i.v. fluid, heparin, saline, syringes, alcohol pads, dressing kits, stat locks, mesh netting, bio patches, tegaderms, adhesive removers and i.v. tubing and extensions.
A Nursing Association sent a nurse to my home once a week for a quick health exam and to take care of my Picc line. They always checked for infections and made sure to clean my arms and change the dressings surrounding the site.
See video below of one of my picc lines being put in. ↓
Any woman who has a PICC should be made aware of the signs of infection. No one told me. I ended up in the back of an ambulance with a 107 degree fever due to a PICC line infection. However, I still loved my PICC b/c it kept me out of the hospital (except for the infection, of course.) I took IV phergen and zofran through my picc as well as IV fluids.
ReplyDeleteI am currently going through the same thing... IV rehydration, Zofran IV, PICC line. It's good (although not for you) to know that other's are going through the same thing!
ReplyDeleteAmanda
I just had my first PICC line inserted and being sent home from the hospital with it tomorrow. I'm a little nervous but the other comments really offer a little comfort! Thank you
ReplyDeleteI think that the PICC line was one of the scariest parts for me. I didn't really even know what it was until I had it. I was on it 24/7 with a Zofran pump pumping through it as well and I was still vomiting and readmitted to the hospital. I think it's great you're sharing your experience with others. I recently started my own blog. Feel free to check it out.
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I have a hg and im on Zofran pills but its getting worse they said next maybe a picc line..
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