Childhood Cancer

Print

Childhood Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors

Making a decision

After obtaining information about your options, talk with the doctor about the merits of each type of catheter and ask for her opinion. Talk about the pros and cons with your child if she is old enough. Then make the rounds of the oncology unit, asking both parents and children which type of catheter they chose and why. You will probably hear many opinions about the benefits and drawbacks of each catheter.

The nurses in the clinic and on the unit are another source of valuable information. They will have seen dozens (or hundreds) of children with catheters, and they can give excellent advice, given your family situation. There is no right or wrong choice, just different options for each unique child.

When we asked one of the young children on the ward which catheter she had, she pulled up her shirt with a big grin to show us her Hickman®. She had a coil of white tubing neatly taped to her chest. My husband’s face turned as white as her tubing.

Image

My 4-year-old daughter loved ballet and was extremely interested in her appearance. Her younger sister was very physical, and we were worried that if we chose the Hickman® she would grab and pull on the tubing. We chose the PORT-A-CATH® so that she could wear her tutus without reminders of cancer, and so the children could play together without mishap.

Image

We chose the Hickman® for Shawn because we didn’t want any needles coming at him. He spent almost the whole first year in the hospital, so it saved him from so many pokes. The line was a blessing. He went 3 years and 3 months with no infections. We thought it was just a beautiful thing.

Choosing not to use a catheterAdhesives

Table of Contents

All Guides