I’m now 8 days post-mastectomy and my drain has been removed on Monday (day 6). I’ve been told that I had prophylactic antibiotics during* the op and I also had ‘machine’ leg manipulation during and post-surgery.
I ended up in A&E for 6 hours on a trolley Friday night / Sat morning, unable to move to self-adjust as my drain was in in the left and I’ve got ltd mobility due to another health issue (PHPT). I asked for a couple of blankets to prop me up but as the night wore on. These became scrunched up under my upper back, kind of where the kidneys are and my upper back became very painful. Anyway, it seems my calcium had gone up due to PHPT so they put me on a saline drip which brought my pulse down from 135 to under 100.
I’m now 2 days post drain removal but still have my dressings on (and am starting to pong somewhat under my left arm
). I was told to take it easy on Monday and to lie flat twice e a day and to lie flat generally to help my body figure out how to find another route for things to drain.But my left upper back, kidney area, is very painful after lying on it with only one pillow last night, and when I lay flat today, and was slightly painful Monday (drain removal day). It’s fine when I’m sat up or moving around and I’ve no urine issues. I’ve also got a growing soft swelling that has moved round from the front just off centre, above my wound, to more under the arm above where the drain was. My BC nurse did say that m6 body has to find other routes for the drainage.
How long did you find it took for your drainage to figure out an alternative route, after mastectomy? What can I do to help it? Did anyone else have the painful upper back on the same side as mastectomy - I’m wondering if that’s possibly due to drainage or bruising or something from my trolley night or maybe because my balance is slightly off now?
I get my path results Friday and think my dressings come off then.
