Pic Lines...?

I am 16 years old and I have Lyme Disease. I have to go on IV therapy and I am scared to death. What are chances of infection? What does it feel like? Does it hurt? Can someone explain it a little better? I am really really nervous about it.

Hi. My 15 year old daughter had a PICC line for Lyme last year. I have some advice for you. Ask to get your medicine delivered in a pressurized ball. (Our brand was called "Eclipse," but there might be other brands.) This is so much easier than having to put your IV on a pole. The infusion company will deliver you a week's worth of these plastic pressurized balls (filled with medicine) at a time. You keep them in the refrigerator. About an hour before you're going to infuse, you'll take one out and put it on the counter so it can warm up to room temperature. When it's time to go, you flush the line with saline (also in pre-measured, sterile syringes--quite easy to do) and then hook up your ball and you're good to go. The process doesn't hurt at all. If you want to move around, you can keep the ball in your pocket or even just hold it in your hand. It's connected to your picc line by a tube--when the medicine is gone, there's no worry about getting an air bubble, because it's a closed system. (If you have an IV on a pole, you have to worry about air bubbles. INSIST on the pressurized ball.)

Regarding infection: it's important to keep the area around the insertion point clean and covered with a sterile bandage. Probably a nurse will come to your house and change it weekly. Then, when you're doing daily infusions, of course you (and anyone who's helping you) needs to wash their hands and generally operate under clean conditions. There are picc line covers you can get for when you take a shower or even if you want to go swimming. (My daughter went in the ocean with hers.)

Good luck!

I am being tested for Lyme Disease. What are your symptoms, please email me on my profile. Please.

Don't worry about it. Once it's in there, you can't feel it. It's only a bit uncomfortable going in and coming out. I had Lyme Disease to, but I didn't get it bad enough for that kind of treatment. Get well soon!

PICC lines are normally inserted as an outpatient. Some local anaesthetic cream is applied to the skin which usually ensures the insertion is painless. The procedure takes about 30 to 40 minutes. Once the PICC line is in place it will be taped firmly to the skin with a special transparent dressing to stop it coming out of the vein. A chest x-ray will then be taken to check the position of the line before it is used.

The PICC line can be used for taking blood for blood tests, and / or giving drugs.

Once the line is in place nurses will show you how to take care of it, to prevent any blockages or infections. This will involve learning how to clean the external part of the line, change the dressings and flush the line through with sterile salt solution. This may sound complicated at first but the nurses will explain it all and make sure you are able to cope. They will also give you a contact 'phone number at the hospital in case you have any problems.

DOnt worry about it too much sweetheart it is much better to have the PICC line rather than having IV Cannulas inserted all the time. YOu will be fine. Just make sure that you follow the instructions that the nurse tells you

Don't be scared. With all the problems with infections in the world health professionals are more vigilant in using sterile techniques. Just make sure the person giving you the IV takes it out of a new package and cleanses the site with alcohol and is wearing new gloves. You have every right to ask that they do this in your presence. Sometimes it stings a little depending on where they are to put the IV, if it continues to hurt or burn let them know and put a cool pack on it this lessens the burning.
They will leave the pic line in and just have you go back at certain times to have the medication administered. If it is to go in the back of your hand, make sure it is a hand that you do not use for certain things. I'm not trying to be rude but sometimes it is better to not be able to write than to wipe.
Good luck and don't be scared.

Hi. Going on IV therapy is not a big deal. You have a Pic line which is like a iv needle and what they do is hook up the medicine to that pic and that is it. they flush out the pic line with saline and heprin which dont hurt at all it might feel cool going in but trust me it does not hurt. the heprin is to keep the line open and the saline is to clean out the line so the meds can go in better. so all in all the only thing that hurts with the therapy is having the pic line put in. I hope this has helped you some..

I have been through this. Don't be afraid. IV Therapy was a life saver for me. I did not get any infections and it does not hurt at all. They put the line in and gave me my first dose in the office then I went home. A nurse came to the house to show us how to administer the dose myself and from that moment on it was a breeze. Not a problem at all. The worst part was sitting still for the 15 mins. that it takes for the IV to go in every day. You'll be fine. I had to do this for 4 months. Then I took oral meds. Then I had to go back on IV. Then oral meds again. You won't believe how much better you will feel. My Lyme was advanced so I was excited to just get some relief (I was no longer able to walk or talk I'm fine now). Don't worry you'll be fine. The Pic lines don't hurt and are no big deal. Oh yeah the only pain I do remember is having to wrap my arm in plastic bags and wraps to take a shower. Good luck everything will be fine.

I am currently at home with a PICC line for the treatment of Lyme disease.

It did not hurt at all when they put it in. They used a local anesthetic and I didn't feel a thing.

You need to keep the dressing clean and dry. You kinda have to baby the arm a bit. I have been wrapping the site with saran wrap an taping the ends to take a quick shower.

giving the meds are really no big deal, just keep everything clean. Your nurse should wear a mask and sterile gloves when changing the dressing.

Feel ree to email me at merrygirl38@hotmail.com if you ever want to chat it sounds like we are in the same boat!

hope you feel better soon-

Hi, sorry this isn't an answer but I didn't know how to make a question! I have to have antibiotics for 10 days and I have to go into hospital for my first overnight stay/s and I'm terrified and I'm really really scared about the pic line. I understand that it goes through a vein into near your heart and that really freaks me out, but my question really is how do they thread a tube into your vein and do you feel it, what does it feel like?