Showering With a PICC Line

If I recall correctly (and my memory is always in question) I took 2 showers during my 6 days in the hospital; but, being at home with a PICC line my showering has not improved.  The nurse has informed us that it is imperative that the bandage covering the PICC line does not get wet as it could contribute to causing the PICC line to become compromised while not necessarily infected, the compromise could cause a new PICC line to be insert, no doubt into my right arm which would then severely curtail my abilities and mobility at home since I am right handed.

We were given several options as to how to cover the PICC line before showering but the best approach, at for us (me) has been to wrap my arm several times in saran wrap and then tape the ends.  I have two ports that dangle down from the PICC line and extend below my elbow, so I curl those into the bend of my arm and make sure the saran wrap extends well below my elbow.  After both ends are wrapped tightly with tape, I  bend my arm several times to make sure my bend has now been restricted.

And, while I try to use my right hand to do most of the soaping up, there are times when I step out of the flow of water and use both arms; otherwise, my left arm extends out to the ceiling and is kept out of the flow of water as much as possible.  Once my shower is complete, I dry the saran wrapped arm first.  So, far, the patch covering the PICC line has never gotten wet.

I also keep my showering down to twice a week, Sundays and Wednesdays, which are the two days before my Hone Health Nurse visits.  If my night sweats are substantial, the I simply use a wash cloth and soap and clean my underarms.  Because of my inactivity, there are no other times during the day that I put myself in a position to sweat.

I have one more shower day (Sunday) before my PICC line is removed next Wednesday.