Originally Posted by
bocastephen
After a rather harrowing week in the hospital, my parents are flying back north and my father is now sporting a PICC, which is a central line which runs from the inside of the arm up through the artery to just above the heart.
A small portion of the line protrudes out from the skin (like an IV) where infusion medication can be connected.
The line is subject to infection if not cared for properly, so I will likely be covering it with a tensor bandage to keep out airborne germs from coughing, sneezing, etc, or splatter if he should get wet.
Whether by patdown or radiation box, it's going to show up and I'm going to be at the airport with my parents and my refundable ticket boarding pass to get them through security and I'd like to avoid a blowup incident because I honestly will have no hesitation to kick a screener in the head and go to jail if they do anything to place my father at risk - I've already been through enough this week.
So, with this in mind, I would like to know if anyone else has been through a checkpoint recently with a similar medical issue. Basically the line cannot be touched and I will not allow the tensor bandage to be removed. I'm not looking for a conflict, but with our nerves frayed and our protective posture, we want to get through the check as quickly as possible without anything happening that could escalate.
I'm not sure if PBI has the radiation boxes at the B concourse, but I'll assume they do and we're going to end up with a situation that needs to be resolved if the line is detected, so I want to be clear about the limits I can place on the screening process so the line is not disturbed or touched in any way. If that airport/concourse is still using just the WTMD, then I would breath a sigh of relief, as we'd likely avoid any issues.
Any advise?
First off all the best to your father for a speedy recovery, and to you for being the support system.
I would suggest calling the airport first so that they are aware of the issue prior to your arrival, that way there are no surprises. Once there, as you said, if they go thru the WTMD there should be no issues at all. Should a pat-down be required, one of the things we are REQUIRED to ask is if there are any medical implants or devices prior to the start of the patdown. That's the time to bring up the PICC line (my ex-wife had one for a few months so I know too what dealing with these can be like). You might ask to get an STSO involved prior to the start of the patdown as well just to be on the safe side so everyone is on the same page and have that area cleared before the patdown even begins, that way all contact is avoided in that area.