breast cancer drains after mastectomy

I had a double mastectomy.  I think I had to mess with the drains for about two weeks.  I was seeing my surgeon twice a week the first few weeks, and he took a needle and drained both sides.  Each visit there was less and less.  I live on the edge of my town and had lots of friends handy to drive me places and to help me at the house.  My husband works less than a mile away, and his boss told him to feel free to come home if he needed to.  My sister, whoc lives about 200 miles from me came for a week to help.  She made some freezer entrees.  (I am lucky, in that my husband does not mind cooking AND handles any household chore there is.)  I slept in my recliner for three months because I just cannot sleep on my back.  I slept better there, and I could get some supporte change of position through the night.   I can't say the pain was all that bad, and I did not take anything for it at home.  The tightness and numbness you will experience will be something that hangs on for months, even years.  If I had not had to go on and do chemo, I think I could have returned to work in about a month's time.

I forget how long I waited to take a shower.  I found I could wash my hair in the kitchen sink and be all right with what movement that entailed.  I did lift heavy things, but I forget for how long.  I did manage to find ways to putter, rather than sit in my recliner and do very little.  I did get feeling fairly good fairly quickly.

I had my surgery in February 2012.  My tightness in the chest area is gone, but I have some movement issues due to scar tissue and radiation on the one side with the biggest problems.  (It also is further complicated because of a sports injury to my shoulder when I was in my mid-30s.)  I still have numbness from armpit to armpit. 

Hope this helps.