We recently had the chance to speak with Susan, one of our customers, and she offered to share her PICC line story with our community. Thank you Susan for sharing your story!
I had a PICC line inserted in January 2016 following surgery for what was thought to be a brain tumor and, fortunately for me, turned out to be a brain abscess.
While the surgery was just as invasive as it would have been for a tumor, the outcome was certainly much better!
The abscess was removed, but the treatment required intravenous antibiotics (IV antibiotics) three times a day for about four months. It is now mid-April, and I expect to be receiving the IV antibiotics through the PICC line until mid-May.
When I was in the hospital recovering from surgery, and after the PICC line was inserted, the only solution for covering the PICC line dressing and the connector was a white gauze sleeve - not very attractive, to say the least! One of the nurses working at the hospital mentioned that she had seen a patient at another hospital wearing what looked to be a cover made out of a type of athletic clothing material. I was unable to find anything like it in the local medical supply stores in Montreal, and luckily an internet search led me to Care+Wear.
I contacted the company by email to inquire as to whether they shipped to Canada, and got an almost immediate positive response (very impressive customer service!). I ordered a 5-Pack of assorted colors (Black, Marine, Fuchsia, Lime and Mango), and the covers arrived at my home in Montreal within a week - which is very good for international shipping!
I was very pleased with the PICC line covers - they are much more attractive than white gauze, and keep the dressing clean and the wires contained, including the 12 inch extension wire which allows me to administer the IV antibiotics myself. I have washed them at least weekly since the end of January and they continue to look like new.
If warm weather ever arrives in Montreal, I am sure I will appreciate the PICC line covers even more when I will be wearing short sleeves, especially the bright colors!
Although I would rather not have a PICC line at all, it allows me to be at home during the IV antibiotic treatment sessions, which is far better than being in a hospital environment. When I am not administering the antibiotics, I almost forget that it is there, hidden under the Care+Wear PICC Line Cover.
Thank you to Care+Wear for providing an attractive solution to an otherwise unsightly medical necessity.
Susan Shaughnessy
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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