jp drains can't start chemo!!!

Alloderm can make the drains put out more fluid as well. Did you have alloderm by chance? I found this out after the fact. I tried less activity, more activity, you name it. Mine were in for about 5 weeks. I wouldn't have been so frustrated if I knew the alloderm was to blame and not anything in particular I was doing.

Mine started deep down where i had a large hematoma that just sat there and festered until it created a sinus (tunnel) up to the surface where it broke through where the incision had healed. The drain had not been in a good position and so it didn't drain the hematoma properly and I had to have IV antibiotics for 3 days and then switched to oral. For a surface wound oral antibiotics might be ok.

Can you mention to the surgeon what the nurse and PA are suggesting? I'm not sure what a PA is but maybe the surgeon knows more about what is going on since he was there when you were opened up and knows what is going on below the surface.

It is really frustrating to have complications. As if it isn't bad enough hey? Keep us posted on how you are doing.

Two days after my surgery in August the home care nurse came to my home and my blood pressure was really low and I was passing out. She called an ambulance. In emerg they did a CT Scan and saw the hematoma. The drain on the left turned yellow/orange as it should but the one near the hematoma stayed red for 5 weeks and the surgeon had the nurse pull it out. I had been asking about it not turning yellow/orange and she said it was fine and to see her in a year.

Two days later I felt sick and had a fever and went to emerg and about 10 minutes later blood started gushing from my incision (which had been healed but the blood from the hematoma tried to find a weak spot and the surface and burrowed a way to one end of the incision). I was on IV antibiotics and stayed in hospital for 4 days. I am still having the wound packed 7 weeks later but it is shrinking.

I had an infection when the normal (yellow/orange) drain was removed too and developed celulitis so I had 3 days of IV antibiotics as an outpatient (went to emerg every day for that) and then a week of oral antibiotics.

I believe yours is surface or you would have other signs and I don't know whether IV antibiotics are necessary. I fired the surgeon for ignoring my concerns about the drain and now have a new surgeon who monitors the wound.

I learned from that experience to speak up. I was unhappy with my oncologist for not talking much and rushing until I sat there and just asked questions. I didn't care that he was in a hurry. I found that he was quite responsive and informative once I decided to speak up and demand answers. I wish I had done that sooner when I noticed the problem with the drain.

I think you should call and talk to the receptionist and insist on a consultation. I also agree that the family doctor should initiate a treatment that he thinks is necessary as well. The decision to give me IV antibiotics was made by an oncall physician at emerg. You don't need to take the word of a doctor you are not happy with.

It is sad that we are forced to do this when we are already dealing with enough but I think it's worth it to either insist on communication with surgeon or tell your PA to "step on toes" and treat you with what is needed.

It could very well be that oral would work and it might be worth trying it but if you don't want to do that you need to speak up.

I hope you find a solution. It is sad to read about what some of us have to go through but life is not fair. Let us know how you make out.

i would be concerned about a doctor who wouldn't speak up on your behalf for fear of how he will look. He needs to advocate for you. I'm sorry you have to put up with this. I hope the antibiotics work. For fever i would go to emerg. Keep us posted.

vaper. Call your surgeons office. Call your PA. Tell them you need to get help. If they refuse you go to ER. Also, I would call the nearest newspaper/ TV station and tell them what's going on. Perhaps they will follow you to Dr visit or PA or ER. I would also mention that you are posting your story with pictures on you tube or FB with (VERY IMPORTANT WAY TO SAY THIS) YOUR OPINION (Free speech. Your option is free speech) of what is happening and what you THINK about the tx they are not doing. Time for hardball. You can DIE from an uncontrolled infection. You can also lose a lot of tissue due to the infection. If you lose too much they won't be able to reconstruct using implants. Enough fooling around. Time to get help. At my fever and first sign of redness my P'S had me in OR to remove my implants.. i recovered but needed 3 weeks of IV abx AND 3 weeks oral.

Vaper, I am so sorry that you are having these complications. I had surgery fro BMX on 10/23 and my drains were in 12 days. I was putting out about 30 ml/ day. My PS looked at my drains on day 8 and wanted to wait until the next Monday. That Monday(day 12) the output had not changed, so him had the nurse take them out because he did not want me to get an infection. The longer an open site is available for bacteria, the greater your chance of infection. If I were in your shoes, I would be furious. I would be back at the hospital ER that did the surgery demanding some attention. Heck, if Clarksville is so small, then drive to Chattanooga or even into Georgia to get treated. Call your insurance company and yell for help.

Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

That's awful Vaper. My drain that came out after 5 weeks always stayed red. I had a hematoma under that and it got infected. I hope the surgeon will check. They can drain the fluid out with a needle if there is any in there. They should be able to scan it. My hematoma was detected with a CT scan but then of course it was ignored and that is why I developed the infection. Insist on answers. I hope you get help soon. :-( It really is a nightmare. I was talking to my doctor today and said what a nightmare all of this is and she agreed that many end up with PTSD because it can get so horrible. Hang in there.

Hugs Vaper.

mine was red but didn't smell. My drain was always red and it wasn't positioned right so it leaked. I definitely knew when it was infected. The skin was red and temp kept going up and i felt sick.

Let me know if you get answers

Moonflwr,I have been having low temp with one day of it spiking to 99.  But these crazy digital thermometers  are crazy. Today it said 94.9 one time, a few minutes later 97.0.
 Did they culture drainage? Did they pour from bulb or a different way?
My primary care doc's nurse had me pour on a small swab from by drain bulb last week. I find out Thursday the results. My nurse friend says it might show all kinds of things sense air can get in there.

Thank you wrenn and Moonflwer for being so helpful and caring!

i had to measure 24 hour drainage

Well this is a troublesome series of events Vaper- first I would say its 30cc/24hrs. I am a nurse as well and physicians see a day as a calendar day not a shift or in hours in my experience.

Beyond that- who cares if your doctor is angry- so are you. I get so frustrated when I read these posts about physicians not responding, PAs playing politics etc. The coordination of healthcare is pretty chaotic a lot of the time and what falls through the crack is the patient-

its unfortunate but you do have to be your own advocate. I tell my mom this all the time and she won't believe me. They don't remember your chart, they don't remember they are supposed to call back and they don't think you are sitting there waiting for guidance.

If there is eye-rolling, frustration or condescension from your healthcare team- you need to feel empowered (its hard) and say things like "I really do have better things to do than stay awake at night to dream up problems for you to deal with" and "I am not happy with my care"- "I don't feel like my questions are being answered" and finally " if you are telling me another physician should be doing something for me- why aren't you telling them"

You have nothing to loose by being direct- that is the language they understand- if its at a hospital just say "fine I will go speak with the hospital administrator about my concerns".

I wrote my physicians I work with a blow by blow description of my experience from mammo through discharge after surgery- the exceptional, the bad and the ugly- it was amazing how much they really did not know or appreciate- I got a ton of emails saying thank you we had no idea the process was like this. Only one said "well yes it does not always go well but we are so much better than other places" for those folks you just chalk it up as they can't hear you.

Today a doctor told me he was sorry for being so rude last week!!!   Godly intervention!
The instruction sheet for the drain says empty 2 or 3 times a day. I was doing it more because it feels heavy so quick, and I want to see when the color is changing. My nurse friend said maybe the suction is so strong after being emptied that it is causing more drainage. Today I only did twice and it is down to 30! It seems like t he bulb is just about worn out, not staying flat long at all. So who knows!
This ace bandage is very uncomfortable when laying down.
mrsparsley, I ,understand!  Now even when the tube comes out I will be worried about fluid needing to be sucked out!
wyo, that is wonderful that you got such good reaction to your report! Would not happen in these Tennessee foothills! There is a big enough shortage of doctors here, they do not think the customer needs to be pleased!
[moonflwr, over 100cc, O my goodness!
Thank you everyone!