when can I shower

LM525

2 bs day post op can I showe

SpecialK

That instruction should come from your doctor - do you have a copy of your discharge instructions - sometimes it will say there. Do you have drains? Some docs will let you shower with them, others don't. Some docs want you to leave the dressing dry until the first post-op appt.

LM525

SpecialK thanks I did check D/C instructions have to wait for drain to come out. This is all a bit overwhelmingThank God for this site I don't feel quite so alon

SpecialK

You are definitely not alone and please ask any questions you have - we are here for just that purpose! Passing on knowledge and support to those who are new and overwhelmed is the "pay it forward, silver lining" of this experience. Hang in there!

Meow13

When I got release from the hospital with drains I could shower. I needed to wash my hair. You could wash hair in kitchen or laundry room sink.

SpecialK

I have washed my hair in the kitchen sink and used the sprayer to rinse, and also have a shower with a handheld shower head - I put Press N'Seal plastic wrap over my chest and then used the handheld part to shower from the waist down so the only thing I needed to do a sponge bath with was from the waist up. I felt reasonably clean using this approach, but I never had drains for long.

Clauclau

hi, just decided to leave my experience to add another option if it's suitable for anyone out there.

I was 10 days without proper shower ( yes from waist down and a damp piece of cloth under arms to refresh ) , and in desperate need to wash my hair. I asked my friend to drop me off at a local hair salon and asked them for a quick wash. The hairstylist was very gentle with accommodating me and charged me only $10 . It was the best money spent on myself and it made me feel like a normal person. I highly recommend this experience because it gives you an extra inner positive feeling. Try it! And good luck to all of us

Blessings2011

Couldn't shower with drains in. Thankfully, they were removed before 2 weeks were up.

Let DH wash my hair in the kitchen sink once; almost drowned me, decided clean hair was entirely overrated.

That first shower felt OHHHHHHH so good! We have a built-in bench in there, and I have a hand-held sprayer. I was in there forever. We put the grandkid's baby monitor on the counter, so DH could hear me call if I needed him. I didn't.

ravzari

My surgeon told me I could shower with the drains in (and provided instructions on how to do so and keep them out of the way) as she'd covered my incisions and nipple grafts with Tegaderm (which is waterproof) over the other bandaging, but I didn't feel very comfortable doing that because:

A) The drains themselves were just uncomfortable anyway.

I was worried about possibly getting infections around the drain sites from shower water; probably low risk as they had me on antibiotics, but...

For me, getting a big tub of scent free baby wipes was the best thing; it made it easy to stay pretty clean without having to try to bathe in the sink.

For my hair, I used a dry shampoo, which worked pretty well. It wasn't the best, and got a little flaky looking after about 5 days, but it's not like I was going out anywhere with those drains in because of the whole 'uncomfortable' thing anyway.

tsoebbin

Holy moly... Today was shower day for me! After 22 days.... Felt good!

Mariangel43

Oh, God, people, you are scaring me. My surgeon didn't say anything about shower but told me that I had to have the compression bandage on. Anyway, the day after when he came to see and discharge me, I made him take all the gauze and cotton bandages with the itching tape because if he didn't do it, I would. Thanks God he didn't use iodine as I requested. I went home with compression bandage and the drainage attached to the bandage. It had velcro so when I got home I took it off, cleaned the skin of the remaining adhesive and I could relax for the first time.

The PS told me he will send me with surgical bra and the compression bandage on. I told him not to use demerol, tape or iodine with me unless he wanted me to kill him. Demerol puts me in a very bad mood because it doesn't take the pain away and does not let me open the eyes or get away from the bed. I start fighting with everyone and sometimes I hallucinate. He started laughing and I also laughed and added, I am not kidding.

The mastectomy area is so horribly sensitive that I can't let anything touch, clothing, water, or bra pads. I don't know how I will be able to deal with the filling of the temp implant and the radiation. Thinking about that keeps me awake. I went and will go to the beauty salon before surgery so that I have one less thing to worry about. Thank you for hearing me and I welcome suggestions.

Meow13

The first shower feels so good.

pab

When I was in the hospital for my bmx I grabbed everything that was in my room! Thankfully there was no rinse soap! It was great! A year later now I had my TE exchange surgery and ordered a bottle on Amazon. I highly recommend it! It was nice to 'wash' my pits and around my drains and foobs without getting it all wet! There's nothing like that first shower!! I just remember getting so exhausted!! It's such a project to get clean! Ugh it does get better! I'm 2 1/2 weeks post op from TE exchange, I have my new silicone implants and just still waiting for swelling to go down and things to settle a bit more!

Good luck and happy healing everyone