External Drain Bag

OMG Marion, yes. We were 40 minutes outside of Phoenix and Teddy said I am wet. I didn’t feel the wet. 5 minutes later he said I am getting wetter. Boy, did I feel it then. I told the flight attendant I had a problem but not to worry or announce it as he was not in pain just embarrassed. The whole seat was soaked by now. So she goes and asks if there is a nurse over the PA system.
There were 2 nurses and also a doctor right across from us. He pulled the 2 tubes the rest of the way out and the nurses wrapped T in airline blankets after they stripped him. Good thing we were way in the back! Now they call Robin (daughter) to pick up our luggage and meet us at the hospital. The idiot drivers brought him in the front where it takes hours instead of the back where they take you right from the ambulance. So, somehow Robin reached the hospital first and she sees T coming in the door on the gurney and she runs to him, OH, Teddy I am so glad you are home”. He sits up on one elbow and says, “Yeah, well did you ever see the movie “Airplane”!!!! End result we sat there almost 3 hours, he was exhausted and they still had not seen him. I called the surgeon in Milwaukee and told him what happened and I said shall I just take him home and slap a bag over the hole? He said go on get out of there. SO we did and I did!

Lainy….I remember the story of the bag blowing up in the plan. But, there was something funny Teddy had said….I think it referred to a movie. Do you remember?

I used a very large safety pin and tied the bag right to the front of my underwear. Worked great, but I hated that damn thing. Carried it for drainage for bile and weepage pockets after my liver transplant for nearly 24 months. Not as bad as having to carry around a colostomy bag so I quit complaining when I saw a friend of mine having to wear one. Life is good now.

Ok I was just a dumb bunny and taped it to myself. That I WOULD NOT recommend! Safety pins, what a simple and painfree solution. I guess I was too busy complaining about it to really think of a better solution.

Kris

I’m totally ticked off and pouting about having to wear a drainage bag again…it stinks! That being said, I use a small binder clip to clip the bag on my waist band..its easier for me than a safety pin….hope this helps.

Betsy

MSHopeful:

My hubby Tom had a drain tube with a JP Ball on the end of it for 7 1/2 months along with a 2nd drain bag. We put a safety pin on the loop for the cap of the JP Drain and pinned it to his shirt. And a safety pin on the flat drain bag and pinned that to another part of his shirt. He was VERY happy when those were gone.

Tom had a reoccurance of an inoperable tumor and his bilirubin level rose to 24.7 so now he has another drain, to drain the excessive bile off and we’re back to using a safety pin to pin the bag! When he showers we have a ‘belt’ made of soft material that he loops around his neck and he pins the drain bag to that.

External drains are a nuisance and can be painful, but they serve a purpose. Tom’s bilirubin is now down to 9.1 and still going lower. He will have to have this drain bag until they can get the internal stent place (hopefully next week)

Trust me, the safety pin will work!

Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer!

Prayers are coming your Dad’s way from Wisconsin!

Margaret