Hickman and showering and m.abscess

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phutton

New member
Happy Saturday!

I just recently got diagnosed with m. abscess bacteria and started treated. Was considering port, but they recommended Hickman instead since I will be accessed for a year or more for treatment. Any tips with the Hickman? My biggest question is with showering how do you cover it?

i am dreading this m. Abscess. I read the previous post and it will be hell for sure!
 
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donin

New member
Phutton - the m.abscessus is a beast - I hope you can beat it back hard. I don't know what a Hickman is. My son has a port. For years and years showering when the port of was accessed was an ordeal requiring saran wrap and medical tape. Last time he was in the hospital they whipped out this product - Shower Shield. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I0WB0HM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have since heard that they have been around for a long time. I can't believe that A) I didn't invent it! and B) it existed and we were battling with saran wrap and tape. Good luck. I hope you beat it.
 
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shay

New member
Does the shower shield and the aqua guard really work well? My daughter has a port and has been taking baths for years when accessed and waiting to shower when she is de-accessed for a dressing change. This would REALLY help when accessed!!! Do they really keep everything dry?
 
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donin

New member
shay - the Aqua Guards are a miracle! They are much more secure than saran and tape and much easier to use.
 
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jaimers

Super Moderator
Shay they work really well for me! My boobs don't allow it to be completely flat on each side like it might be for a guy (due to the location of my port) so I just make sure the top and sides are sealed perfectly and then the bottom is usually ok, just kind of wrinkled.
 
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Hail2Pitt

Guest
Good luck with your Abscessus treatment! I've been on and off treatment for the past several years, so I can certainly empathize.

I'd always had a Hickman, and I liked it (as much as one can like a tunneled venous catheter :) ). It's so much better than a PICC, as it's not sticking out of your arm and you're not really limited in what you can do physically. Though, I mostly avoided showering with my Hickmans - I instead took sort of a shower/bath mix, and washed my hair in the sink. I say "mostly" because with my first-ever Hickman, I was careful, but not super careful when it came to bathing as well as changing my dressing (your nurse can teach you to do this if interested). And several months in, I developed a line infection that totally sucked. I don't know why I got it, but with my successive Hickmans, I just decided to be ultra-careful, including not running the risk of getting it even slightly wet.

For my latest course of treatment, my doctors had me get a port. I didn't like it at first, but have come around. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, and if I had to do it over again, I'm not sure which I'd choose. Regardless, though it all may seem a bit daunting now, I think you'll get used to it pretty quickly and learn how to work around it.
 
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