my little infection...

got worse... :(

I gave it a gentle squeeze after showering tonight to see if anything came out and... 

It SQUIRTED yellow yuk accross the bathroom sink.
 
Soo, I will be calling the nurse (Joanne) tomorrow morning. Its still only a little red around it and I have no temperature.

She (Joanne)told me when she removed the dressing the first time not to put antibiotic ointment on it so, Im not going to. I put a pad over it, taped it on with some hospital tape and put my binder back on.

Wish me luck gang! I dont want to end up with a nasty infection. Everything has been going so well otherwise!

 Yowza!  Is there a nurse help line with your insurance company you can call tonight?

I dont need to. Ill be fine until tomorrow. 

That sucks Liz! But its good you are watching so closely. Isn't it strange how everyone's post op instructions are different? I was told to use the antibiotic ointment ALL the time!! I put that stuff on so frequently it was crazy.

I'm glad everything else is going good for you! Merry Christmas!

Surgeons generally do NOT want people putting antibiotic ointment on open wounds, but routinely recommend (or ok) it for the small lap incisions.

Lora

Hi Jamie,

Yes its crazy how all our Dr.'s are so different! I would actually like to put coconut oil on my incision but was told to put NOTHING. Soo, Im following instructions. We'll see where this goes. I just got up, (10:00 am, lol) and will be calling Joanne soon.

Actually, with open surgery, it is not uncommon to have some yellowish discharge.  I had that stuff and some pink serum leaking from my open incision for almost 10 weeks.  My surgeon never told me exactly what it was other than it was not unexpected and nothing to worry about (we tested it twice for infection -- once by her and once a few weeks later by my PCP who was concerned -- and both times it was negative), but someone else told me that it is liquified fat!  I have no idea if that is true or not (but it would explain why the surgeon didn't want to tell me what it was!), but I wanted to at least assure you that just because it is yellow does NOT necessarily mean an infection!

Lora

Thanks Lora,

It was'nt cloudy or anything but, Im still gonna be a good pt. and call like she said I should if I have "discharge". Im guessing it was at least 1/2 oz. of fluid that came out at once like it was in a "pocket".