[JoeMac]

Hi All,

I was reading something in another thread about people with bad veins, I am one of them.....Last month I just got through with 6 months of once a month steriod infusions, I also have to give blood about twice a month because of a blood clot I developed. Well, they have trouble getting my blood every time, sometimes can't get it at all because of my bad veins...I had ONE vein, "old faithful" I called it in the inside my right forearm but that one got hard on me after the last steriod infusion and now I just about have NOTHING left, but what if I need another infusion or what if I need to go on Tysabri, (am on Rebif now)....I can't even give any more blood even though I NEED to do that in order to regulate my Coumidin and also to see if my liver enzymes are doing ok...It is just starting to worry me now...what if I need an emergency IV and they can't do it!

I know something about a port-a-cath but that didn't sound like fun, what about this PIC line?

This sounds like it might be better for me, can any one give me any info on this?

Your help, like always, would be apprecited.

thanks ahead of time.

Joe

[soxmom]

My son had a piccline for 8 weeks to give him antibiotics. Once it was in, it was really pretty comfortable. pm me with ?'s , Id
be happy to answer them if I can.

Sox

[Koala77]

Hi Joe,

PIC lines or Port-a-caths are designed for long term use, and are the ideal way to go if you have poor venous access. Here in Australia they are inserted in hospital (often under sedation or a light anaesthetic), and Pic lines are inserted in one or the other arm, whereas the classification that I know as Port-a-Cath, is usually inserted onto the chest wall.

Both can be accessed for blood sampling or the administration of medications, but both require a sterile technique when access is attempted, to prevent major systemic infection.

Until recently I worked as a Registered Nurse, and was trained to administer Chemotherapy. Chemo patients tend to have poor veins due to the many, many times their veins are accessed. MS patients can sometimes fall into a similar category as far as access goes with multiple infusions of Methyly Pred, Chemo and now Ty, not to mention the never ending blood tests.

Discuss it with your doctor, and good luck with what ever decision you make.

[Josie76]

Hello JoeMac - I also have difficult veins. I've picked up some tips over the years for my tough veins. Drinking water before treatments, applying heat to near the vein may help the vein to pop up. Another thing I do is squeeze a stress ball! Hope this helps!
Josie

[doydie]

I would definetely go for a Picc line. As an acting RN, I loved to use one. I am not an RN now since my MS and sometimes forget a lot of my nursing. The last time I had to have Solu Medrol, I had to have a double course of it and sometimes they had to come out to the house twice a day to restart my IV. They told me the next time I needed Solu Medrol to ask for a Picc Line.

[JoeMac]

Thanks to both for the reply, the thing that worried me the most was the emergency IV. Also, no one at my job knows I have MS so I would need to keep that under the hat also and the port-a-cath worries me too, I really need to talk with my doctor about this, I have an appt on the 13th to discus my coumidin usage as the clot was just about 6 months ago and maybe he will take me off the coumidin.

I usderstand that the blood lab needs an OK from the doctor to draw blood anywhere else but the arm.

It seems like I would definately need something if I go to TY and need infusions once a month again because my arm veins are GONE, does the port a cath or pic lines hurt or is it obvious to people I would have one?

Thanks again for the replies

Joe

[momXseven]

If you can handle watching it there's a good video on YouTube on a Picc Line Insertion.
I watched the whole thing and it wasn't bad but than again I can watch stuff like that this and it don't bother me. There is a little blood but not much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNiLZ...eature=related

[JoeMac]

LOL, wow, I will tell you, I am really not too much of a needle weenie when it comes to giving myself shots and stuff but when it comes to veins and things like that I AM a weenie.....LOL

This whole, port a cath and PICC line thing scares me, that viseo freaked me a little but it was informative, thanks momXseven, its good to know that I have alternatives to just plain having NO vein entry.......eases my mind a little...

soxmom, Koala77, doydie, Josie76, thanks for being helpful in my concerns...

I SO hate this, but don't we all..........

Joe

Originally Posted by momXseven

If you can handle watching it there's a good video on YouTube on a Picc Line Insertion.
I watched the whole thing and it wasn't bad but than again I can watch stuff like that this and it don't bother me. There is a little blood but not much.

[GIGI69]

I deal with this issue also.

I have found that doctor's are reluctant to put one in simply for ease of access in general. When I did a once a month IVig for several months they put one in, but once the therapy is complete they wouldn't leave it in because infection can set in and cause more problems. I was begging to keep it in because I have no veins anywhere (no arms, no hands, no feet). You can try any of the tricks (drink lots of water before hand, use a blood pressure cuff instead of rubber, turn lights out and look with a flashlight, put a warm rag on, and nothing helps)

Something I have discovered within the last year: Some places can use a handheld sonogram to look for veins deep in the arm. I have found a hospital that has one and I go there for all my bloodwork now. It is great. After 10 years of being tortured, they now hit the vein on the first try.

Another suggestion: If you have to go into the hospital for an IV, ask for either neo natal or life flight. They are the best of the best at getting veins.

[Pickles]

You've gotten some great advice. I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this but if the people who do your draws are familiar with you, you could ask that they use a doppler to locate your vein and do the draw/administration. That could help a lot.

As far as visibility goes, the port-a-cath is pretty much invisible (not to mention has a much lower risk of infection) because it's surgically implanted, I doubt a doctor is going to give you one just for having bad veins. Perhaps if you were on Ty and couldn't get your infusions due to the condition of your veins but even then it's a long shot.

Take care.