Question about mastectomy care in Ont.

CancerSchmancer

Hello ladies,

I was wondering if there is anyone here from Ontario who had home nursing care after having a mastectomy?  I had a mastectomy a week ago Wed and still have the drain.  I was wondering how frequently most people have a home visit from a nurse while they have their drain?  I haven't seen a nurse in a couple of days and won't be seeing one over the weekend either... I was just curious if this was about normal..

 Thanks ladies :-)

Beesie

Oh, that's not right.  I was told that the home care nurse is supposed to see you every day until the drain comes out.  And that is the level of service I got.  Every day, including weekends.  And on her day off, another nurse came instead.

In my case, it was the home care nurse who removed the drain.  That was great, because together we decided to leave it in an extra day (after the drainage had reached the minimum levels), just to be on the safe side.  And it was so nice that I didn't have to travel down to my PS to get the drain removed.  It was done right in my bathroom.  I loved having the daily visits because it gave me a chance to ask about anything going on post-op that seemed strange (like my grossly swollen ankles).

At the first session, did you get a piece of paper with the contact info for the company that your home care nurse works for?  OHIP pays, but the work is contracted out to private companies.  You should have the info on which company is handling your service; if you do, you should call them.  If you don't, you should contact the hospital where you had your mastectomy to find out which company they work with.   

Caya

I had the home nurse everyday as well, including weekends (and Xmas day too)  Beesie is right, contact the company that contracts the nurses or call your breast surgeon's office. 

Sierra

Goodness me..

I would think a nurse .. should be coming

I had a lumpectomy and had nurse come

to help me out and also with the staples

Get on to your doctor

and see what he can do

or call Willow... or

I meant to say: 

Wellspring..  

Keep after them..

Sending out a hug for you

Sierra

PS   I was connected to Interlink

you can call them as well

Interlink Nurses

mke

I really don't remember exactly but I'm sure it was every day for the first week or so and after that it might have skipped a day now and then (I had drains in for a long time).

sunshine2003

definitely everyday until the drain came out - which I think was a week or so.

Janet 

HeatherBLocklear

Good grief, I want to move to Canada! I wouldn't be suprised to find out I have to remove my own drain (only partially joking).

Annie

Anonymous

Everyday. This was set up through the surgeon and hospital the day of my surgery. I recieved a call from the homecare agencey a few hours after my return home. They did all the dressing changes, stripped the drains and removed the drain. Nice perk to being in Canada eh?

CancerSchmancer

Thanks Ladies.  I phoned my clinical nurse today and she told me the same.  It has been 5 days since I've seen a nurse and I still have the drain!  They haven't even phoned.  I phoned VON and they are FOR SURE sending someone tomorrow.  I'm quite surprise that they could have let me slip of the radar like that.  I hope there's nothing that could have gone wrong with not having a nurse check my drain for so long.

Thanks again, ladies :-)

DFOnt

That's strange. I'm in Ontario and had a VON nurse come every day, including weekends, until the drains were out, then a couple of days after.

BMac

I had a nurse everyday for about a week.  Unfortunately she took the drains out way to early (day 3!) and I suffered because of her ineptness.