drain and dressing yourself - what to wear?

@Maree72, 
I was stuck at the hospital for 3 nights, had two painful drains( one for lumpectomy and one for lymph nodes). I did pack front buttons PJ and guess what, I didn’t bother to change into them as I found those hospital gowns more convenient (the ones which tie at the back). My hospital provides clean ones every day for me to change into.
My BC nurse also gave me a sling bag to put my drains while I walked around. This comes together with the Zonta breast care cushions. 

@GinGin thanks for sharing, sorry you had a 3 night stay, yes 1st tie around it was in and out, with a lumpectomy and no drains, just the front closing bra, so I brought the zip up active wear style for Lorna Jane, I truly didn't want to be reminded of this, and a new button p night shirt, but alas here I am back again, and this time full lymph node clearance, as that's an area the cancer was left behind by 1st team who missed it all, oh yay! so I will be having a drain, I've been told about these bags but just now trying to think how to go about what to wear etc, as going home was easy last time, even though it was 28th Jan 2023, so stinking hot here in Brisbane, and well now we are November so stinking hot once again, but with a drain. My BC nurse is the best, and been super supportive, but hey I've now been waiting 85 days since second diagnoses of the cancer returning, back on 1st August this year, so clearly I'm like a piece of the furniture at the hospital with all my tests they have put me through. This time around I was gifted a BCNA voucher, unlike last time, so I have now got my post surgery bra, ready and waiting as it arrived today, but think ill just go with the hospital gown rather than trying to feel fancy about night wear, second time around I just feel meh as I'm not out of the woods yet, as they will need to see what the margins come back to see if I will need more surgery, I've been fighting to keep my breast, I'm not ready to loose it, up here in QLD they make you wait up to 2 years before offering you a re construction of the boob they took. (this is with in the public system) then you have to meet the silly requirements before they will do a reconstruction, very unfair system. 

Short sleeve button up tops (Pj and day) worked for me - I only spent one night in the hospital and went home with three drains - though ridiculously my memories of September are already a bit fuzzy! 

And regarding your battle for reconstruction in Brisbane, Maree, I am very sorry, it does seem unfair. 

Yes @HelenlovesSnoopy and @Maree72, It is wonderful how time lets the BC memories go! I have certainly found that.

@Maree72, can’t imagine what you’ve been through, it’s terrible. Did the medical team inform you that lymph nodes will be removed and they ‘forgot’ during the first surgery?! I was informed that my lymph nodes biopsy showed ‘positive’ for cancer cells and I need to be prepared for axillary clearance as well as a lumpectomy during consultation. The biopsies were all done at the same time after I had the PET scan.

I stayed for 3 nights as the hospital will only discharge patients if the fluids in the drains are less than 20ml (if I am not mistaken), this was at a private hospital. I understand at public hospitals in Melbourne, patients will be discharged after one night regardless of fluids collected and they are taught how to manage the drains at home.

I don’t understand why we have different policies for different states, it’s definitely definitely unfair. There should be one gold standard of care.

I hope your surgery is successful with clear margins. It’s so stressful waiting for results after surgery (it was for me😒)
xx
Gin

@GinGin
 I wish my medical team did there job correctly 1st tie around but no, I was given a false negative result from my 1st surgery, they only took the lump in the left breast, and took 2 sample nodes for the lymph, but they didn't wait for the dye to reach the area before they put me into surgery, and they took 2 nodes that had no cancer in them, leavening behind all the nodes with cancer, telling me there was no cancer present and everything was a success, clearly not, 6 days later I was re admitted back to the same hospital after contracting an infection form the surgery, that was just plain dreadful, i wont go into all those details, apart from if I could of I would of had a strong case for suing the hospital for all there wrong doings while I was in there for the infection, moving forward to June, I hunted down a new medical team, as I wasn't sure if what I could feel was scar tissue being normal of something else, after many battles with the medical professionals, Drs and so forth, I finally was able to get some one to take me seriously, by late June of this year I had a new GP, and had been speaking only by phone to a new breast care nurse, who is now my own breast care nurse, once she got my paperwork from my new Dr for the referral, she put me in with her team and trussed surgeon, I went to meet them in late June, by early July I had my 1st ultra sound from the physical exam and then things completely unfolded, all the tests all the biopsy's all the MRI's only to be re diagnosed by 1st August, as they had confirmed cancer was in the lymph nodes and had been there all along, I was outraged man I was angry, so I knew I need another surgery, what I wasn't expecting was more cancer to be found back in the same breast from the original site, and a cancer tumour that had been missed all along due to the original team and GP not doing more tests like my team have now, they only looked at the one large lump that was showing, what they missed was a tiny one hiding in the depth, that the radiologist picked up from all the MRI's. 
I have fought long and hard for them to not do a mastectomy I'm not ready to loose my breasts and I'm so over hearing people talking as if that's the only option for woman , not all of us hate our breast some of us quite like them and want to keep them, so that fight lead to many many test over the last 3 months that have left me feeling like a human voodoo doll with all the biopsy, MRI's mammograms, PET Scans, ultra sounds, MRI guides biopsy's etc.  but if they will not offer a reconstruction at time of the surgery to take away the breast then they can save it.
In meeting at the middle ground for this I agreed to chemo and radiation to keep the breast, as last time I refused radiation as I was told I had low levels of the cancer retuning and I was clear, so with doing all my home work and research, radiation was not for me and I was going down a different path of looking after my self- the natural way, the side effects were to high for my likening, and I'm very pleased i didn't do it now, as I'm right back at square one so I would of weakened my ribs for no reason at all, so now I'm more concerned as i can not go back through another year like this again, its been not a lot of fun at all. and yeah you are correct I'm only coming up 51 this December, last year the GP diagnosed me one day before my 50th birthday, so I'm a bit mad, as this year's birthday is set to be in the chemo ward, lucky me but ill get over it, 
I didn't mean to come here and hi jack you thread, but that's my story - so getting a heads up on what to expect on the new path I haven't had experience on is very helpful, as I've all ready been on this one I'm on now nearly 10 - 11 months ago, apart from the drain bit, thankfully my breast care nurse is one in a million, and I said to her yesterday at my appointment that the other breast care nurses at the 1st hospital i was under should all come and et training from her and the McGrath foundation as they are no where near in the same league as her and her team where I am now, so I'm extremely grateful, I'm told I will have a cancer care nurse when it comes to chemo, but as you say, got to get through the surgery next,
good luck with you on going chemo 

@Maree72, please don’t worry about hijacking your own thread - your story matters as does everyone’s on here.

I am speechless, and so sad and mad with what you had been put through. You would certainly have a case against negligence (?). 

Hi
I had 2 surgeries and came home with drains twice, one was small, but the tube inside me was huge, the second looked like badpipes attached to a piano accordain.. it was massive.. I had an across body bag (fabric) given to be at the hospital by the local church...
worked a treat... I mostly wore button up tops, but always a singlet top, as well as it assists with the drain tube not moving. Remember to get plenty of pain relief, I think the drain hurts more than the surgery...
Best of luck with it all.....