Finally, after 8 weeks, my blasted drain has come out! My output never waivered (still having over 130ml per day when it happened), but the decision was taken out of my surgeons hands when the stitch holding it in broke and it started coming out on its own. So when the drain fell through the bottom of the bag, Monday morning while madly trying to get ready to go and have my chemo, I bit the bullet and pulled the last bit of it out. Took off the bag, and FINALLY became unplugged! Rang my surgeon, who said we would control it with syringing until i was at a point in my chemo cycle that I could have another op to have a new BIGGER drain inserted. (SO looking forward to that!). Anyway went to see him Wednesday for my first syringing, and he was happy with how much I had swollen and decided not to do anything. So we are just letting it go to see what happens. The theory is, maybe that drain was irritating me to the point that it was part of the reason I had such a high output, and MAYBE my body will be able to cope with the fluid on its own. So here it is Saturday, I am very swollen but kind of evenly all over the breast, side and armpit area, no seroma, going to see what he thinks on Monday. It is HEAVEN to not have that drain digging into my side after all that time, so now just hoping I dont need the extra op or anything. I cant help but wonder, where on earth is all that fluid going?? I do get up to pee three times a night, maybe that's it? Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Once the drain comes out, how long before a seroma might develop?
Last Monday was my second round of AC chemo, and I've found this time to be pretty much like the previous time, so hopefully wont get any worse. I think I've been very lucky, exhausted, bit sick, headaches, food tastes like nothing, all the usual things but none of them too bad. I'm still managing to eat. It sounds like a lot of you do it a lot tougher.
Anyway thinking of all the other ladies out there and hoping you are all doing as well as possible. Wont it be great when we can look back and say 'back when i was sick'?
Jenny xx
Comments
Hi Jenny
OMG! that is the longest drain saga I've ever heard.Poor darl,you are a trooper. I'm sure you'll recover in leaps and bounds now that it fell out.Yes,it probably was aggravating the area - foreign body,hello! I hope you can make up for lost time and do abit of retail therapy,have a few outings cos it's hard to do that dragging ball and chain.Good luck for Monday and I hope you pee all the fluid off beforehand.
Tonya xx
Ha ha retail therapy, I like your thinking Tonya! Yes will get back into some shopping and getting out and about, havent been driving or anything so sky's the limit now. jenny xx
You poor thing . That must have been horrible , those drains are horrific by the end and I only had mine in for ten days . My surgeon took both mine out on Saturday when they had an out put of 40 mils . She says she would only leave them in up to a maximum of two weeks . Hopefully now your drains are out you won't have to have anymore surgery . You are going through enough . Love and hugs x x