Stupid question about drains?

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TulsaMomof3
TulsaMomof3 Member Posts: 105
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Ok So I am having a BLM an understand I will have drains and have seen pictures of woman with them, but how do you carry the little drain bags? Do you put them in your pockets??? lol or do you have a drain holster? I am trying to picture this -one in each hand lol while I am trying to p? hahaha what do you with them ???
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  • dyaneb123
    dyaneb123 Member Posts: 950
    #2
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    yeah. They actually do have
    yeah. They actually do have a little shoulder bag thingy to put it in so it's not just hanging. :)
  • gyl_wrght
    gyl_wrght Member Posts: 5
    #3
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    Not a stupid question
    I had my mastectomy 6 weeks ago and had the same question. The doctor had a safety pin attached to the bulb so that I could pin it to my clothing. Initially I pinned it to the post-surgical bra that the doctor put on me. Later I bought a camisole that had little pouches that were attached with velcro to the camisole. The bulb has a loop that I can put a chain or ribbon through and wear it around my neck when I shower. Once, when I needed to go out in public, I put on a regular bra with my one remaining breast in one side and my drainage bulb in the other. It worked out ok.

    Good luck. This website has been a lifesaver for me.
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #4
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    No honestly asked question is stupid!
    You can get post surgery camisoles/ bras that have pockets for the drains. Me - I just pinned mine to the side belt loop on my jeans.

    I'm a "Tubby" person - don't like showers at all! so I put the bulbs in the soap dish of the tub and didn't fill the tub quite as deep as I like it to be so that where the tubes came out wasn't under water.

    REMEMBER - No honestly asked question is ever stupid!
  • Miss Murphy
    Miss Murphy Member Posts: 302
    #5
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    More Drain Info
    I'm two years out from my masectomy but when I woke up from surgery, I had a bra on that had a pocket for the drain. Before surgery,I had bought a camisole with pockets from the fake boob shop I had been refered to and I used that after I was able to get rid of the bra after a couple of days. My surgeon told me when I showered to use a belt to tie up the drain. I came home and searched thru my belts and found a canvasas one that worked. However, every shower I was worried the belt would let go and the drain would fall out! It never happened!!!!! It will be heaven when you can get rid of the drain - nothing like small pleasures!!!! Good luck with your surgery and I'm wishing you a quick recovery.
  • ppurdin
    ppurdin Member Posts: 1,181
    #6
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    Drain.
    At least you know what they look like.My dr. didn,t tell me I would even have such thing.I sure was glad to get it off.I would put it in my shirt pocket or pin it to what i was wearing on the inside.Good luck. Pat.
  • TulsaMomof3
    TulsaMomof3 Member Posts: 105
    #7
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    ppurdin said:

    Drain.
    At least you know what they look like.My dr. didn,t tell me I would even have such thing.I sure was glad to get it off.I would put it in my shirt pocket or pin it to what i was wearing on the inside.Good luck. Pat.

    Wher do I buy post surgery
    Wher do I buy post surgery camisoles? with the pockets?
  • Dawne.Hope
    Dawne.Hope Member Posts: 823
    #8
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    TulsaMomof3 said:

    Wher do I buy post surgery
    Wher do I buy post surgery camisoles? with the pockets?

    I was sent home with a bra
    I was sent home with a bra that had velcro 'holsters' for the drains.

    You can buy post-surgery camisoles from TLC - the American Cancer Society's catalog. They are available at your onocologists or breast surgeon's office. You can also check out their stuff online.

    The trick for me was showering with those drains! My cousin's kids had a soft, elastic belt that I put around my waist and safety-pinned the drains to the belt.

    You'll be OK!

    Best of luck,
    dh
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #9
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    Dawne.Hope said:

    I was sent home with a bra
    I was sent home with a bra that had velcro 'holsters' for the drains.

    You can buy post-surgery camisoles from TLC - the American Cancer Society's catalog. They are available at your onocologists or breast surgeon's office. You can also check out their stuff online.

    The trick for me was showering with those drains! My cousin's kids had a soft, elastic belt that I put around my waist and safety-pinned the drains to the belt.

    You'll be OK!

    Best of luck,
    dh

    this last time I had an
    this last time I had an appliance that attached to my skin, and the loop on the bulb was attached to the appliance with velcro. I really liked it the best.
  • Miss Murphy
    Miss Murphy Member Posts: 302
    #10
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    Dawne.Hope said:

    I was sent home with a bra
    I was sent home with a bra that had velcro 'holsters' for the drains.

    You can buy post-surgery camisoles from TLC - the American Cancer Society's catalog. They are available at your onocologists or breast surgeon's office. You can also check out their stuff online.

    The trick for me was showering with those drains! My cousin's kids had a soft, elastic belt that I put around my waist and safety-pinned the drains to the belt.

    You'll be OK!

    Best of luck,
    dh

    May Need To Ask
    You may need to asks for the TLC catalog at an oncologist or surgeon's office. I've never seen one at either place and didn't even know about the catalog. Or as per the previous post, check on line.
  • Skeezie
    Skeezie Member Posts: 586 Member
    #11
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    carkris said:

    this last time I had an
    this last time I had an appliance that attached to my skin, and the loop on the bulb was attached to the appliance with velcro. I really liked it the best.

    I attached the loop on the
    blub to a ribbon I hung around my neck when I was in the shower. Not too long so your hand won't get caught in it tho. It worked great...but it was not my first idea, this just worked the best. I had little velcro drain holders from my camisole that I pinned to my clothes. I wore the camisole once and it was a waste of time for me, but the little holder was great. I didn't wear a bra until I got my fake boob and then it was a mastecomy bra. That was 6 wks after surgery. Fortunately the drains don't last forever, but they are really a nusiance and I thought the worst part of the surgery by far.

    You'll get creative and work out what's best for you. But you really want to wear clothing that zips or buttons down front for convenience and less strain on your muscles including nitegowns.

    Good luck with your surgery, you'll do fine. Let us know how you are doing.

    Hugs, Judy :-)
  • Skeezie
    Skeezie Member Posts: 586 Member
    #12
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    Miss Murphy said:

    May Need To Ask
    You may need to asks for the TLC catalog at an oncologist or surgeon's office. I've never seen one at either place and didn't even know about the catalog. Or as per the previous post, check on line.

    The website for the catalog is
    www.tlcdirect.org It is a wonderful site and catalog and I have oardered several hats from them. They sell everything you need for mastecomy, hair loss, fake boobs, mastecomy bras, head coverings etc.
  • ms_independent
    ms_independent Member Posts: 214
    #13
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    shirt
    I also got the camisole from tlc and it was great. One other thing I liked was wearing an oversized flannel shirt with 2 breast pockets. I put the drains in the pockets when I was at home. I didn't get as tangled up in the tubing with them up higher. I used a lanyard in the shower to keep them from pulling. The problem with putting them in your pants pockets is forgetting them when you run to the bathroom---ouch!:)
  • arbojenn
    arbojenn Member Posts: 118
    #14
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    The first go round, I used a
    The first go round, I used a lanyard. The second time, I got a carpenters apron from the hardware store. Then, a girl scout troup made aprons for us for a community service project: they just got a rectangular piece of material, hemmed it on top for a waist ribbon to go through, folded the bottom up sewing in pocket separaters: two pockets. I used my carpenters apron though, and saved the girl scout apron because it was such a lovely gesture that I appreciated so much.
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #15
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    arbojenn said:

    The first go round, I used a
    The first go round, I used a lanyard. The second time, I got a carpenters apron from the hardware store. Then, a girl scout troup made aprons for us for a community service project: they just got a rectangular piece of material, hemmed it on top for a waist ribbon to go through, folded the bottom up sewing in pocket separaters: two pockets. I used my carpenters apron though, and saved the girl scout apron because it was such a lovely gesture that I appreciated so much.

    the name of the product was
    the name of the product was cath secure multi purpose tube holder. They gave it to me post op I liked it because it felt more secure and I didnt feel loose or anything. I also had a special jacket that my breast center gave out called a Jaqui that had pockets in the sides. I think it is important that although there is suction on the drain to have it alittle lower to drain as well. The jacqui comes from susan Komen .
  • TulsaMomof3
    TulsaMomof3 Member Posts: 105
    #16
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    carkris said:

    the name of the product was
    the name of the product was cath secure multi purpose tube holder. They gave it to me post op I liked it because it felt more secure and I didnt feel loose or anything. I also had a special jacket that my breast center gave out called a Jaqui that had pockets in the sides. I think it is important that although there is suction on the drain to have it alittle lower to drain as well. The jacqui comes from susan Komen .

    Wow such great information.
    Wow such great information. I went to the TLC website and oreder a post surgery camisole with the pockets. I am going to check on the jacqui from susan Komen.

    I am so glad I asked!
  • TulsaMomof3
    TulsaMomof3 Member Posts: 105
    #17
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    carkris said:

    the name of the product was
    the name of the product was cath secure multi purpose tube holder. They gave it to me post op I liked it because it felt more secure and I didnt feel loose or anything. I also had a special jacket that my breast center gave out called a Jaqui that had pockets in the sides. I think it is important that although there is suction on the drain to have it alittle lower to drain as well. The jacqui comes from susan Komen .

    Wow such great information.
    Wow such great information. I went to the TLC website and oreder a post surgery camisole with the pockets. I am going to check on the jacqui from susan Komen.

    I am so glad I asked!
  • Sharon_D
    Sharon_D Member Posts: 55
    #18
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    TulsaMomof3 said:

    Wow such great information.
    Wow such great information. I went to the TLC website and oreder a post surgery camisole with the pockets. I am going to check on the jacqui from susan Komen.

    I am so glad I asked!

    Drains
    I wore a "wife beater" tee shirt and it was long enough that I could roll it up at the bottom and encase the bulbs. Besides that, it was tight enough that it kept the remaining breast from flopping on my knee so bad until I was back in a bra. ;-)
  • katznc
    katznc Member Posts: 70
    #19
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    TulsaMomof3 said:

    Wow such great information.
    Wow such great information. I went to the TLC website and oreder a post surgery camisole with the pockets. I am going to check on the jacqui from susan Komen.

    I am so glad I asked!

    get to try my cami soon
    I got my cami from TLC and its soft and has velcro up the front and you get "puffs" with it which are really funny. I think you will like it. I thought it would be good for sleeping in too and get to find out in the next couple days. You got a lot of great shower advice which I really appreciate also as I hadn't really thought that through. I also bought 2 mens shirts off the end of year sale rack for $5 each as I hear that button up the front is about all you can do for awhile.

    Good luck to you
  • tambow
    tambow Member Posts: 42
    #20
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    Drains
    Just had BLM on March 25th. I have 3 drains and currently using a fanny pack. It's working for me.
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #21
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    Skeezie said:

    The website for the catalog is
    www.tlcdirect.org It is a wonderful site and catalog and I have oardered several hats from them. They sell everything you need for mastecomy, hair loss, fake boobs, mastecomy bras, head coverings etc.

    The website that Skeezie
    The website that Skeezie posted has a lot of items. I hope it helps you out.

    And, NO question is dumb. Ask anything.

    Sue :)

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