Last Monday I had a picc line inserted in my left upper arm to help make my chemo infusions a little easier.
I’d been having quite a bit of trouble with my veins and was starting to look purple and green with all the bruises and needle marks on my one ‘good’ arm (my other arm cannot be used for chemo/bloods as I had all my lymph nodes removed on that side three years ago). Chemo infusions were also slow, cold and painful. Painful too, for the very patient nurses who had to keep trying to find a decent vein every time.
And for the record, I WASN’T happy about getting the picc line. I felt sad and angry that this wasn’t MY decision, that I was sort-of being forced into it (by my own veins?!) Even typing it now, I see it sounds pretty silly. It’s odd, isn’t it, the things that can crop up in a cancer journey and send you into a tizzy? Well the picc line was one of those things for me.
Of course, it WAS my decision. My veins were just trying to tell me as much! Anyway. It’s been a week now since I had the procedure and I am settling in to life with my picc. We’re even becoming friendly. Chemo last week was faster and painless using my new ‘superhighway’. I also had a vitamin C infusion through it on Friday and that was completely fuss-free. So, maybe we will be buddies before long 🤣
What I wanted to share with you all is this handy little waterproof sleeve that I got from Amazon to keep my picc dry in the shower. It was pricey at £20.99 but it does exactly what it needs to and keeps my arm completely dry while I get squeaky clean in that way that only a shower can do!
The other thing I must say about the sleeve is this – you do need someone to help you get it on and off your arm – it’s tight so that it can keep the water out – but once you’ve got someone around to help you with it, happy days, you’re sorted and it’s pretty easy. Make sure too that you measure your arm and choose the right size accordingly, as detailed in the listing.
So, if you have a picc or need to get one… my words are, go for it. Make the choice yourself. It’s a proactive step you can control in your journey.
Oh and here is the sleeve if you want to get one for yourself:
By Happy Magazine Editor, Holly Kennedy.
Could you swim or do aqua aerobics with the waterproof sleeve? I’m heading towards needing one, but dont want to give up aqua.
Author
Hi Clare, hmm. I’m not sure. Maybe aqua aerobics would be ok if your arms are mostly out of the water? It would guard against splashes. I’m not sure how it would hold up underwater though, I haven’t tried that. It might be ok… it’s pretty tight.
Hi Clare you shouldn’t really swim in a public pool with the PICC in case the sleeve leaks and the bacteria in the pool water infects the area. Best be safe rather than sorry. My first swim once the PICC was removed was a month after the tiny PICC wound finally healed completely. The levels of bacteria in pool water is too high sadly.
https://www.science.org.au/curious/everything-else/swimming-pool The sleeve is brilliant in the shower though as it’s just you 🙂
Hi Holly, thanks for sharing this : brings back memories as I had a PICC line too (Port didnt work). I wish I had this sleeve back in 2016/2017 !! Anyway, I agree with you, having the PICC is so much better than poor external veins being trounced. Hope your sessions are not too debilitating ? Glad to say I’m now going strong and 3.5 years in to my own cancer journey. Take good care, and thanks so much for getting Happy Magazine back up & running !! Ger