My treatment is changing and I need to start weekly chemotherapy. The veins in my arm are absolutely shot from having chemo for primary cancer. It takes multiple attempts to get blood out and often they can only just about get enough out so dreading weekly blood tests and also a cannula aswell. Has anyone got a PICC or Central line? How do you find it? What was your reason for choosing one over the other?
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I had a PICC line bcoz my veins are awful. Didn’t hurt to put in and you get used to the dangly bits with a cover you can buy on eBay. So simple for weekly blood tests and your chemo
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I have a portacath, it’s an embedded port in my upper chest. I chose it because I don’t have to keep it dry, nor do I have to be careful over exercise. A PICC would have seriously disrupted my lifestyle.
As it turned out it was an excellent investment as I soon found I had metastatic cancer, and therefore needed more treatment than the originally planned 24 weeks. When not in regular use, it needs to be flushed once every 4-5 weeks. It has never given me a moment’s bother. Fitting took about an hour, under local anaesthetic, in a radiology day case unit.
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I had a PICC line from November to February. Must admit it was nice to have it taken out at last chemo three weeks ago but it really wasn’t too much bother. It has to be flushed and the dressing changed every week so when I wasn’t having chemo it was done at local hospital by district nurse. Only takes ten minutes.
You do have to be careful when sleeping not to lie on it but you can still lie on that side with arm out to the side. I bought some cotton PICC line covers on Etsy which were better than the stretchy bandage ones supplied by NHS.
I wasn’t given a choice as our chemo unit only fit PICC Line if the chemo is just for a few months.
I used to have terrible problems when having blood tests until phlebotomist told me I should drink about a pint of water during the two hours before test. Did that and from then on I was fine.
Hope all goes well. x
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Wasn’t really offered a choice. PICC was recommended.
Slightly uncomfortable all the time. Don’t have to be particularly careful of it. Sleep on that side if necessary.
Has to be flushed and dressed weekly, which means an additional appointment on non treatment weeks.
Putting the waterproof sleeve on every morning to shower is a pain in the a**
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Hi, like coddfish I have a portacath fitted. It is less likely to get infected, it’s under your skin so you can get it wet go swimming etc. It’s been an absolute God send. It’s a power port so they can give me contrast for CT and take bloods as well as administer treatment. Good luck
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I had a PICC line, without an option. Because i have another autoimmune disease, my viens are very scarred.
I had mine for 4 months and it wasn’t too bad having it put in.
The pros are you don’t have the issue of needles when it comes to taking bloods or having chemo.
The cons are it had to be dressed and cleaned every week and mustn’t get any water, dirt etc…near it.
It was difficult to sleep with, as im a side sleeper and it always had to be covered, even during the summer, which meant i had to buy 3/4length tops to keep covered and for me to stay cool.
The nurses told me that if you get a block in the tube, the whole thing has to come out and be refitted. Fortunately that didn’t happen, but you must look after it well.
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Tell me about it! Still got my waterproof shower sleeve, to remind me of the struggle…
I personally would go for a port. I had a PICC line and found it to be a constant reminder that I had cancer. Also everyone would see it and ask what it was. I found it a pain when washing and I only put up with it as covid lockdown meant I couldn’t go swimming or on holiday anyway.
If these things don’t matter then you’ll be fine with a PICC. If they do then you’re better with a port. I haven’t got any at the moment, but I’m largely on tablet treatment so it’s just about ok, but my veins are defo getting more tricky.
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Thanks all! I think I’m going to go with the central line as I can only sleep on that side at the minute cause of a lung drain I have and progression of cancer on the other side.
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I had a port-a-catheter (PAC). It bothered more at the beginning and I was happy when I had it taken off, but I would do it again as my veins are small and very difficult to find. Chemo que damage the veins if inserted there.
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My veins are ruined from chemo the first time round so defo need something this time. I’ve now asked for a port to be fitted as I already have a drain in my side that I have to keep dry etc so don’t really want something else that I need to be mindful of all the time.
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I had a picc line and it’s so much easier than having the nurses fumble around to get a vein. I wasn’t really given the option to not have it! Glad I did though. You’ll need a waterproof cover for showers. I got them to do a prescription request for my doctors and was a really good one. You can also go on amazon and get all different picc line covers, rather than the white bandage you get from the hospital. I had a few different ones, a blue one, a multicoloured one and one with mice on. You can’t go swimming and bathing is a bit of a pain but yeah was ok.