Nearly 4 Weeks Post Surgery

WARNING: Somewhat GRAPHIC pictures included in this post!!!

So, I went into the Dr. Klomp's office on August 21st, with the possibility of having the drains removed.  Unfortunately, I knew it most likely would not be happening, since it hadn't been 20 ml of output on each side for 48 hours.  However, I still needed to go in.  I went in, met with Tiffany (Dr. Klomp's Nurse Practitioner), and I was right.  I had to wait on the drains, although I can say I wasn't horribly disappointed because I was EXTREMELY nervous to have them removed.  I was shocked, to say the least, when Tiffany decided that my stapled area was healed enough to take the staples out!!!!!!  I DID NOT expect that and I started to panic!  Luckily, they were able to put some numbing cream on me before they removed them.  There are 30 of them so, I was worried.  Needless to say, I lived!  It actually wasn't too bad and I could only feel a few of them come out!

 Right side, under my arm pit

  Right side, under my arm pit

   Right side, under my arm pit.

If you look just below the major incision, you can see the site where the drainage tube came out.

 Left side, under the armpit.  You can also see the other spot where the other drainage tube came out.

 Let side, under the armpit.

 Right side, under my arm pit

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Luckily, on Friday the 22nd, I had gone down enough on drainage fluid that I was able to go back into the Dr. and have the tubes removed!  Now THAT was a really strange feeling.  I didn't realize how far in the tubes went in.  First they clipped the stitches that they had used to attach the tubes to my skin.  Then they pulled the tubes.  I could feel the tubes from the middle of my chest, near my rib cage!  It didn't hurt but, it totally took my breath away!  I tell ya', that was the MOST relieving, freeing thing of this whole experience, was having those obnoxious tubes come out!  They were so itchy, irritating, and ANNOYING to have to haul those drainage tubes and suction container around!!!!

The other perk to all of this was not having to wrap myself in gauze and ace wrap every single day!  Which meant my Mom was off the hook, since she didn't have to come help me prep for showers, etc.  It was WONDERFUL!!! I just had to keep an eye on the incisions, to make sure they didn't get infected.  I also just had to let the super glue fall off, as it was ready.  I looked like Frankenstein but, I don't care.  

 Left side

Right side

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Walking out of the office without any wraps or whatever, totally bra-less was TOTALLY strange!  Although I really don't need one yet, for comforts sake, we went to the store to go bra shopping!  It was AWESOME to find a bra in the size I needed at the store, rather than having to special ordering it in, not even sure if it'd fit or not.  It felt awesome!