sprung a leak from my drain holes!

ACK!  So much for thoroughly enjoying my first shower.  Got the drains out of my arms yesterday.  Doc says I can shower today, woo hoo!  Removed wrapping.  Felt warm rush down my legs.  Blood everywhere!  All over the beige carpet, all down my leg....  Dang!  Took me a good hour to get enough control of it to do anything.  Had to get in the shower, because I was a mess. Quickie, needless to say.  Have been piling on the gauze pads ever since.  His office opens in an hour.  I reckon I'll call in!!  So much for enjoying my first shower, like I said.         --Dorothy

Hugs, Dorothy.  One of my thighs sprung a leak near the drain, but it was mostly clear/redish fluid.  I just stuck a maxi pad there and held it in place with the compression garment.  Truly the height of fashion.  Leaking near the drain is normal, but I would def call if you had a lot of bleeding.  Let us know, Diane.

Let us know what he says. Can't wait to see pictures when you're ready to take them. I would guess there's a fair amount of swelling for a while?? I hope to take the leap in 2010 and get my arms done too. Take care!

Meg

Oh my that did mess up your first shower for sure.  Yes you should call Dr.  Yikes scary. 

Let us know what the Dr. says.

Hugs

The nurse couldn't get the doctor to the phone (he was with a patient), so she told me to come on in.  Packed about five gauze pads over each hole and made a run for it.  The doctor said there is absolutely nothing wrong, but he was glad I came on in.  Said either one of two things happened: the drains had not gotten all the fluid out, and when he pulled them out, the rest of the fluid just moseyed on down to my elbows in the night, so when I got up and pulled off the dressings, ka-whoosh; OR when he pulled the drains out, it dislodged some blood clots, so it bled a little while more.  Anyhoo, he said there is no way, six days after surgery, that I can be actively bleeding for real or I would have bled to death by now!  (Well, I don't think those were the exact words he used, heh heh, but that was the gist!)

He put clean dressings on and wrapped me up good; told me not to remove the wrappings for another couple of days.  Also said what one of you said -- use sanitary napkins to cover the holes rather than gauze.  Much more absorbent!

Guess I'll have to wait a few more days for that lovely leisurely shower!       --Dorothy

Glad it worked out well for you. The pads do work wonders. I'm using them for my drainage issues. Just take it slow for a while.

I had some leaks too.  Usually was very dark blood.  The dr explained this was normal and a good thing.  Not fresh blood.

I see we both went to Dr. Alvarez.  My husband and sister went for VSG's last week.  We got back on Sunday.    I'm going back again in August with my daughter.   I love Dr.A.

Who did your plastics?

Dr. Joseph Woods, who works mostly out of Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, although I saw him at DeKalb Medical.  He is awesome!   Used him six years ago for a tummy tuck and breast reduction.

I just checked the gauze he put on this morning ... and ACK!  I'm still at it!  Now I have fresh gauze and a giant maxi-pad taped to my elbows, HA!

Yes, Dr. A is fabulous!

--Dorothy

Dorothy..

I am hijacking.... sooooo sorry!!  How bad were the drains coming out of the breast reduction?  I am freaking out over here...

Thanks in advance!!

Didn't feel a thing.  He pulled them out before I left the hospital, and I was still numb and drugged up, HA!  I had no pain or problems with the BR part of that surgery.  It was the tummy tuck that hurt so bad the first couple of days, but it was SOOOO worth it!  I *think* the BR drains are sort of in your armpits, not right in the breasts, so it just wasn't that big a deal.  You can stop freaking now :-)
--Dorothy