"The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence." - Denis Waitly
Mom stayed with me for the first several days. I needed help getting up, moving around, changing my drainage tubes, etc. Okay, let's talk drainage tubes...Jackson-Pratt drains to be exact (JP drains). I don't know Jackson or Pratt but we certainly would not be friends. Sure I realize that the tubes serve a great purpose but I would add them to the long list of things that I would invent something better to take the place of products. These tubes collect body fluids from the surgery site and I currently have three of the gems.
Here's the great description on Wikipedia:
The Jackson-Pratt Drain (also called a JP Drain) is a medical device that is commonly used as a post-operative drain for collecting bodily fluids from surgical sites. The device consists of an internal drain connected to a grenade-shaped bulb via plastic tubing. The flexible bulb has a plug that can be opened to pour off collected fluid. Each time fluid is removed, the patient, caregiver or healthcare provider squeezes the air out of the bulb and replaces the plug. The resulting vacuum creates suction in the drainage tubing, which draws fluid from the surgical site.
Another method involves folding the drain in half while it is uncapped, then while folded, recapping the drain. This action causes fluid to be gradually sucked out of the body and into the bulb itself. The bulb may be repeatedly opened to remove the collected fluid and squeezed again to restore suction. It is best to empty drains before they are more than half full to avoid the discomfort of the weight of the drain pulling on the internal tubing.
Patients or caretakers can "strip" the drains by taking a damp towel or piece of cloth and bracing the portion of the tubing closest to the body with their fingers, run the cloth down the length of the tube to the drain bulb. One can also put a little bit of lotion or mineral oil on their fingertips to lubricate the tube to make stripping easier. The portion of the tube closest to the exit point of the drain from the body should be gripped first, and once the length of the drain is stripped, the end closest to the surgical site should then be released. This increases the level of suction and helps to move clots through the drainage tube into the bulb.
The purpose of a drain is to prevent fluid (blood or other) build-up in a closed ("dead") space, and causing either disruption of the wound and the healing process, or becoming an infected abscess, with either scenario possibly requiring a formal drainage/repair procedure (and possibly another trip to the operating room). The drain is also used to evacuate an internal abscess before surgery, when an infection already exists.
 |
| What comes out of the drainage tubes. YUCK. |
 |
| Drainage log that Mom did a great job keeping track of for the doctors. |
Ok...that is a lot of information but I think you all should know some of the crazy things that go along with this journey. I take a shower with a shoestring hanging around my neck so that the tubes have someplace to hang. Otherwise my binding tank top has little pockets that hold the tubes and I hook them to the incredibly uncomfortable binding bra that they gave me to wear at all times that I am not in the shower. My Mom has been great and taken on the role of draining, measuring, and logging the JP drains. Once the drains stop releasing a specific amount of fluid they can be removed. It will take a few weeks for this to happen. Let me just say that they are extremely uncomfortable. Two are sticking out of my left side and one is on the right side. Clearly the doctors do not take the placement of the bra into consideration...they are right where they will hurt the most.
I certainly would not be sleeping if it were not for the meds. I've tried the couch and my bed. I think the bed is better but it is still hard to find a position that does not cause more pain than I already have. Lots of pillows and propped up seems to be my best option. It seems that the Wednesday after my surgery was one of the hardest. I'm just feeling terrible as a whole. So much pain, constipation from pain killers & surgery, etc. I stayed in bed and cried for awhile and then called my Mom to help me. She had to help me take my mastectomy bra and compression tank top off. She pretty much has to do everything for me. I cry from the pain but I also cry from my loss of independence. I know it will not last for long but there is not a light at the end of this tunnel. I know that my Mom should start staying at her home with Dad but I'm afraid to tell her to go home because I'm afraid to me alone. But I want nothing more to me alone and be ok.
 |
| Mom thinking that she is actually going to sleep in my bed with me..with her freshly painted nails! Where's your cherry cake donut? |
 |
| The only one who really gets to sleep in bed with me. Frank is so spoiled. |
Every time I get in the shower I cry...ok sometimes I sob. Tears of fear and worry. Tears with so many questions in each drop. Who am I? Who's body am I in? When will my life go back to normal? If I can't love my own body who would ever love it or me?
XOXO,
Sue
Posted with Blogsy
No comments:
Post a Comment