PICC line anyone?

[Deleted]

So after two trips to LD in the last week thanks to over the top vomiting, my doc is considering having a PICC line inserted for me so that we can do IV fluids at home. After googling, it sounds like this isn't uncommon in pregnancy (although not exactly common either).  But I was just wondering if anyone had any personal experience with it, either this time or in the past.    Of course, I'd prefer it if this vomiting would just stop so I can can go back to a normal level of pg misery but, if it doesn't, at least there is a potential plan.  

TIA

[megeliz1]

No personal experience but I have a lot of patients with them. Let me know if you have questions!

I hope you start feeling better and hopefully if you end up with one it does the trick. Sorry you have been so miserable.

[maddib]

Not pregnancy related but my daughter had a picc line when she was in the hospital for eight months. It was nice because they didn't have to keep poking her for everything thy had to give her. If they want to give you fluids quite regularly I would say it would be better then being a pin cushion!

[santoki77]

no personal experience but hope the vomiting subsides!

[hulagrl461]

Hope you feel better!!

[bruunk]

No personal experience, but sending you feel better thoughts!!

[neongreen]

Not pregnancy related, but I had one in for a few months when I was 17 due to issues with my Crohn's disease (the doctor's wanted me to be on IV antibiotics, which probably didn't do much, but that's a different story). I'd file it under "annoying, but not the end of the world". The insertion was fine, except for the very end when the doctor sutured it in, which hurt as much as you'd expect it to. (I was given sedatives and the nurses thought I'd fall asleep for the procedure. NOPE.) Once I was home, a nurse came to the house to show me how to do everything. She also came once a week to clean the site and check it over.

If 17-year-old me could handle it, you'll be just fine. With the encouragement of the nurse, I tried not to let it interfere with my everyday life. Obviously I wasn't playing full contact sports or anything, but I had a portable pole and ran the bags of meds at school, at friends' houses, at the mall, and even the streets of Manhattan when I went down to see a Broadway show. The only really annoying part was preventing it from getting wet, and I'd need my mom's help to wrap plastic around it and tape it down before I got in the shower.

No matter what happens, I hope you get some relief soon!

[lunalovegood]

No experience, but I hope you feel better and stop vomiting

[kemdupuis]

I don't have any experience with this either, but I hate that you've been so sick! Hope you start feeling better soon!

[Deleted]

I hope you feel better soon!!

[alayne926]

No experience, but I hope that you get some relief soon.

[mrsdee1982]

My very good friend had to have a PICC line with all 3 of her pregnancies (She makes real cute kids, but they all try to kill her before they're born). As I remember, with her first, it was a scary thing because she was so sick. But by her 2nd and 3rd, it was just a routine thing they had to do. It helped her tremendously. She was able to live her normal life, instead of constantly going in to the hospital (every other day) for IVs, fluids and nutrition.

I would say, if your doctor is leaning that way, it might be the best thing for you.

So sorry you are so sick.

[mrskblack11]

Hoping you feel better soon.

[noeliav]

No experience here, but someone on TB had one... she was Canadian? Maybe? Ended up changing her name to something maple?

Did she make it over this way?

I really hope you feel better soon

[jcprn]

As a nurse I think PICC lines are fantastic. I've had more patients with PICC lines in the hospital than I can count. You don't have to constantly get stuck with IV's for IV fluids or bloodwork because they can draw right off of the line. There should be a dressing protecting the insertion site as well as caps on the end of it to seal it off when not in use. I think there are also sleeves that are specially made to wear over it to protect it when you're going in for a shower and such. Definitely something I would consider convenient for a very inconvenient situation.

Good luck and hope you feel better soon!