Sunday I removed the pain ball tubing. It was inserted between the breasts and then had extremely sticky clear tape covering it to help keep it in place. Approximately four inches of the tubing had to be pulled out, Diane said it felt weird as I pulled it out. The ball was in a fanny pack that Diane had to lug around or find a place to set if she was sitting or lying down. Diane was thankful to have one less accessory to carry around and get in the way.
Wednesday we visited the surgeon’s office and the nurse removed the rest of the external plumbing, the surgical drains. They serve an important purpose but they are a pain in the “you know what”. Diane commented on the amount of fluids that we emptied out of the drain reservoirs over the week since the surgery. It would be a lot of fluid for the body to absorb and get rid of on its own.
The tubing was inserted lower on her sides this time, last time they were inserted at her arm pits. The lower location was a little less irritating than at the arm pits but the tape still caused plenty of irritation and itching.
The nurse that removed the drains was real nice, she assists the surgeon when he performs procedures in his office. We have had a wonderful team taking care of the princess, they have been professional, extremely skilled, and will patiently answer all questions put to them. We are pleased with the final result so far barring any last minute complications.
4 comments
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July 9, 2010 at 9:40 pm
EDIE
DIANE, HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ONE MORE STEP TOWARD THE END RESULT. I’M GLAD YOU ARE DOING SO WELL. EDIE
July 12, 2010 at 3:45 pm
David & Karen
We are thankful that the Lord has given you all strength to get through this difficult time. What a blessing to live in a time when surgery like this is even possible! We pray that the Lord continues to sustain you all through His grace.
Love, Karen and Dave
September 2, 2010 at 8:23 pm
Teri Smieja
Hi Fred, it’s been a while since I stopped by. Life has been a little crazy for me, complications on top of complications. My blog reading definitely got put on the back burner. I was glad to see that you’re still blogging, and taking care of Diane. You are so right about the drains. I had to have a flap do-over at the end of July, and had a drain in for over a month! They are more of a hassle than anything, but I had it in so long that I did end up with a slight staph infection. Anyway, just wanted to say hello, and send wishes for a speedy recovery, to Diane.
Teri
September 27, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Fred
Teri, Thanks for stopping by and for the words of encouragement. Diane is doing well, we are very pleased with the final results. There is some muscle pain yet and those crazy twinges from the nerves firing off as they recover. The amount of pillows Diane needs to support her while sleeping is gradually diminishing. She can sleep on her side for short periods too, but she still gets sore when she does. We have been keeping up with your blogging and the struggles that you have had with your health too. We hope and pray that there will come a day that your recovery will be complete and that the pain and suffering you are experiencing is greatly reduced. Fred