3 to 4 times a day, I 'milk' my tubes. Milking is clearing up any clots that prevent blood and liquids from draining into the 2 rubber cups.
It may seem overwhelming, but after a few times you become pretty good at it. My cousin Sophia came over Friday night to visit and to check my scar and drains. She's a nurse practitioner.
The patient takes on more responsibility. At first I thought, how can they expect us - the patients - to milk tubes, to become part of the post-op team?! Don't we have enough on our plates? But then it finally made sense to me - if you are kept busy ... you don't have time to think.
I noticed the men (my father, uncle, cousins, etc.) have a difficult time when they see my two drains. Women are really nonchalant - they don't become squeamish or turn yellow in the face!
The color of the liquid goes from red to pink and then to a 'straw' color. Each day you have less and less fluid. Once each drain reaches 30 cc's of liquid or less per day, then you can have them removed.
Tomorrow at 10:30 I will see Dr. Frazier. He will check my drains and hopefully will remove them. They are actually stitched into my skin. Sophia told me it hurts when they remove the tubes and recommended I take my painkillers a couple hours before my appointment. I can't imagine the pain being any worse than what I have already experienced.
Pain is good. If you feel pain, you know you are alive and kicking!
No comments:
Post a Comment