Its been called to my attention that these drains had a name: Jackson Pratt
A detailed account of this drain process is in order and long over due. The week after surgery I started with six. The rubber tubes are inserted during surgery while everything is open. You can see the tubes snaking under your skin. I've been told that the section of the drain within your body is similar to those garden hoses with holes all along them so that water can sprinkle over a long stretch of your yard. Exactly like that, only opposite. The bulbs create a suction. And the fluid that builds up in your body after surgery is slow sucked through the holes, down the tube, out of your body, down the 2 foot length of the tube and into compressed air tight bulbs. At their exit points, the tubes are sewn to your skin with black thread.
So i started with three on each side, six total. On each side 1, 2, 3 was labeled in permanent marker. For the doctors, the amount and color of the fluid draining is very important. I did my best to document accurately. I even set up an excel spreadsheet so I wouldn't mess up the sum totals. Every morning, lunch, and evening before bed they must be striped, drained and measured. Stripping: starting from the very tender entry point you squeeze the tube all the way down to the bulb, this takes all the fluid in the tube to the bulb. The bulb has a valve closing thingy, once it looks like all the fluid is out of the tube, normally if you did a good job, the tube will be flat from the suction. Then you open the valve, air fills the bulb up so its now an flatted bulb. Then you empty its contents into a small mL/cc measuring cup. Hold the cup up to eye level so you can read the cc number and record it on a form. Also take notice of the color. I had a system 0 being clear and 10 being blood red. It was a more or less subjective observation based mainly on the amount of drugs I was on that day and my particular mood at the time.
In the surgery center, the nurses took care of this process, while staying with my grandmother, my mom did most of the work for the first two days. I remember the first time we drained the left number 2. The pain was indescribable, fluid getting sucked out from the depths of your wounded body. I had to take a oxy and val and sit on the sofa in a haze of pain for at least 40 minutes. In prelude, next time, I took the pain pills and then 30 minutes later I was drugged enough to withstand the draining. Grandma tried to help on the third day, but by that time I was ready to do it myself. And had it down to a very quick system.
The saturday after my Tuesday surgery, I decided to escape family care and pack up and go back to the city. So I made plans to have all my friends meet me at my dad's pool first. Makes perfect sense right. RG picked me up, she didn't have a swim suit so we stopped by the Walmart on Manchester in west county. Did you know that rich people have WAY nicer Walmarts than us middle income city people. We had a shopping spree. I got some booty shorts to double as a swim suite bottom, and a tank top, and a very adorable fluffy skirt (perfect for hiding the drains), I also scored the cutest short sleeve pink cardigan. I spent like 50 dollars. Crazy huh?
RG and I then headed over to my Dad's new bachelor pad. MU and Jeff were already there with a cooler of beer and some mendota sparkling lime water for me. JT showed up shortly after, BW following not too far behind him. In an attempt to "hide" these six drains, I simply gathered them all together in the middle and tucked them under my booty shorts. This created the illusion of me having a giant cock bulge. I can only imagine what the other pool goer's thought, if i even gave a what. But it was pretty hilarious. At least we all thought so. Jenn gets rid of ridiculously big boobs and replaces with giant balls and monster cock. The laughter was a tad painful, but worth it.
As the days passed, the drains came out two at time. Number 1's at first, then a week later they took out number 3. I still have two left. I'm getting creative with wearing baggy skirts and shirts to hide them. sometimes i spread them apart and put one in each pocket, other times i swing them low and center under a skirt.
The final still pumping out about 30 - 50 cc's a day, each! A new antibiotic will hopefully end this flow. But I'm ready for this stage to be over.
Not to mention they are dangerous man leg hair grabbers in bed...
