Ok, this drain is...

starting annoy me! They usually hurt where the tube is stitched to the skin. The tube pulls out slightly and the stitches pull on the skin. This time I sprayed it with Bactine and pushed the tube in back in until there was no tension on the stitches. But there is an area towards the midline of my body, almost next to my sternum that hurts sometimes. When it happens it's just a non-stop dull pain. I'm thinking that it's from shifting when I drive my car. I suspect it's the end of the drain pressing on something. Last time I was able to trace where the drain tube was because I could feel it under my skin. This pain is relentless when it happens and only seems to be in that small inch (or so) area. Nothing that makes me want to cry but it's annoying. :(

PS office

This is what the waiting area at the plastic surgeon's office looks like. Very nice in there!

And the exam rooms:

Clot

I am one who likes gross things. A science nerd.🔬 A vet tech who regularly ate lunch while observing a surgery. A vet tech who laughed at maggot jokes while picking maggots off a dogs butt. One who gathered around to watch the opening of an abscess or an exploratory surgery. Well, I almost met my match yesterday!
Warning: "yuckiness" follows...;-)

The grenade/bulb part of my drain had been collecting clotty looking yuck around the top where the fluid drains into the bulb. It wasn't clogging the tube but it bugged me so several times I folded the bulb upward to try to dislodge it. Normally I just have to leave it there until the thing is removed. Not a big deal. Yesterday for some reason, it plopped into the bottom of the bulb. Eww! It almost made me gag! Big blob of blood clot & tissue. I thought I'd be carrying it around in there until my appointment next Friday. Time to empty bulb, I gave it an extra squeeze and it came out. Whew! As I flushed it down I thought  "should have taken a pic..." 😸

Port flush

On Wed. I had to go in for a port flush and to have labs drawn for my upcoming oncology appointment. I absolutely hate going into the chemo room for the port flush! Makes me very sad! 

As usual the nurse sprays the numbing spray, inserts that evil looking needle and flushes saline in. Then she draws my blood tubes and flushes again followed by heparin to prevent clotting. Oh the taste of saline! That is still a bizarre thing to me. 😝

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Mom & I went to a talk at Gilda's Club on Tuesday evening. The woman is new to town & she's a TCM practitioner. I was kicking myself the entire night that I didn't stick with my schooling at Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder. Five weeks opened my eyes to an entirely new way of thinking. Funny, I wanted to study TCM to help cancer patients. That was in 2005. Who knew?

During my application interview the dean of the school told me there were not many acupuncturists in Michigan. The other night I learned there are about 170 in the entire state while Manhatra has approximately 800!

Hospital library

I had been to the Warren Reynold's library at the Metro Cancer Center but just checked out the one at St. Mary's Lacks Cancer Center yesterday. Wow! Lots of great info. Handouts to take home & books that can be checked out.

I was looking for BRCA info because I need to send it to someone. I found info on healthy eating and DVDs about chemo, rads, the cancer center. 

Another 100 mls

PS added more fluid to my expander yesterday. Slowly getting there...I see her again next week. Still have the drain in but it's not bothering me too much. I found that NexCare has a tegaderm bandage that works well over the drain site without the irritation of paper tape. Too bad you only get 6 bandages for $7.99.

I do feel the needle a bit this time during my fills. Mostly the area is numb and probably always will be along with my armpits & the back of my arms. No biggie, just have to be careful. I had a nasty irritated spot from tape that happened because I couldn't feel it. Same with shaving my underarm (hair only grows on the left side because the right was so burnt by radiation). I can't feel the razor or the wax (that's fabulous!) 😉