Beckypooh
June 21, 2004 Staples and drains out
Jul 03, 2013
I finally got my drains and staples out last Tuesday and started to feel a little better. Having those drains pulled out was one of the strangest sensations of my life. It wasn't exactly painful so much as a sickening feeling. I got really nauseous after the g-tube was pulled out and thought I was going to throw up but I took some deep breaths and the next one made me yell a little even. I couldn't help it. I would rather drink another bottle of magnesium citrate then have a tube pulled out of my body again. I also got some bad news from Dr. Shina. He had sent me for a CT scan on June 10th because he was concerned about how much fluid my duvol drain was collecting. By the time my CT scan came around I wasn't draining anymore and I thought maybe they'll take out the drain on Friday if I call and the results are o.k. I talked to his nurse on Thurs. afternoon and she said she'd call me if they could take out the drain. They called Friday and without telling me any of my results, just said that Dr. Shina said it needed to wait until appt. next Tuesday. So when I went to my appt. I saw the Dr. after the L.P.N. took everything out and he told me I have a hematoma, which is basically a pool of blood that has gathered into a clot (not the kind that goes to your lungs) and may become infected if my body doesn't absorb it soon. He is treating me with antibiotics and told me to call if I run a fever over 101. The night I had my drains out, I ran a fever that got up to 100.4. I was really worried because I knew if it got over 101 he would send me to the emergency room and I was so tired I just wanted to rest. I took 2 Tylenol and went to sleep and in the morning my fever was gone. He said that the antibiotics could stave off infection long enough to give my body more time to absorb the clot. The worst part is and this is really disheartening: if it gets infected and/or doesn't go away he will have to re-open my entire incision in order to drain it. Man, I was so floored by this news. When he first said he would have to drain it I was like, "so you'll just open up about this much, right" holding my thumb and finger open about 4 inches against my drain sites. That was when he said he would have to open the entire incision which runs from between my breasts to the top of my belly button. I couldn't help it, I started to cry. I wish my husband had been there. I tried to write down everything he said so I could tell my family about it, but it was devastating news for me. Dr. Shina told me he didn't want me to be upset about it. I guess he is just obligated to tell me all of the scenarios involved. Later I talked to my home health nurse and she was more reassuring telling me that she has seen hematoma in patients before and has never heard of anyone actually having to go through with a surgery to drain their hematoma and that the antibiotics and waiting always work. So I felt a little better. I think I have been feeling the hematoma in my body. I've noticed I can't take a really deep breath and when I walk it is hard to hold my shoulders up and have good posture. I tend to unintentionally slouch. (Does anyone ever intentionally slouch?) Anyway I feel I am getting around better now than I was. Maybe it is going away and my prayers are being answered. The good news is I lost down to 243lbs. according to Dr. Shina's scales. I think I weigh less now but I am trying not to obsessively weigh myself at home.