Early Christmas present

Brenda5
Brenda5 Member Posts: 2,423 ✭
edited December 2015 in Health and wellbeing

Early Christmas present, the Dr drained 200ml of serum from my armpit this morning and it is Heaven!

He wouldn’t do it last week and it burst by itself from the drain hole that hadn’t quite closed yet. I was booked in for an ultrasound to check all my veins and stuff in my arm after surgery to make sure the pain wasn’t from a clot or anything.

 

The relief from the swelling burst was instant. I went to emergency but they said no antibiotics necessary as I had been quite careful cleaning it all so they just put a dressing on it and let me go home.

 

It wasn’t finished swelling yet though and I spent an awful several days with a big lump under my arm. No amount of massage would make it go away and when I went to see the doctor this morning I was ready to do battle to get it drained. As it turned out they took one look at it and said we’ll drain it. OMG 200ml!

 

I have a pressure bandage on now which I have to leave on for a couple of days and keep my wing down so it doesn’t immediately swell back up. No showering but heck it was worth it.

 

Comments

  • Afraser
    Afraser Member Posts: 4,444 ✭
    edited December 2015

    Keep an eye on it! My first seroma aspiration moved one and a half litres, no wonder I didn't think my breast site looked too bad!

    Ultimately I got a bad infection, because of nutrient rich fluid providing a lovely home for bacteria, and had to have it all cleaned out, which worked. But with hindsight should have had that earlier.

    Good luck

  • Brenda5
    Brenda5 Member Posts: 2,423 ✭
    edited December 2015

    The mastectomy site is all healed, this was purely under the armpit from the axillary clearance. It has a huge pressure bandage on it now which fingers crossed stops it swelling up like that again. Heated up meat pies for dinner tonight so I didn't have to move about too much cooking and could keep my arm pressure down on it.

  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Orbost, VictoriaPosts: 0
    edited December 2015

    So glad for you that you're more comfortable. You may need to go back for drainage a few times to clear the seroma. It is such a frustrating time during the healing of a seroma. Take care over the festive season. Sending you a big cuddle, Trace ????????

  • iserbrown
    iserbrown Member Posts: 5,730 ✭
    edited December 2015

    Hi Brenda

    Wishing you well and hoping that the draining has completed and brings relief and healing.

    Have a lovely Christmas and a Healthy 2016

    Take care

    Christine  xx

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