I woke up this morning to a wet shirt - the damn dressing didn't hold all the leakage and I had just changed it yesterday evening, around 6pm. In other words, the damn dressing didn't last 12 hours or so. The fluid found its way through a small fold in the clear plastic adhesive.
The fluid also got on my sheets.
When it leaks onto my clothes on in my bed, I just feel so yuck - dirty and disgusting. I can't wait to change my clothes and wash my sheets.
So, I woke up in a bad mood today. Not only do I feel yuck, but it means extra work. It takes about 15-20 minutes extra to change the dressing and then more work to change my bedding, wash the sheets, wash my clothes, etc.
I got better things to do with my time.
The only consolation, I think, is that the drainage represents dying or compromised tissue. That tissue has cancer. One presumes that means that the chemo is working to kill the cancer in the skin, making the skin break down, and causing increased drainage.
In the last 24 hours, I've used 7 packages of drain sponges - about 3.5 packages per dressing change. My wound has a 7-pack-a-day habit. That's about a 7-fold increase in drainage compared to this time last week.
Criminy. When I go to Hawaii in a little over two weeks, if this continues, I'll need a separate suitcase just for dressings.
Monday, January 17, 2011
I hate draining wounds
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3 comments:
Gosh, Dee. Excuse me if I am repeating myself but "what a drag!" You do such a good job of finding a bright side where one is to be found, of being resilient, of seeing the bigger picture, etc. I really so hope the drainage means the cancer is dying. It's just a shame that it can't express itself in say, flower petals!
It is a wonderful and amazing process that we have bodies that drain so many different ways (spoken only as a body-owner, not a scientist of body mechanics) - but that doesn't make us feel any bit better in the bed when our bodies have leaked all over the dang place. Sending you wishes for drier times. You are the best for dealing with all the different curve balls that we get handed-thank you for posting the real stuff, Dee!
@Jeanne, well said! It is a drag. I would've loved to have awakened to flower petals in bed instead of a wet shirt! : )
@Teri, yes, let's hope for drier times! What a pain in the a&#!!!!!
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