Mast and immediate recon (DIEP or muscle-sparing TRAM) scheduled 1 March. Yesterday I had SLN biopsy and asked the nurse about drains - a bit vague, could be glass, could be plastic… I don’t feel much the wiser!
What have other people experienced? How big are the containers? Medicine bottle or wine bottle size? Or did most of you have plastic bottles or pouches? Do you carry them in a bag - like a gift bag, or carrier bag?
What is the best clothing to wear whilst attached to them - the hospital’s gowns strike me as the best option rather than sending my own things home with my daughter to be washed… otherwise front-button tops, or strappy vests that can be pulled up rather than over the head?
My drain bottles were plastic, medicine bottle size and carried them about in a sparkly M & S gift bag lol (supplied by hospital!). I wore PJ’s with t-shirt type top and never had a problem but I know a lot of ladies on here recommend button up tops as being easier.
A drain is plastic and very light, about the size of a pint of milk you get from the supermarket.
It is oval shaped and has a suction ball on top made of rubber. It can be carried in a small bag rather like a wash bag or if you are of a certain age you will remember a plimsoll bag.
I wore blouses and the handle of the bag went under this, the bag was hardly visible. As you only have the drain in for a short time (hopefully) it is unlikely that you need to worry about what you look like. I wasn’t up to going out for about a week after my op and the drain was out by then.
I actually found the hospital gown a hindrance because they do up at the back. I had pj’s that buttoned at the front.
Ditto everything that has been said, I still have 2 drains from my op on Monday, (mast and ax clearance with immediate implant), wore the gown in bed (for one morning) until I was discharged, have worn button-front PJ’s since then. We were all given little hand-made bags for our drains, a former patient makes them at home! Just the right size, and with loop handles that make then easy to put over your wrist to carry. The drains also have a plastic tie strap on them, and I was told I could attached them to the belt-loop on jeans/trousers… but to be honest I have no desire to go out until my drains are removed!!! Roll on next Monday…
I had 3 drains after my mast & LD flap recon 4 weeks ago. 2 were plastic pouch type and the other a vacuum bottle. The ward staff could not find me a bag to carry them in so I plan to take a plimsoll type bag with me when I go back for the other side to be done.
I also found hospital gowns inconvenient as it meant always wearing a dressing gown, to walk around, to prevent flashing my behind, so I ‘borrowed’ my partners large T shirt style PJ’s.
I found having my first drain removed quite uncomfortable, so when the other 2 were removed I asked for painkillers half an hour beforehand and it was fine.
Each morning the drain content was measured and I was allowed home only when it reduced to 40mls per day. The anticipation was like checking a lottery ticket every day!
Hi, Mine were a sort of A5 size rectangular plastic pouch. I wrapped them up in a knotted pillow case and stuffed them down the front of my knickers or sort of made a pouch for them in the front of my t shirt. Made me look a bit odd but easier than remembering to pick up a bag everythime I moved around. For hospital I bought some button up PJs which I hated but they were practical. I was OK with the removal, but probably still on painkillers anyway.
Hello and thanks to everyone, I feel much more confident now about what to expect! I had thought the tubes from the dressing to the drain would be very short, maybe rib-level, but they must be quite long if you can tuck the container into knickers! I’ll ask about carry-bags when I go in for photos and bloods on Monday, and whether I should take my own.
Looked at maternity nighties today, with long front openings! I do have strappy vest tops two sizes too big, which could be pulled up over the hips to the shoulders rather than over the head, but as I’m having recon from my tummy I’m a bit worried about wearing a waistband of any sort… maybe a strappy chemise would be more comfortable? But then in a strappy top a lot of dressing is going to be on display to scare the visitors, so it would need a poncho or wrap… elegance is not what I expected to be worrying about! My grandmother used to wear crocheted lace bedjackets… I wonder…?
My drain tubes were quite long - say down to mid thigh level if the things were hanging down. That let me balance them on a stool or something while I was washing. If they don’t supply carry bags I’d suggest one of those cotton shopping bags they sell in e.g. Oxfam. I found that an ordinary carrier bag stuck to my stick at night (and made me feel rather unspecial, like I was coming back from Tescos or something). The gift bag they gave me was a good fit for the bags, but hard and crinkly at night. Also I felt even more of a prat carrying that around. That’s why I resorted to the pillow case.
Crochet lace bedjacket. Mmmm, super. Go for it! Alternatively, you could try a pair of PJs with a very loose waistband?? You could then wear the top over your strappy thing, even if the bottoms were no good. Or if the visitors are grown ups, maybe just let them get used to it!
Good idea, I’m thinking BIG pyjamas now, so the top is long enough for modesty if the waistband sits in the wrong place. The tummy wound should be well above a knicker line. Youngest visitor will be my 16 year old daughter, who is most concerned about how things might look… will check out ponchos, though, I’m sure a lightweight one with a big enough neck opening to pull it on with the unaffected arm could be useful beyond the week in hospital. I don’t know how long the lovely compression stockings stay on… was thinking of taking flip flops in as they’re non-slip, but it may have to be slippers if the white stockings are on for the duration! Feel I’ve aged 20 years just thinking about bedwear!
A cotton tote bag is a great idea, I do have some with quite long handles.
I had 3 drains and the hospital gave me a “pump” bag. Remember them from school with a draw string. You just had to remember to pick them up every where you went. Rested it on a plastic chair when washed hair and went for a shower etc. As someone said. Long tubes - about down to mid thigh. With a vacuum bottle on the bottom size if A5 piece of paper. Werent heavy and didn’t hurt if you forgot about them or dropped them. But were a pain in the bum to carry round with you. Could put them on your tum and then tie your dressing gown cord around them to keep in place but looked pregnant!!!
Thanks for everyone’s input, it’s much nicer than waking up to a nasty surprise! I don’t think anyone in the medical team would have explained without being asked, and my imagination was running riot.
Pre-op tests today so I asked if they’d be glass or plastic, seems plastic A5 size is their norm. I forgot to ask if I should take my own bag, but will just in case. I found a cotton tote bag - from a Spice Girls concert! - with shoulder-length double handles, or my daughter has a lightweight nylon PE bag that she no longer uses, with drawstrings, which should be fine once it’s had a good wash!
The other thing I used after I got home, for showering, was a waterproof swim bag type thing, which you may have kicking around if you have kids. I put the drain bags in it then hung it over the “other” shoulder, leaving both hands free.
My stockings were on all the time I was in hopital (they were navy, not white!) and I was told to wear them when I went home too, which I did for a while until I was moving about. I don’t think they would have worked with flip flops, though they had an annoying peep hole that my toes kept escaping through, so that might have been a possibility. I had a pair of cottony slippers, but the light towelling mule types would be good too?
My M+S PJs were good for modesty, but made of quite light cotton with short sleeves and knee length legs, so not as hot as I had feared.
I’m sure they said I wouldn’t go home until the drains were taken out, about a week, give or take a day or two? We do have old swim bags, good idea… but how on earth do you shower without saturating the dressings?
I have a few vest tops with spaghetti straps, 3/4 length leggings, and PJs the same, so I think I’ll wear those when seepage has stopped enough to abandon the hospital gown. I’ve ordered a lightweight poncho to cover up my top bit when visitors come! My younger two, although 16 and 19, are awfully squeamish!
Sounds like your hospital wardrobe is all set then! It’s good to have some normal clothes ready too - once I got dressed (fourth day maybe?) I felt more human.
I guess the drains thing varies from hospital to hospital. I had one out before I came home, one a couple of days later and one after a week at home. The nurses helped me with the whole washing thing while I was in hospital. (I managed to soak one lovely woman, to her great amusement.) But once I got home I found it useful to have both hands free so that I could avoide dousing the dressings too much. They were waterproof though, so not too fussy. In the shower I detatched the head and pointed it in the places I wanted to go. I also had some shallow baths that didn’t come up as far as the wound. Only problem with this at first was that I needed help getting out of the bath.
Did you have a recon, Cryst, with a drain from there too? I’m having recon from my tummy so it probably means baths are out of the question until the dressing comes of that. When pregnant I used to kneel on the way into and out of the water, which made standing up easier. The head in my shower is fixed but there’s a short detachable one on the bath so I guess I’ll be on my knees again for this!
If you’re not having a reconstruction then you might like to take in a bumbag.
My drains just followed me via bum bag for a few days so my hands/arms were free (bilateral mastectomy in my case).
It was such a good idea than my breast care nurse is now recommending bumbags to everyone (tip you can keep your painkillers etc in the pockets of the bum bags too)
Not so great if you’re having the tummytuck though
Hi Palomino, sorry for delay in replying. Yes I had a reconstruction, but using back muscle not tummy. I tried my bumbag Angie - that would have been good, but it wasn’t big enough - so you’d need to get one the right size I think.
Thanks to everyone for sharing your experience of drains, it meant I was not at all surprised when I saw them (long tubes into small plastic bottles). They were not remotely what I had imagined before posting the question here and it meant one surprise was eliminated. I’d also been able to prepare the kids - and the hospital supplied pretty cotton shoulder bags. I wore loose vest tops with cropped bottoms and pulled a poncho over the top to go walkabout.
All but one came out with hardly any discomfort. Remembered from labour focusing on deep breath in through nostrils, long slow exhale through the mouth. The one (of four) that did hurt had two stitches, unusually, and the nurse had undone only one. He was the only male nurse, a real poppet, and mortified when I squealed - I think he was more hurt than I was! That one stung for a few minutes afterwards,. The last two were on 125ml on day 7 and down to 40/45ml when sent home on day 10, the breast one dripped for a couple of hours but they’re both fine now. All good so far!
