Pain - Incision Reclosure - Past Experience ?
Sorry this is long!!!!!
For those of you who were on this summer may remember I had some necrosis along the incision line of my TT. I then had an infection that clogged the drainage tube which resulted in my incisions opening up anywhere there was a weakness.
Fast forward 2 months ahead....I have been packing the incision several times a day as I still have some drainage in the parts of the incision that is still open. Last Wednesday, my PS and I decided that she would do a small "procedure" to close the incision and clean out any pockets of fluid she could find that are still draining. She said she could either do it with general or local anethesia...I chose general as I didn't really want to know what was going on. She said I would go home the same day and would be able to return to work the next day. (She has been pretty on as far as how painful things would be.)
Fast forward to this past Monday....using MAC anethesia and a 1 hour outpatient procedure my PS closed the incision and placed a drain about 2 inches lower in the pubic area. I woke up in A LOT of pain (to her surprise) Once the pain was under control I was sent home with lortab. She was unable to find the "pocket" of drainage she expected to find. She said that I should call the office to have the drain removed when it was putting out less than 30cc, but she expected that it would not put out 30cc in 24hours at all, but to wait until Thursday to remove it.
Monday I went home and honestly was not in a lot of pain- sore but totally tolerable. Come to find out I must have still had a LOT of pain meds in my system, etc. Emptied the drain and had a little over 30 ccs. Tuesday morning woke up to go to work and was in a lot of pain (cried all the way to the bathroom). Decided to call in for a sub at least for the morning thinking maybe I would get better as I moved around. Two hours later pain was better, but no where close to being able to stand in front of a class and teach. Spent the day icing, sleeping and taking pain meds (I had Dilaudin and Roxicet from this summer that I used as Lortab wasn't touching it.) Okay, so I have been up and moving - going to work etc. (walking as little as possible as any movement hurts.)I have also continued to take pain meds.
Today is the first night I have had less than 30cc drainage (25 today with LOTS of clots and some white "stringy substance." The incision looks WONDERFUL - pencil thin, not red at all, not oozing or bleeding at all, it is tender.
** So I am wondering if what I am experiencing if typical. I have a feeling that what I had done on Monday is similar to what people call a scar revision. Is the pain I am feeling normal? What did you do to help the pain (I am icing as much as possible, but not sure it is really helping.)? How long did you have the drain? (I could technically have it out tomorrow, but of course it is a Saturday so I am supposed to call at 8:30 on Monday to talk to the PS nurse, but am hoping my PS has some office hours on Monday that I can squeeze into.) I know that things always get MUCH better once the drain is removed, but I have not had a drain (I've had like 8 so far in my journey.) hurt this bad ,except for my feeding tube which we later discovered was sitting on a nerve - the pain from the feeding tube did not get better until my Dr. did a nerve block.) Of course things always happen on a weekend...I could go to a 24 hour care facility and see if they would remove the drain, but it is still draining a fair amount.
I am sorry for rambling, but I am hoping someone has already walked along this path and has some wisdom!
For those of you who were on this summer may remember I had some necrosis along the incision line of my TT. I then had an infection that clogged the drainage tube which resulted in my incisions opening up anywhere there was a weakness.
Fast forward 2 months ahead....I have been packing the incision several times a day as I still have some drainage in the parts of the incision that is still open. Last Wednesday, my PS and I decided that she would do a small "procedure" to close the incision and clean out any pockets of fluid she could find that are still draining. She said she could either do it with general or local anethesia...I chose general as I didn't really want to know what was going on. She said I would go home the same day and would be able to return to work the next day. (She has been pretty on as far as how painful things would be.)
Fast forward to this past Monday....using MAC anethesia and a 1 hour outpatient procedure my PS closed the incision and placed a drain about 2 inches lower in the pubic area. I woke up in A LOT of pain (to her surprise) Once the pain was under control I was sent home with lortab. She was unable to find the "pocket" of drainage she expected to find. She said that I should call the office to have the drain removed when it was putting out less than 30cc, but she expected that it would not put out 30cc in 24hours at all, but to wait until Thursday to remove it.
Monday I went home and honestly was not in a lot of pain- sore but totally tolerable. Come to find out I must have still had a LOT of pain meds in my system, etc. Emptied the drain and had a little over 30 ccs. Tuesday morning woke up to go to work and was in a lot of pain (cried all the way to the bathroom). Decided to call in for a sub at least for the morning thinking maybe I would get better as I moved around. Two hours later pain was better, but no where close to being able to stand in front of a class and teach. Spent the day icing, sleeping and taking pain meds (I had Dilaudin and Roxicet from this summer that I used as Lortab wasn't touching it.) Okay, so I have been up and moving - going to work etc. (walking as little as possible as any movement hurts.)I have also continued to take pain meds.
Today is the first night I have had less than 30cc drainage (25 today with LOTS of clots and some white "stringy substance." The incision looks WONDERFUL - pencil thin, not red at all, not oozing or bleeding at all, it is tender.
** So I am wondering if what I am experiencing if typical. I have a feeling that what I had done on Monday is similar to what people call a scar revision. Is the pain I am feeling normal? What did you do to help the pain (I am icing as much as possible, but not sure it is really helping.)? How long did you have the drain? (I could technically have it out tomorrow, but of course it is a Saturday so I am supposed to call at 8:30 on Monday to talk to the PS nurse, but am hoping my PS has some office hours on Monday that I can squeeze into.) I know that things always get MUCH better once the drain is removed, but I have not had a drain (I've had like 8 so far in my journey.) hurt this bad ,except for my feeding tube which we later discovered was sitting on a nerve - the pain from the feeding tube did not get better until my Dr. did a nerve block.) Of course things always happen on a weekend...I could go to a 24 hour care facility and see if they would remove the drain, but it is still draining a fair amount.
I am sorry for rambling, but I am hoping someone has already walked along this path and has some wisdom!
Well all I can say is that the drain must have been on a nerve....... Saturday morning I woke and couldn't move. By Saturday afternoon was uncomfortable but totally tolerable not like all week!
Here's hoping the drain is removed tomorrow!
Here's hoping the drain is removed tomorrow!
I may have had a few extra potholes along the way, but the journey has been good!
- RNY- Christiana Institute of Advanced Surgery - Dr. Peters 8/09
- Medial Thigh lift & Brachioplasty - Dr. Macrea 7/2011
- LBL - Dr. Joseph Michaels (Sibley Memorial) 12/22/2011
- Upper Body Lift with Mastoplexy - Dr. Joseph Michaels 12/20/2012
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