I am so frustrated with this DRAIN!

Kristin:

My husband Tom had a lot of leakage with his drain tube at the onset. One of the main things is to keep the site as clean and as dry as possible. Tom’s interventional radman who initially inserted the drain was concerned about the leakage because bile can do a number on the skin. After about 6 weeks, he went to a larger drain tube and added additional holes to the part of the drain tube that was in the liver. (I think he said the tube he now has in is a number 12 tube) Yes, it is a 12 gauge drain tube.

Since then the only ‘drainage’ that we have is when I flush the tube (1 or 2 times a day) otherwise the site stays dry. Normally we flush it 1x a day unless he starts getting sludge in the bag, then we flush it 2x a day.

Yes, changing the dressing is a chore, but I look at it this way, Tom is still here with me, and although he hates the drain bag (probably as much as you do) it’s a small price to pay to still have him here. I’m certain that your loved ones feel the same.

As for the bile ruining clothes, all I can say is to invest in some white t-shirts. And if the bile gets on the t-shirt, bleach takes it out instantly! Pour bleach on the stain, the bile is gone, then wash the T shirt.

Before we got tegadermfilm, we used depends as bandages. We cut pieces to go over the wound, with a slit in them for the tube, taped the edges good then taped it over the site with paper tape or what ever kind of tape you have. The plastic from the outside of the depends stopped the bile from leaking all over his clothes and all over the bed. (It worked!) And if you don’t have any depends, a baby diaper will do the same thing.

Or see if you can get some Tegadermfilm. It’s expensive, but you put your gauze on, I use one 4×4 folded in half and half again under the tube up next to the stitches (bottom side of the tube) then take another 4×4, folded in half and in half again and place that over the top of the tube and stitches, making sure you cover the wound, then place the tegadermfilm over that. In your case, you may have to use more gauze unless you can convince your interventional radman to exchange the tube for a larger gauge tube, modified with more drain holes as they did in toms case. (Ask them to do that!)

Tom has had the external drain tube since december and so far his doctors are very pleased with the look of the wound and at how clean the site is, no damage to the skin at all.

Good luck Kristin. And I think you need to take that trip to Wisconsin to see Grandma. Where does she live?

Go with God and KEEP KICKIN’ THAT cancer.

Margaret

Kristin, we feel so bad for you. Teddy had an external drain bag 5 years ago
and his leaked. What we don’t understand are the stitches. I sure would love to talk to you. we are going out to dinner but you could call me in the morning.
If you e mail me I will e mail my number back to you. I really would like to talk to you about this drain.