After much delay and more than enough drama, I am now the proud owner of a shiny new, double-lumen PICC line. And boy is it running better! If only it didn’t hurt like hell. I don’t remember the first line hurting this much after putting it in, but I also was laying in a hospital bed drugged out for a week after it was put in, plus it was a smaller line.
The problem with the previous PICC line (aside from the fact that it just wasn’t working particularly well), was that my skin all around the site was reacting VERY badly to the adhesive on the stat-lock, around the tegaderm, and the tape (which I frequently had to use in order to keep the tegaderm from peeling off. I’ve never had this severe a reaction to adhesive before, but this was (and still is – it’s going to take a while to heal) excruciating. I am so glad that I stood my ground and insisted that it be changed.
And now? Having spent the entire day at the hospital, I’m beat, so I’m going to bed early tonight.
ChezPerky 