Driving with a catheter in your chest can be quite uncomfortable, especially when your catheter is on the left side of your chest. The seat belt lays right over it and there is no way to prevent the belt from tightening down. I can’t even imaging what it would be like to get in an accident (but let’s not dwell on that).
Late last year, I had a mediport surgically implanted on the right side of my chest. This is so I can receive blood transfusions without an IV. Best decision I ever made, and I highly recommend one if your kidney disease causes your hemoglobin to drop and you need frequent blood transfusions.
As a passenger in a car, the seatbelt was laying over my mediport. I would try to hold the seat belt so it wouldn’t tighten down on the mediport, but on long car rides, it’s impossible to keep holding on to the belt without your hand cramping. And while driving, it's impossible to keep holding onto the seatbelt
I found these little pillows on Etsy, by Connie Aro, owner of Doodlehead, that you can add to your seat belts to keep the seatbelt off of your catheter or mediport while you are driving. I absolutely love them! They come in great fabric choices, and they are just the right thickness to provide support. I bought one for each side of the car so no matter if I’m driving, or a passenger in the car, I am comfortable.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/566359831/port-pillow-portacath-pillows-seatbelt