Can't seem to get rid of the Drains!
Has anyone else had this?? If so, how long before it resolves? It doesn't seem to fit the category of lymphedema I read about in another post and my doc hasn't mentioned that. No swelling anywhere else.
Comments
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My doc removed the drains
My doc removed the drains when I dropped to less than 30cc for three days. yours may wait longer if you have a tendency to drain. I think the drains can also agggravate the situation and sometimes yu make seroma from that. I had to have an elastic ace wrap, for six weeks but it kept the drain out!0 -
Thanks!wendybia said:can't help
but wanted to say gosh i'm sorry for you having to go thru' this...i'll add you to my prayer list..wendy
I appreciate the responses and prayers!
My onc suggested a wrap, but the surgeon doesn't seem to think it necessary. I go back on Friday, maybe I'll bring up the suggestion again. I hate this doggone thing!
Chickadee0 -
hoping it just comes ooutChickadee1955 said:Thanks!
I appreciate the responses and prayers!
My onc suggested a wrap, but the surgeon doesn't seem to think it necessary. I go back on Friday, maybe I'll bring up the suggestion again. I hate this doggone thing!
Chickadee
hoping it just comes oout and STAYS out! I hated them too.0 -
I so wish that my surgeon
I so wish that my surgeon had left one of min in longer! At 4 weeks i was still getting a fair bit of drainage from it but he thought that it was irritating the area so he took it out. 3 months after surgery the CT scan showed a large seroma still there. There had been several 'drainings' over the time (500 - 300 cc each time). i so wish he had left it in.0 -
Don't Despair
I had a lumpectomy with 23 nodes removed. So, I only had one drain in--but that darn drain stayed in for 5 weeks. The fluid just seemed to keep coming and coming and I was getting mighty discouraged. My surgeon said when I had 3 days in a row with less than 30 ml. of drainage, it could come out. It felt like forever. But as my nurse said, better to leave it in and let the fluid just naturally come out than have to keep coming in every other day to have it drained. It's now about 4 months past that time, and I'm dealing with a fair amount of swelling and fluid still. I'm working with a lympedema therapist to disperse the fluid, so hopefully this will resolve in time.
I feel your pain and frustration. Hang in there--it will get better.
Renee0 -
Well, still draining!missrenee said:Don't Despair
I had a lumpectomy with 23 nodes removed. So, I only had one drain in--but that darn drain stayed in for 5 weeks. The fluid just seemed to keep coming and coming and I was getting mighty discouraged. My surgeon said when I had 3 days in a row with less than 30 ml. of drainage, it could come out. It felt like forever. But as my nurse said, better to leave it in and let the fluid just naturally come out than have to keep coming in every other day to have it drained. It's now about 4 months past that time, and I'm dealing with a fair amount of swelling and fluid still. I'm working with a lympedema therapist to disperse the fluid, so hopefully this will resolve in time.
I feel your pain and frustration. Hang in there--it will get better.
Renee
Well, still draining! Returned to surgeon today; drain stays in until at least next Tuesday. I suggested the Ace wrap and he agreed it might be worth a try at this point. He is perplexed as to why the side that did not have lymph nodes removed would have the drainage issue. He said that typically it would occur on the side of the cancer. I would have to be different!0 -
drains
I had almost exactly the same problem. I underwent bilateral mastectomy last June. I had the drains in forever (8 weeks more or less). Then after they were removed I had fluid build up again, primarily on the unaffected side. I also had no node invovement. I had to be drained all through chemo on a regular basis. I absolutely hated that feeling of the fluid when it is rollin around in your chest. My plastic surgeon suggested reconstruction might resolve the problem and I had a tram-flap recon. in Dec.. I have not had any problem since. Be patient, know you are not alone, your body is just trying to figure out how to respond to everything you have been through.
God Bless you,
Alison0 -
I know the plastic surgeonJean 0609 said:You poor thing
Chickadee, I am so sorry that you've had your drains so long. I had one for 10 days and I thought that was bad! Hang in there, hopefully they will come out soon. Hugs, Jean
I know the plastic surgeon did not want me to do any arm lifting. he said the fluid fills in when the area is not tacked down. meaning if there is a space the fluid will fill it. so I was careful with my activity, and the ace really helped. and I just tried to avoid activity that would make the area open up. I hope this makes sense.0 -
Ladies, I am wrapped up incarkris said:I know the plastic surgeon
I know the plastic surgeon did not want me to do any arm lifting. he said the fluid fills in when the area is not tacked down. meaning if there is a space the fluid will fill it. so I was careful with my activity, and the ace really helped. and I just tried to avoid activity that would make the area open up. I hope this makes sense.
Ladies, I am wrapped up in my Ace bandage and am determined to be as careful of my activity as possible in order to get this thing out. Hopefully, next week, but we'll see. Thanks for your posts. It helps.
Chickadee0 -
I also remembered that heChickadee1955 said:Ladies, I am wrapped up in
Ladies, I am wrapped up in my Ace bandage and am determined to be as careful of my activity as possible in order to get this thing out. Hopefully, next week, but we'll see. Thanks for your posts. It helps.
Chickadee
I also remembered that he wanted me to avoid twisting motions with my trunk area. I stopped reaching over to turn off my light when I was in bed, that way. hoping the ace does the trick.0 -
My dr
My dr removed my drains 1 week post op after BLM. The drains were collecting only 10cc per day. But, when I took my first shower and saw the large swollen areas under my arm area I became concerned. I called my surgeon's office Tuesday and was told I could come in to have them drained or wait til I see him the end of the month and the fluid will eventually be absorbed into my body. I opted to wait but still wonder if I made the right decision. Char0 -
Good luck Char. My surgeoncahjah75 said:My dr
My dr removed my drains 1 week post op after BLM. The drains were collecting only 10cc per day. But, when I took my first shower and saw the large swollen areas under my arm area I became concerned. I called my surgeon's office Tuesday and was told I could come in to have them drained or wait til I see him the end of the month and the fluid will eventually be absorbed into my body. I opted to wait but still wonder if I made the right decision. Char
Good luck Char. My surgeon liked to 'keep ahead of the swellin' and did 4 or 5 needle aspirations before re-implanting a drain. I kind of wish he would have tried the compression at that time to see if it helped. If, indeed, the problem is one of 'attachment' it seems logical to me that keeping the parts in contact would speed that process along.
I also notice that several women say they were given a compression garment to wear after their mastectomy. I didn't have that, so perhaps that, too, would have helped keep this from happening. Too late for that now, but just wondering.
Good luck!
Chickadee0 -
I think some people just getChickadee1955 said:Good luck Char. My surgeon
Good luck Char. My surgeon liked to 'keep ahead of the swellin' and did 4 or 5 needle aspirations before re-implanting a drain. I kind of wish he would have tried the compression at that time to see if it helped. If, indeed, the problem is one of 'attachment' it seems logical to me that keeping the parts in contact would speed that process along.
I also notice that several women say they were given a compression garment to wear after their mastectomy. I didn't have that, so perhaps that, too, would have helped keep this from happening. Too late for that now, but just wondering.
Good luck!
Chickadee
I think some people just get the seroma. I did. My PS was going to replace the drain and I begged him not to, so he had drained 180 or so cc 's then wrapped my chest(bilat) and I kept it on faithfully, took it off to shower and for a one hour break. it never came back. My regular surgeon was amazed as she was expecting on my check up to have to drain me. This will resolve, but I know it is hard waiting. now it seems like a dim memory.(they did tell me some people have the drains for many weeks)0 -
Oh yikes! I hated my
Oh yikes! I hated my drains, I too had my back drain (latisimus dorsi flap) removed to soon and had to have needle aspirations every week. It was inconvenient, but I got through it. I hope things get better for you soon, I know they are a pain in the butt and it's such a relief to get 'em out. Best wishes, and God Bless
Kari0 -
Still drainingChickadee1955 said:Well, still draining!
Well, still draining! Returned to surgeon today; drain stays in until at least next Tuesday. I suggested the Ace wrap and he agreed it might be worth a try at this point. He is perplexed as to why the side that did not have lymph nodes removed would have the drainage issue. He said that typically it would occur on the side of the cancer. I would have to be different!
Little different from you as I was on the side where lymph nodes removed but after about 2 weeks past the time when the drains should have been pulled and still held steady at about 30cc the ONC finally figured out that my body was tring to fight off the drain. So we pulled the drain. He was also afraid of running the risk of infection leaving it in too much longer.
Now the down side. Lymphedema. Under arm, in back and breast. Not severe but annoying. Drains out April 6 still lumpy and bumpy.
I suppose you get you choice of which evil you want. Good luck!0 -
still draining tooChickadee1955 said:Well, still draining!
Well, still draining! Returned to surgeon today; drain stays in until at least next Tuesday. I suggested the Ace wrap and he agreed it might be worth a try at this point. He is perplexed as to why the side that did not have lymph nodes removed would have the drainage issue. He said that typically it would occur on the side of the cancer. I would have to be different!
I have 125 cc in the last 24 hours. I had three lymph nodes removed and a lumpectomy on June 30th 2010... I though the cc's would be lowered in a week...I was wrong...Glad i came on here, i thought it was not a normal occurrence.0 -
Drain is OUT!!pinkkari09 said:Oh yikes! I hated my
Oh yikes! I hated my drains, I too had my back drain (latisimus dorsi flap) removed to soon and had to have needle aspirations every week. It was inconvenient, but I got through it. I hope things get better for you soon, I know they are a pain in the butt and it's such a relief to get 'em out. Best wishes, and God Bless
Kari
I literally danced out of my surgeon's office yesterday. I have got an ACE bandange around me to try to keep the fluid from building up 'coz I cannot even think about getting another drain put in. That has been one of the worst parts of this experience for me so far.
Wwwwhhhheeeeeeeeeee!0
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