YET another port ??

[JazzysMom]

After watching Lighnlife's demo on accessing I am still a bit confused. One of the benefits of having a port is the ease to shower with it. BUT that is only when its not accessed it appears.....IF this is the case then that whole accessing thing takes place each & every time you hook up to a med dose? So if I am on merepenum three times a day then I go thru that whole thing three times a day or does it just stay accessed during the whole course of iv therapy & gets capped off with heparin in between doses like a picc line? This would mean I still cant shower while on iv's? HELP!!!

 

[JazzysMom]

After watching Lighnlife's demo on accessing I am still a bit confused. One of the benefits of having a port is the ease to shower with it. BUT that is only when its not accessed it appears.....IF this is the case then that whole accessing thing takes place each & every time you hook up to a med dose? So if I am on merepenum three times a day then I go thru that whole thing three times a day or does it just stay accessed during the whole course of iv therapy & gets capped off with heparin in between doses like a picc line? This would mean I still cant shower while on iv's? HELP!!!

 

[JazzysMom]

After watching Lighnlife's demo on accessing I am still a bit confused. One of the benefits of having a port is the ease to shower with it. BUT that is only when its not accessed it appears.....IF this is the case then that whole accessing thing takes place each & every time you hook up to a med dose? So if I am on merepenum three times a day then I go thru that whole thing three times a day or does it just stay accessed during the whole course of iv therapy & gets capped off with heparin in between doses like a picc line? This would mean I still cant shower while on iv's? HELP!!!

 

[kybert]

stays accessed during the whole course. i can still shower with mine because i can cover the whole thing including tubing up with a tegaderm. i just take the tegaderm off once im done.

 

[kybert]

stays accessed during the whole course. i can still shower with mine because i can cover the whole thing including tubing up with a tegaderm. i just take the tegaderm off once im done.

 

[kybert]

stays accessed during the whole course. i can still shower with mine because i can cover the whole thing including tubing up with a tegaderm. i just take the tegaderm off once im done.

 

[Lilith]

Like Kylie, I tape mine up, too. But I don't use a tegaderm, as it irritates my skin a bit too much. I just tape (and this sounds and looks stupid, but it works) a ziplock baggie over the normal dressing with medical tape. I just make sure to stuff the tubing behind it, too.

 

[Lilith]

Like Kylie, I tape mine up, too. But I don't use a tegaderm, as it irritates my skin a bit too much. I just tape (and this sounds and looks stupid, but it works) a ziplock baggie over the normal dressing with medical tape. I just make sure to stuff the tubing behind it, too.

 

[Lilith]

Like Kylie, I tape mine up, too. But I don't use a tegaderm, as it irritates my skin a bit too much. I just tape (and this sounds and looks stupid, but it works) a ziplock baggie over the normal dressing with medical tape. I just make sure to stuff the tubing behind it, too.

 

[JazzysMom]

So you can d/c from the med. Still have to cover the site like a PICC line, BUT your arm isnt restricted with all that packaging that you would need on your arm for a picc. Thanks everyone!

 

[JazzysMom]

So you can d/c from the med. Still have to cover the site like a PICC line, BUT your arm isnt restricted with all that packaging that you would need on your arm for a picc. Thanks everyone!

 

[JazzysMom]

So you can d/c from the med. Still have to cover the site like a PICC line, BUT your arm isnt restricted with all that packaging that you would need on your arm for a picc. Thanks everyone!

 

[CowTown]

Yes you still have to cover the site area for showers, but it is soooo much less of an ordeal then the Piccs are. The port stays accessed all month and then 1x/month you or the nurse will take out the needle and replace (reaccess) with a new needle. So 1x/ month you are reaccessing but it's really no big deal compared to all you go through with piccs. I guess the only thing, if it matters, is that in the summer time you are trying to cover up a funky looking needle right on your chest/under collar bone (if that's where yours is). Luckily for me, my whole port situation fit very nicely right under those wider tank top straps. It was golden.

 

[CowTown]

Yes you still have to cover the site area for showers, but it is soooo much less of an ordeal then the Piccs are. The port stays accessed all month and then 1x/month you or the nurse will take out the needle and replace (reaccess) with a new needle. So 1x/ month you are reaccessing but it's really no big deal compared to all you go through with piccs. I guess the only thing, if it matters, is that in the summer time you are trying to cover up a funky looking needle right on your chest/under collar bone (if that's where yours is). Luckily for me, my whole port situation fit very nicely right under those wider tank top straps. It was golden.

 

[CowTown]

Yes you still have to cover the site area for showers, but it is soooo much less of an ordeal then the Piccs are. The port stays accessed all month and then 1x/month you or the nurse will take out the needle and replace (reaccess) with a new needle. So 1x/ month you are reaccessing but it's really no big deal compared to all you go through with piccs. I guess the only thing, if it matters, is that in the summer time you are trying to cover up a funky looking needle right on your chest/under collar bone (if that's where yours is). Luckily for me, my whole port situation fit very nicely right under those wider tank top straps. It was golden.

 

[Emily65Roses]

I don't know if it's just me or not, but I was told to change the needle in my port every week if I'm using it, not every month.

 

[Emily65Roses]

I don't know if it's just me or not, but I was told to change the needle in my port every week if I'm using it, not every month.

 

[Emily65Roses]

I don't know if it's just me or not, but I was told to change the needle in my port every week if I'm using it, not every month.

 

[lightNlife]

I suppose I should clarify, that I took my needle out because I wanted a good, full bath. My port had been accessed for nearly a month, and I was feeling particularly grungy around the tegaderm. Also, I wanted to allow my skin a chance to breath for a bit in the 8 hours between infusions. (Also, I wanted to spend some "quality time" with my husband without having to be careful about the needle..it puts a damper on the social agenda if you get my drift) It's just my personal preference. Usually I do shower with the port accessed. I basically just wrap my chest in 2 layers of Saran wrap to keep the water off the site.

 

[lightNlife]

I suppose I should clarify, that I took my needle out because I wanted a good, full bath. My port had been accessed for nearly a month, and I was feeling particularly grungy around the tegaderm. Also, I wanted to allow my skin a chance to breath for a bit in the 8 hours between infusions. (Also, I wanted to spend some "quality time" with my husband without having to be careful about the needle..it puts a damper on the social agenda if you get my drift) It's just my personal preference. Usually I do shower with the port accessed. I basically just wrap my chest in 2 layers of Saran wrap to keep the water off the site.