question / concern about drains

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Ruth7733
Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
edited May 2015 in Breast Reconstruction

Hi everyone,

I couldn't figure out how to word this in google to see if I could find a quick answer, so I'm hoping someone here can tell me if they've come across this issue.

I started reconstruction on Tuesday and came home with 2 drains, one on each side. By Wednesday, the left side had already turned a pale yellow color and had lessened in output. The right side (the one that hurts the most...ouch..ouch..ouch) is still putting out quite a bit and is a dark pink / light red color. As of this morning this was still the case....left side a light yellow color with about 10 cc's output every 4 hours.....right side dark pink / light red color with about 25 cc's every 4 hours. At about 1:30 this afternoon I took a pain pill and lay down for a rest on the couch. I woke up about 20 minutes ago and I was slightly turned to my left. I wasn't completely on my side but just turned that way a tiny bit (not even close to laying on my drain or touching my expander in any way).

When I glanced down to my drainage tubes, I saw that the right tube and bulb were completely empty. I looked to my left and the tube was that dark pink / light red color that the right side usually is and the bulb had 25 cc's in it.

Did my laying slightly to my left cause all the fluid from my right to drain over there? Is this something I should worry about? Even now that I have sat up and drained the left out, it is still draining that color into my left drain and the right is empty.

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  • inks
    inks Member Posts: 746
    edited May 2015

    I have no idea why your drain output decided to suddenly switch. I don't believe it's possible for one side to drain from the other side. Make sure both drains are on suction, even if you are not getting any output the bulb should be depressed. Maybe you had a clot that was clogging the drain? But do report this to the nurse when they call you for your daily drain outputs. Hope you get great results with your reconstruction.

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  • Ruth7733
    Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
    edited May 2015

    Oh they don't call me for daily outputs. They just want me to call them if there is a problem. Otherwise I won't see / speak to them until Wednesday. I was in the office on Friday so they could look me over before the weekend.

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  • Ruth7733
    Ruth7733 Member Posts: 68
    edited May 2015

    I think you were right inks, it was likely a clot. They both went back to original output. *sigh* it hasn't even been a week since I've had these stinkin drains & I'm so ready for them to be removed. The output hasn't lessened at all though. Both still put out about 100 cc a day.

    I wish there was a way to hurry this along.

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