I'm getting extremely sick of having to be extra careful in the shower to avoid getting my dressings wet...so I'm wondering if any of you have a failproof method, or a product reccomendation on what i can use to waterproof my picc line dressing (inserted in my upper arm, not far above the bend of the arm) as well as my JP drain dressing (inserted in the lower right of my abdomen, maybe an inch or two below and to the right of my bellybutton.) sponge baths have become not sufficient in this record heat and humidity we've had all summer in the northeast U.S. please help!!
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How can I waterproof my PICC dressing, as well as my JP dressing?
- Thread starter mharvey90
- Start date
Ahhhh, the dreaded pic line. I just got mine out last monday. Unfortunately there is nothing i found to water proof it. I am also living in the NE so showers were interesting this summer. First thing I can reccomend is a shower head that is removable you know the kind with the long tube that you can pick up. The second is press and seal saran wrap although this is not 100% so don't put it right under the spray. I kinda gave up at the end and just held my arm out to the side to avoid getting it wet. My home health care nurse said that putting a wash cloth folded into fours under the press and wrap helps too but I never tried.
About the drain walgreens sells these water proof bandages that are completely clear like saran wrap and are about 4x6. (expensive) (but worth it) put a lot of gauze over your drain so the bandages dont stick then put the bandages over top and they are 100% water proof so I hope you can find them. When you are done your shower you can take them off without disturbing the drain.
damn im sorry you are doing so crappy =/
when i had my picc what i did was use large zip locks. cut off the zipper end and cut open the closed end. then, like dustyd said put something absorbent over the top of your dressing, slide the homemade "sleeve" up you arm. i always found it more comfy to like....pull the excess together and tape it over you know? so that the plastic was tighter against my arm....haha lemme know if that doesnt make any sense at all.
i used a variety of different tapes, the best i found was silk tape. not completely water proof but strangely enough did the best job of sticking to me even in the shower.
this didnt allow me to like soak in a tub or have my picc arm directly in the shower spray, but it protected enough that i could use that arm to wash my hair, but still just try to keep it out of the direct water.
there is also this tape called Hy-tape or Pink tape...its the same thing, and i only tried it recently for ostomy stuff so im not sure how it would work for this but supposedley its really good waterproof tape. worth a try maybe.
oh also, i tended to use a LOT of tape when taping the ziplock on my arm, and after a while i started using the pieces more than once, cuz seriously you go thru those rolls fast. i would just stick them on the shower bar (not one in the shower itself of course) and they would dry and work just as well the next day. after a few times just pitch em and start over, but for me it was def worth it to reuse.
i have no advice as far as how to avoid the pain of ripping the tape off every morning =/
only to just do it quick.
where is your picc located on your arm? my most recent one was actually ABOVE my elbow, on the inside of my bicep area. so that kind of made it convenient cuz it left my elbow joint free to move and also less body hair there lol.
hope this helps, i feel so bad for you hun, still so sick when youve already done what was supposed to fix that! argh.
take care.
when i had my picc what i did was use large zip locks. cut off the zipper end and cut open the closed end. then, like dustyd said put something absorbent over the top of your dressing, slide the homemade "sleeve" up you arm. i always found it more comfy to like....pull the excess together and tape it over you know? so that the plastic was tighter against my arm....haha lemme know if that doesnt make any sense at all.
i used a variety of different tapes, the best i found was silk tape. not completely water proof but strangely enough did the best job of sticking to me even in the shower.
this didnt allow me to like soak in a tub or have my picc arm directly in the shower spray, but it protected enough that i could use that arm to wash my hair, but still just try to keep it out of the direct water.
there is also this tape called Hy-tape or Pink tape...its the same thing, and i only tried it recently for ostomy stuff so im not sure how it would work for this but supposedley its really good waterproof tape. worth a try maybe.
oh also, i tended to use a LOT of tape when taping the ziplock on my arm, and after a while i started using the pieces more than once, cuz seriously you go thru those rolls fast. i would just stick them on the shower bar (not one in the shower itself of course) and they would dry and work just as well the next day. after a few times just pitch em and start over, but for me it was def worth it to reuse.
i have no advice as far as how to avoid the pain of ripping the tape off every morning =/
only to just do it quick.
where is your picc located on your arm? my most recent one was actually ABOVE my elbow, on the inside of my bicep area. so that kind of made it convenient cuz it left my elbow joint free to move and also less body hair there lol.
hope this helps, i feel so bad for you hun, still so sick when youve already done what was supposed to fix that! argh.
take care.
I agree with the taping advice. When I was in the hospital for 12 days, one of the nurses helped me take a proper shower and taped up my PICC line and my JP drain (both located in the same spots you have them). I actually still have some of the clear bandages theys ent me home with. They're called Tegaderm Film by 3M. I think for extra protection she cut some plastic bags in half too and wrapped it around my PICC line and drain and taped it with the silk tape. It did get the tape wet a bit, but didn't get to my PICC site because I also had the sheer tape over that. You just have to get someone to help you wash your hair if you can't bend your arm completely. A removable shower head is also helpful if you have one. Good luck! It feels so much better to take a REAL shower!
Thanks for your replies guys...
I have a removable shower head that I use...it would be nearly impossible to shower without one! I've been using silk take and ziplock bags...but my skin is extremely sensitive and I cannot apply and remove the tape every day. I like the Tegaderm tape...but it is such a huge pain to have to remove that stuff every day, cause that's reallyyyy stick. that's what is over my picc dressing by default when the nurses come to change it.
kello, what do you use to keep your ostomy dry??
i have recently found this website that sells supposed waterproof protectors...they have them for picc lines as well as ostomy's...and depending on how much longer i have to put up with the picc and JP...i may order both.
http://www.drycorp.com/content/picc...nt/picc-line-protector-information/index.html
tell me what you guys think. and thanks again
I have a removable shower head that I use...it would be nearly impossible to shower without one! I've been using silk take and ziplock bags...but my skin is extremely sensitive and I cannot apply and remove the tape every day. I like the Tegaderm tape...but it is such a huge pain to have to remove that stuff every day, cause that's reallyyyy stick. that's what is over my picc dressing by default when the nurses come to change it.
kello, what do you use to keep your ostomy dry??
i have recently found this website that sells supposed waterproof protectors...they have them for picc lines as well as ostomy's...and depending on how much longer i have to put up with the picc and JP...i may order both.
http://www.drycorp.com/content/picc...nt/picc-line-protector-information/index.html
tell me what you guys think. and thanks again
I have scars on my arm from the tape. I have no advice on how to get it off without hurting yourself, also I am allergic to it even the "nonallergenic" so as soon as they put it on my skin would welt and blister. That is why I opted for the press and seal seran wrap It sticks to your skin with out the stickyness of tape it is way easier if you have someone to help you do it though. If I had seen that web sight when I had my picc line I def. would have ordered it. I had mine in for three months.
- Location
- New York, USA
Years ago my Mom broke her arm in the summer - and she is an avid swimmer!...what she did with the casted arm was take either bread bags, or other plastic bags and use them as a sleeve over the cast - then use tape to tape it closed.....I think if you tape over the PLASTIC and make it a little tight, it should help to keep the bag on without using a lot of tape on your skin.....can't leave it on too long, but long enough to wash!
As for the JP area - probably tegaderm is your best bet.....
As for the JP area - probably tegaderm is your best bet.....