I’m going to have a PICC line from my start of treatment, are there any recommended brands, or brands to avoid? Does any one have any general clothing recommendations, things they found comfy or useful while having Chemo? Many thanks
Thank you for the link, that does look like a comfy top, I’ve seen Primark do some unfortunately they no longer have my size in stock 
Hi @bryna
I ordered a few different PICC line covers from Annabandana. They were great - lots of different colours (to match your outfit 
), comfortable and inexpensive. For chemo my main advice would be to wear jogging bottoms or similar that you can pull down with one hand, in case you need to go off to the loo while one arm is still attached to your chemo stand. I tended just to wear t-shirts on top so that my arm was accessible, but took a shawl or zip-up hoodie for when I was cold.
In general casual clothes that I could just flop in were good - not least so that I could lie down and doze off comfortably whenever I felt tired.
best of luck x
@Sephie Thank you for your recommendations, I now need to find joggers for short people lol
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Ladies-save your pennies-Asda do an amazing collection of clothes for chemo with zips in all the right places for piccs & ports. You will want to burn them by the end of treatment! Quality is great & so well priced
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@whataloadof amazing, thank you! I do like the Porta Bello clothing, but I cannot substantiate paying those prices when I’ve been told that I cannot go to work for the duration, even if I feel well enough Cheap and cheerful it is!
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@bryna Honestly I LOVED the Asda ones-bought a sweatshirt, a hoody & a long-sleeved T-shirt for under £50 all in. I had 6 rounds of chemo & 18 weeks of picc line flushes & every single nurse I met complimented me on them. Quality is brilliant & they did the job. We spend enough on all of this as it is-I wasn’t working either & really having to watch costs-silly things like ordering myself dry mouth spray for £40 then onc telling me he could prescribe them etc & not having the energy to send them back! For my picc day to day I spent a fair bit on covers & in the end just wore the bandage sleeve the nurses gave me but it was winter so I can see why covers might be better this time of year-I was also beyond nervous about people banging into me & maybe thought a bandage would be more visible. Wish you the best of luck with your treatment xx
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Second person who has recommended Asda so ordered the sweatshirt whilst I am not sleeping! X
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Thank you @portoandbello I do LOVE your clothing, and I appreciate where it came from, and what you’re trying to do, making a crappy time a bit more bearable. I wish you lots of luck with your endeavours x
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That really means so much, thank you 
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It’s worth asking the chemo nurses and/or the breast care nurses about a sleeve to go over the external part to avoid it catching on your clothes. The less you have to spend the better. It’s been years since I had mine, so there are probably more options now.
Besides loose-fitting clothes with elastic or drawstrings, look for smooth textures because your skin may be dry and sensitive. You may need a larger size to accommodate it comfortably, and may need larger or stretchier waistbands.
I found that it was easier to keep the catheter part dry with baths rather than showers, especially once I had no hair to wash, but there are waterproof covers for washing.
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I bought a picc cover, (measured my arm and got the recommended size) but found it stretched slightly and so would roll down. I then went out and bought some stretchy arm bandage and on a cleaning day, the nurse said it looked a bit tight and after cleaning, gave me a looser bandage from their stock which gets changed on cleaning days. As for clothing, most of my chemo has taken place during the hottest part of the summer, so I have worn a vest top with a loose fitting linen shirt where the sleeves roll up over the picc. The last one was cooler and I have only one more to go so just wear a vest top with a normal hoodie and just get the arm out for treatment. Mine is just over an hour so I don’t feel the need to wear anything special. I had a look at those zip arm hoodies and know I would probably have gone for one if I was getting treated autumn into winter.
When I had my picc line fitted, they handed me the waterproof cover for bathing without even asking. I know every hospital is different as someone I know who was getting treatment at a different hospital had to beg for one.
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