Can You Ride a Roller Coaster With a Picc Line

Written By GusEdian Friday, November 19, 2021 Add Comment Edit

This might seem like a pointless blog to write but I googled this very thing and came up with nothing so I figured I'd help people out in the future who are searching on whether or not they can ride roller coasters with a port (also known as a port-a-cath or power port).

I'm a huge fan of roller coasters and I've not ridden them yet since I had my Bard Double Lumen Power Port placed. I was worried that the restraints to the rides that go over-the-shoulders would hit right where the port is placed in my chest. I have my port for TPN (nutrition received intravenously) so it's accessed every day. Since my port would be accessed while riding coasters I was even more worried that the ride restraints would bump into the needle.

Good news!

None of the roller coaster restraints came anywhere near the port, as you can see in the photo above. That's me testing the seat of the 'Dragon Challenge' coasters at Universal Orlando.

The Dragon Challenge coaster up above.

I haven't come across a large newer coaster that doesn't have tester seats before you enter the ride. They can be found right in front of the entrance to the ride and are usually there for people to see if they fit in the seats because they're… uhh… too big. I recommend using these to see if the rides restraints hit your port. I was pleasantly surprised that none of them did.

I've now ridden all of the roller coasters at Universal with a PICC line in and now with a port. I am from Michigan and only 2 hours away from Cedar Point where I visit at least once a year and I'm excited to know that I don't need to worry about not being able to ride.

More Tips!

If you have a medical condition where you are unable to wait in long lines you can get a disability pass at most theme parks (haven't been to one where I couldn't get one). Here I am this past December with my boyfriend, Dan, and our friends Eric and Meg. All of us have Crohn's disease, I have Chronic Intestinal Pseudo Obstruction (a rare disease that affects me much more than my Crohn's does), and arthritis (which was really bothering me and Meg at the time). We were able to get passes so we didn't have to wait in long lines and generally waited no longer than 10-15 minutes at most for each ride.

Rent a wheelchair if you need to. I used one during this trip because I just got out of the hospital a week before traveling and I was dealing with severe pain and deconditioning from a year of hospitalizations and malnutrition along with being under weight. Standing and walking was a huge challenge for me so a wheelchair it was. I have finally learned how to check my pride at the door. Huge thanks to Dan for pushing me around.