Hold it together, would you?
It’s not me that I’m referring to this time.
It’s all these dang gadgets that I have to wear post-DIEP Flap surgery. I feel like a walking mummy with dangling hand grenades on each side.
Ok, on a serious note, These gadgets are an important part of the healing process.
Are they fabulous? Nope! But I got over that after the mastectomy.
Are they comfortable? Hmmm.. well, the bra is comfy but the abdominal binder is bulky and well .. tight.
Are they difficult to get on? Not difficult, maybe more of a pain in the ass.
Does everyone wear them after breast reconstruction? I can’t answer that question. I have been instructed to wear them and my thoughts are based on my journey.
After DIEP flap surgery, there are two sites that need to be supported. The breast area and the abdomen. But they are not supported by the same kind of instruments. To begin my healing journey, I left the hospital with a brand new abdominal binder and a post-surgical bra to support these areas.
As you may have recalled from my post-mastectomy post, the post-surgical bra is the ugliest bra that has ever been created. Like .. in the history of bras. But it serves its purpose. For now, there is still a small amount of blood from the incision and antibiotic ointment that needs to be applied 3x each day. So I wouldn’t want to ruin a sexy bra even if I could wear one. (Which I can not, by the way. Shuck’s orders!) Though, if I’m honest, my OCD makes me want to change into a new post-surgical bra each time I clean the incision area and apply ointment. I think I have about 6 of them (from my previous surgeries) that I alternate between.
Warning: objects in mirror are SMALLER than they appear. Though I’m aware that this pic has me looking like Dolly Pardon. 😂 Blame it on the selfie, i promise I didn’t have enough belly fat for this much of an upgrade.
The post-surgical bra is soft and takes the form of my newly installed boobs. It’s breathable and doesn’t put any pressure on my flaps. This is important! The flaps are still very sensitive; compression is not their friend. I am under strict orders NOT to have any pressure on my new boobs within the first 6 weeks of surgery. These girls are fragile and the arteries that have been connected need an environment in which to thrive.
The white thing that you see under the ugly bra is called an abdominal binder.
The binder that I left the OR with has three straps, making it easier to properly adjust at the lower and upper abdomen and below the chest area
The flaps that were used to reconstruct my breasts came from my lower abdominal area. After 25 pounds of weight gain, I’ve reaped the benefit of my chemo belly. And though they didn’t cut any of the muscles during my surgery, my core has still been affected. I can stand and sit easily. But coughing, laughing, sneezing, etc. No ma’am! This is where compression comes in handy. Not only does the binder stabilize my swollen core, it holds my abdominal area together during those violent coughing attacks. It’s definitely a pain in the ass to put on with 6 drains hanging from my side (l’ll get to the drains in a minute), but I can clearly feel the difference when I don’t have it on. As best as I can describe it, it feels like my organs are swimming around instead of firmly in place when I am not wearing it.
But unlike the bra, I didn’t have multiple binders lying around my house. I left the hospital with the one that was strapped to me after surgery and by the time I got home, it was soiled with blood and ointment and everything else. 🤢 So I ordered another one from Amazon. Of course, there are a plethora of options to choose from.
Now for these drains… I know I’ve complained about them over and over again since my very first surgery, and I’m gonna do it again.
Six drains! Six long entangled tubes hanging from my side. Six opportunities to mistakenly snag and pull them (I know that math doesn’t work exactly but go with me)
And of course, that’s exactly what I did.
The day after I was discharged from the hospital, I was attempting to fix the bra and had not realized that I’d had one of the tubes in my hand and when I pulled the bra, the drain came with it. Dammit! I screamed so loud that Theo came running from bed. I told him that I needed to call the doctor. It was 7am on Saturday and I was preparing to return to the hospital.
If you look closely you can see the blood at the drain site and on my bra.
The drain had not detached, but it felt like a stitch was ripped out of place, leaving that drain tube more mobile than the others. I left a message with my doctor and no sooner had I placed the phone on the table, he had returned my call. After an exchange of photos, he insisted that it was not in danger of infection. (He’d be more concerned if I was still in the expander stage.) The drain was still attached and more than that, it wasn’t even hanging out. An internal stitch must have been displaced causing the tube to move more freely. I needed to secure the tube to my skin. Otherwise, it would be extremely uncomfortable.
Extremely uncomfortable? Was he serious? I could not imagine experiencing any more discomfort than drains provided in the base case. Alas, I was proven wrong.
That drain was like a painful itch that I couldn’t scratch. Because it was not held in place 100%, I was jostled each time it moved, providing a sharp twinge at the site. Every time I changed position. I felt like I was being mildly electrocuted hundreds of times each hour.
It was ridiculous. I had just had major surgery and the only pain I was experiencing was from a dang drain. My hubby couldn’t bear to see me in such a state. He returned from the store with some surgical tape and restricted the movement of the drain at the site. Whoosah!! I could kiss him, and of course, I did. He is the best nurse! Not only does he change my drains and record the output, but he also put some of those engineering skills to use to provide me some comfort.
The best nurse ever 😍😍
Now I can sit here with my post-surgical bra, my abdominal binder, and six drains in complete discomfort .. but pain-free and go back to complaining about drains like I always do. I’ve been instructed to wear this gear 24/7 for the first 2-3 weeks, except while showering. I’m praying that Dr. Shuck removes some of these drains at my first post-op on Thursday.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do realize the grace that has been given and that I’m blessed to not have any pain and for a successful surgery, and for success with my flap etc. but complaining about drains is like being at a summer BBQ and complaining about flies. The flies are annoying and enough for me to notice but not enough to ruin the party. I’m still gonna dance to the music, eat a burger, and have a good ole time while I swat the flies away.
❤️ T
