The Cancer Survivors Network (CSN) is a peer support community for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, families, and friends! CSN is a safe place to connect with others who share your interests and experiences.
Drains out! Bring on the celebrating!
Hello, all -- Traci here!
I'm thrilled to share that I had my first followup with my surgeon today, and he removed the drains! Hallelujah!
I'm still in a good bit of pain, but at least don't feel like I'm carrying around 2 alien parasites everywhere I go, and have a better chance of finding a comfortable position to sleep.
I know how truly lucky I am to have the drains removed only 6 days after surgery -- I know many of you had them in for 2 weeks or even longer. Because my bilateral was prophylactic, the lymph nodes weren't involved at all, so that's a big part of why I was able to get them out so soon.
So, for now, I'm forcing myself to take a walk every day, sleeping a lot, taking my pain meds, and starting my arm exercises. And Trace is on her way home now with a celebratory froufrou iced coffee drink the size of my head!
Thank you all for all the support you've given to Trace and me this past week -- it's meant so much to both of us.
Traci
Comments
-
I am so jealous.
My first drain came out at 3 weeks. My second didn't come out for 7 long weeks. I thought I was going to have it for life. The day the last one came out I called my friend and told her I was now cordless. What a sense of freedom.
Congrats. Enjoy that wonderful feeling.
Sandy
-
-
awesome Traci glad everythingVickiSam said:Is Trace driving her new Harley???
Good news about your drains -- alien parasites or as I like to think of them as 2 kittens holding on for dear life - claws digging into my new incisions -
continued good health, strength I ippe and pray for you..
Vicki Sam
awesome Traci glad everything went well
-
-
-
Congratulations! ! And I am
Congratulations! ! And I am so jealous. Tomorrow will be three weeks since my double mastectomy. Left side was stage 3c, and 3 nodes were removed. Only one was positive. Other side was non invasive. Two nodes were taken and they were both negative. I had 4 biweekly dd A/C treatments followed by 12 weekly Taxol treatments. On day of surgery, tumor was 4.2 cm, and he got clear margins. Yesterday I went to have my drains and staples removed. Staples came out but he wants drains lert in for another week. Next comes 28 radiation treatments.Traci, I am still having pain and still taking hydrocodone. I'm looking forward to getting my life back to normal, or at least whatever the new normal will be.
-
-
YAY!!!! for you!Puffin2014 said:congrats
Congrats! You're making excellent progress.
So glad to hear you are doing so well!
Keep resting and walking and taking good care!
-Jenny
-
You are so lucky!jennytwist said:YAY!!!! for you!
So glad to hear you are doing so well!
Keep resting and walking and taking good care!
-Jenny
I had mine in for a total of 4 weeks. I had to have a second surgery two weeks after the bilateral due to the right side opened up. Those things are the most god awful looking things and sting like a buggers butt coming out. You hit the lottery only having to deal with them for only a week. Get some rest.. love life and you'll be back to feeling really good soon.
-
-
-
Discussion Boards
- All Discussion Boards
- 6 Cancer Survivors Network Information
- 6 Welcome to CSN
- 122.5K Cancer specific
- 2.8K Anal Cancer
- 456 Bladder Cancer
- 312 Bone Cancers
- 1.7K Brain Cancer
- 28.6K Breast Cancer
- 408 Childhood Cancers
- 28K Colorectal Cancer
- 4.6K Esophageal Cancer
- 1.2K Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine)
- 13.1K Head and Neck Cancer
- 6.4K Kidney Cancer
- 681 Leukemia
- 803 Liver Cancer
- 4.2K Lung Cancer
- 5.1K Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin)
- 242 Multiple Myeloma
- 7.2K Ovarian Cancer
- 69 Pancreatic Cancer
- 493 Peritoneal Cancer
- 5.6K Prostate Cancer
- 1.2K Rare and Other Cancers
- 544 Sarcoma
- 743 Skin Cancer
- 659 Stomach Cancer
- 192 Testicular Cancer
- 1.5K Thyroid Cancer
- 5.9K Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
- 6.4K Lifestyle Discussion Boards