The anatomy of the drain - There is a flat tube with holes that is inside your body. That tube is connected to a closed tube that is outside the body, and stitched to the body. At the end of that tube is a grenade looking bulb. When compressed and closed, the drain creates a suction that helps remove excess fluid from the body.
As if having these drains weren't bad enough, you have to "strip" (squeeze and flatten the drain to force liquid in bulb) the drains, empty the fluid and then measure and record the amount and color. Sound fun right?! Yeah...no..
The output over 24 hrs had to be less than 20ccs for 2 days before my PS would remove them. My first one was pulled about 2 weeks after my surgery. I was SO NERVOUS about it getting pulled. I had (of course) researched online, and had seen both sides - worst pain ever and not too bad. I couldn't watch her pull it. I could definitely feel it snaking out of me, but it was more of a weird sensation than it was painful.
My second one was pulled after 7.5 weeks. Yes - SEVEN AND A HALF WEEKS!!
Seven whole weeks of having at least 1 drain. Seven weeks of drain maintenance. Seven weeks of alternating through the few "Flowy" shirts in attempts to hide the drain. Seven weeks of no fun.
The 2nd drain spent about 2 weeks toying with my emotions. It would get down around 20 for a day then shoot back up to over 30 ccs. I was googling and trying any trick to get the output down..and to no avail. The drain had been in me for so long, my skin began to grow over parts of the sutures. I began to think we would be connected for the rest of my life.
After 7.5 weeks, my PA decided that the output was close enough to 20 (many PS want it under 30, but mine is conservative) and she pulled it. The removal of the sutures was more painful than the actual drain removal, but it still was not a comfortable experience. But it was OUT!! Wahoo!!! One of the happiest days!
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