Question:
Incicion leaking 2.5 weeks..

My incision has been leaking for about 2 1/2 weeks now. I went to the doc yesterday and he was poking at it and now it is drainning alittle red? Is this normal? I also threw up for the first time last night?    — Kim R. (posted on May 10, 2003)

May 10, 2003
Hi, I had the same problem with my incision draing alittle bit and I had a slight infection, so you might want to talk tor your doctor again and tell him that it could be bleeding too. They had to clean mine out. good luck.
   — Melodee S.

May 10, 2003
I'd go back to your doc if it keeps up. It could be an infection, or you're just a slow healer like myself. Mine was still draining after 3 months! But that is me, and my body is weird. lol As for you mentioning the throwing up- you asked it as sord of a question. Doubt its related to your incision, if you meant that. Otherwise, don't worry. I'd say most of us if not all have thrown up atleast once, and many it was only once. It takes some getting used to this surgery. Our bodies as well as our minds have alot of adjusting to do. You may not have eaten slow enough or chewed well enough, or it could have been a particular food you ate that bothered you. Feel better!
   — Lezlie Y.

May 11, 2003
My incision leaked for a long time I think it was 3-4 weeks. It messed up alot of clothes- stained for life. Anyway it didn't stop until they put me on antibiotics. Best wishes:)!
   — Kimmie C.

May 11, 2003
You said it's draining a little red? I assume that you mean a clearish red. If so my Doc. said all was ok when it hapened to me, It drained for about 4 weeks. Doc said it happens occasionally and sometimes for a longer time than mine did. Keep it covered with a sanitary pad so it dosn't stain you clothes. Pads are soooo much cheaper than gauze or bandages and work just as well. If tha color of the drainage changes to yellowish or greenish get to the doc or ER right away. Hope this helps.
   — Kathy C.

May 11, 2003
Kim, This is not unusual for many people, but not all. I had my staples removed at 1 week PO. When I went back a few days later due to some other issues it had been draining really bad and I could not keep the steri strips on because they kept getting wet. The surgeon then showed me how to pack them to help them heal from the inside out. It was not a big deal and one of them healed up within a few weeks. In the meantime I developed a spot that was bulging up and was sore and it was a build-up of fluid and another hole. He opened it up, or should I say I did the weekend before. The skin was so stretched over it that he just took a q-tip and it went through the thin skin of the incision. This hole took about 10 days longer than the first one that healed up. They were both healed by 4 weeks I believe. <p>Now the other original hole turned out to be a pesky little bugger. It was about the diameter of a pencil but all the way down to the fascia (4+"). It refused to heal out. Finally at 10 weeks I said that it was getting a little old and maybe it was time to investigate. The surgeon had to widen the skin hole 3 times up to that point as it kept healing shut but nothing was healing from below. Finally he decided to do an outpatient surgery and figure out what the problem was. It was 2-3 stitches in the fascia that would not dissolve. I have had this problem on quite a few surgeries in the past but then they were stitches just under the skin, not over 4" down. Unfortunately to get to the stitches he had to leave quite a large hole but the great news is it is healing shut very nicely now. It's been almost 4 weeks and it's down to about 1/2" max in dianter and maybe 1" deep. It won't be too much longer and it will be officially healed. YEAH! <p>While it has been a long time healing it really has not been a big problem to take care of. I would ask your surgeon about packing which will absorb the fluid and then cover with gauze and tape. That will help not ruin any clothes also, although I really do not know why it should be a permanaent stain. I have had a hole now for almost 14 weeks and I have yet to get an infection in it, so don;t automatically assume there is an infection. My discharge ranged from clear with a reddish tinge, to pale yellowish with a red tinge (but not an infected yellow), to flat out blood. Unless it gets very painful I would not assume you have an infection. I have found antibiotic ointment to be my savior during this time as it helps to make things heal but also gets rid of soreness. <p>Sorry to hear about your problem with food. I went 6 weeks with no problems of throwing up and suddenly started having quite a bit of problems with denser foods. If it was soft, shredded, chopped etc. it went down great. I had been eating the dense things the previous 8 weeks with no problem but then started with problems. At the same time my incision was opened up they scoped me to make sure nothing was wrong, which there wasn't. But he decided to slightly open my stoma a little bit to help with food moving through. I still occassionally have problems but I truly think the remainder of my problem is that I eat too fast. I can get by doing it with the soft and shredded food, but not the dense foods. I just need to keep working on learning to eat at the proper pace. Eventually I will get it through my thick head. LOL
   — zoedogcbr