Drains

Discussions relating to primary breast cancer and treatment. Also for those recently diagnosed, and for those concerned about possible symptoms of breast cancer.
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Janette
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Re: Drains

Postby Janette » Tue Jul 12, 2016 4:36 pm

The trick with being at home with drains is to put a bag over you shoulder and neck that just went with you when you moved about. Other for me too easy to forget and leave the drain behind. The bad at my side helped hide the drain when out shopping etc.
Janette


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Re: Drains

Postby chrismelb » Tue Jul 12, 2016 12:41 pm

MO, having drains isn't too bad more annoying that anything. A also had mine out before i left and i was in hospital 3-4 nights. Mine came unstuck and had to be be adjusted which meant plastering up the gaps in the wound and then having the suction reapplied, now that was agony!!!
All will be fine for you i am sure. Get onto BC nurse to find the little sacks for you.
Good luck xo
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8/12 Liver mets-Abraxane,Herceptin&Zometa
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Re: Drains

Postby Mighty Oak » Mon Jul 11, 2016 11:35 pm

Thanks Janette and Judy for your input. It looks like there can be a variation in the amount of drains. Janette takes the prize for the most.......six!!! Judy, I'm pleased to hear that you didn't experience pain but rather numbness after your mx. I can do numb! Your experience doesn't sound like it was too onerous, so I'll take comfort in that.
Hugs Mo xxx


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Re: Drains

Postby JudyB » Mon Jul 11, 2016 10:29 pm

MO I only had a mastectomy on the one side and was in hospital for two nights. I came home with one drain which I found easy enough to handle. I was scared that I would yank it out which was silly because they really go in a fair way and can't just fall out. I found the area that the drain came out of numb after the mastectomy, still is for that matter, so no pain there and no pain having it removed. I learnt to change the bag which was really easy and I think I had it in for a couple of weeks. The shoulder bag is a great idea, which I had known about it at the time but I just carried it around like a handbag lol.

Just make sure you do your exercises and you will be fine. I found the mastectomy quite easy and I was absolutely petrified of it beforehand.
DX Sep 09, LB mast with axillary diss. Grd 2 Ductal Carc. 50mm diam. Margins clear. 1/13 nodes. OR+ PR+, HER2- . FEC x 3, Taxotere x 3, RADS x 30, Tamoxifen, DIEP reconstruction April 2011, Femara 2013, Oophorectomy 2013.

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Re: Drains

Postby Janette » Sun Jul 10, 2016 11:32 pm

I had 6 drains for double mx with expanders and stayed in hospital till they were removed after about 10 days. I just had new implants and had 2 drains which were allowed to be removed when 2 days of less than 20mls. I had to come home with one drain which was in for about 11 days. They are a nuisance but manageable. I might be wrong but I don't think they are quite as bad without foreign bodies (expanders or implants) to worry about.

Hope for the best, but be prepared just incase. :hugs:
Janette




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Re: Drains

Postby Mighty Oak » Sun Jul 10, 2016 10:37 pm

Thanks Jezza for your reassurance. I think sometimes we get caught up in the detail too much. The big picture is what's important; getting rid of as much cancer as possible. Unfortunately or fortunately, however you look at it, I like to know what I'm in for. Don't like surprises.
I had a shoulder reco in 2014 and have never had pain like it but they had me doing exercises from the first day! So I know, if I have to do any, it's important to get on to them as soon as you're able. I also don't want my breast surgery to impact on my shoulder recovery so I'm super motivated to do well.
Mo xxx


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Re: Drains

Postby jezza » Sun Jul 10, 2016 10:07 pm

I stayed in hospital until my drains came out. I had a dressing gown with deep pockets and the bags fitted nicely in there. They didn't cause any discomfort....just annoying and frustrating cos you want to be rid of them!

I wasn't given any arm exercises (long time ago!) just told not to over do things and take it slowly, hanging clothes out etc. I did that...you can certainly feel it when you stretch your arms, getting dressed etc but each day got better and I recovered well.

jezza
Dx Jan. 1992 9mm Grade 3 IDC node neg. LB mast. Prophylactic RB mast. 6 months later. No chemo. No rads. Saline implants. 22 years NED. (No Evidence of Disease)

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Re: Drains

Postby ruth1 » Sun Jul 10, 2016 10:06 pm

its several years ago since I had this Mo so I am hoping my memory is still accurate - as I recal I did shower with them although I do remember the friend who was caring for me had to wash my hair over the bath so maybe there was a period of not showering - I am sorry but I have pushed the bad memories away it seems. I didn't do arm exercises at that time and I don't know if having the implants done had something to do with that. Also, I only had sentinel nodes taken and not a full clearance.

I do remember it wasn't the easiest time but it also wasn't as hard as I imagined it would be. It might be a little like childbirth though now that a few years have passed!
Dx IDC 2cm grade 3 ER/PR pos. DCIS grade 3, fam hist metastatic BC. Bi lat mastectomy, FEC x 4, surgical revision pending. AI x 5 yrs Femara

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Re: Drains

Postby Mighty Oak » Sun Jul 10, 2016 9:31 pm

Girls,
Thank you for your replies. I'm mostly concerned about the drains from a practical viewpoint. I'm frightened of
getting tangled in the tubes and pulling at the wound. The bags that hang down to hold the bulb sounds like a good idea. I can't imagine how hard it would be to have drains for six weeks, Ruth. You must have been well and truly over them. It makes sense that I'd have the drains longer on the side from which I have the full clearance. How difficult is showering? Did you have the clear sticky patches to keep them dry and in place? Do the doctors want you to do arm exercises while you still have drains in place?
Hugs,
Mo xxx


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Re: Drains

Postby schoolteacher » Sun Jul 10, 2016 9:14 pm

I don't remember bringing drains home after my single mastectomy. I had little cotton shoulder bags to carry the drain bottles in when walking around in hospital. But I only had 3-4 nodes removed so the drains weren't in for long. It's hard to remember back 8 years. I was only in hospital 3-4 days I think

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Re: Drains

Postby ruth1 » Sun Jul 10, 2016 6:50 pm

Mo, I had dble mx and went home 2 days later with 4 drains - 2 each side. They aren't the nicest things to have but quite manageable. Most people have them for a week or so but mine went much longer for an unknown reason. My fluid output just seem to keep going on and on. As I remember - we emptied them twice daily?? and measured the output and wrote it down each time. I had 2 out after 4 weeks then the remainder at 6 weeks but I also had a seroma that wouldnt heal which kept the last 2 in longer than usual. You will be given these bags that hang from your shoulders down your sides and the bulbous part of the drain is carried that way which stops pulling as well because when the fluid collects there is a pulling weight. I was very over the drains after a couple of weeks and remember the joy when they came out. I also had immediate reconstruction with implants after the mastectomy procedures so that might have contribute to drains staying in longer than most. Please ask any other questions you may have.
Dx IDC 2cm grade 3 ER/PR pos. DCIS grade 3, fam hist metastatic BC. Bi lat mastectomy, FEC x 4, surgical revision pending. AI x 5 yrs Femara

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Re: Drains

Postby The new girl » Sun Jul 10, 2016 6:28 pm

:wave: hi mo,sorry I cannot answer your question,but I am surprised your surgeon said you can stay in hospital till drains come out,they don't keep you in hospital for very long these days regardless what the procedure is.i had a lumpectomy,I went home on the fourth day but they wanted me out earlier,I had health insurance then and was happy to stay longer,I had drains as well and felt uncomfortable going home with them but it was ok you can hide them and you won't feel like going out for a little while,mine came out one week later but it might be different for you.
:hugs: rosa

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Drains

Postby Mighty Oak » Sun Jul 10, 2016 4:47 pm

Hi girls,
My thoughts are now turning to my upcoming surgery which is just under two weeks away and how I'm going to manage. I asked my surgeon if I could stay in hospital till the drains came out and he said that was ok. I understood that to be about a week or so. Upon investigation I've found that the drains often remain in longer than this. It appears that they come out once your daily output is below 30mls per drain. The drains seem to cause more discomfort than the actual mastectomy from what I've read. What have your experiences been? How many drains am I likely to have for a double mx with full left axillary clearance?
Hugs to all,
Mo xxx



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