Tubes

[kurli]

tubes suck.

tubes suck.

I remember the tubes they had me sitting up in a recliner before they got around to pulling them out, man tyring to sit up with those things stuck in you is not easy, then the nurse had the hide to give me a funny look when i tried to sit up a little and screamed my head off. I remember them telling me to do something while they pulled the tubes out I just can't remember what it was now becasue as soon as they pulled the pain just took over my whole being. That part was worse than trying to cough up the flud on my chest a few days later.
I have four little lines at the bottom of my scar. People often find them more interesting then the actual scar down the middle of your chest...... when your in a bikini anyway...

 

[Curtsmum]

TOO LATE!!!

YOU'VE SCARED THE H--- OUT OF ME!!!

Between this story and the one on TLC about the anesthesia--I think I'll just let my kid do the surgery with the doctor kit we bought her for Christmas.

Scared me too, even thow it wont be me feeling it. I still have the 2 stiches from his first surgery.

 

[Randy & Robyn]

Scared me too, even thow it wont be me feeling it. I still have the 2 stiches from his first surgery.

No one is going to lie to you here. Unless you are really doped up on painkillers, it does hurt. For me it was a combination of stinging and pressure. BUT ONLY FOR ABOUT FIVE SECONDS. Please keep that in mind. And the feeling of relief after having them out is worth every bit of the pain.

Randy

 

[Jkm7]

I never felt such pain in my life as when they pulled the three chest tubes they placed in me. The surgeon (I assume she was a surgical resident ---it wasn't my heart surgeon) didn't tell me what she was doing, I had no clue. She told me to breathe in, breathe out and then she pulled all three. I have never cried out in pain before but that sure got a rise out of me. I recall saying to her she had hands more like a bricklayer than a surgeon. I never did see her again but the nurse gave me morphine immediately...and I welcomed it.

 

[afraidofsurgery]

Tubes - medieval medicine

Tubes - medieval medicine

Jeez, why doesn't somebody invent something that isn't so brutally crude?? Seems like in this high-tech age, the chest tube thing is really aweful.

My tubes felt like they were super-glued into me and were made of corregated tubing like the flexible hose on a shop vac, and just as big. Only time I screamed during the whole thing when they were yanked out. Only good news is once they were out, no pain. Of course they left itty bitty slit-like scars, but they sure FELT huge!

Patty

 

[gordy]

Chest tube

Chest tube

I only had one tube, but it was a LONG one. The PA removed it, and told me it was going to hurt. He told me to take a deep breath and slowly exhale as he pulled it out. The tube kept comming and comming; I thought I was going to run out of breath. It was the most painful thing I've ever experienced. After the tube came out and he cinched up the stiches the surgeon had put in there the pain went away very quickly. I don't want to scare anyone because it was only about 10 seconds, but you might want to request a shot of pain medication before the tube removal.

 

[Lynlw]

tell him they were in your pleural cavities.

AS for battle scars.............well, Katie probably wins the prize. While they do manage to cut down the same center line for each surgery, they have yet to put the chest tubes in the same spots. Having been through the chest tube scene four times now, her little chest looks like she has been in one helluva a knife fight. When she's older, she can say, "Yeah, but you should've seen the other guy............" Course she better not be showing off her little chest when she's older............at least not like she does now........sigh! Chest and everything else............

Hugs. J.

Janet, justin has the added bonues of having his first surgery (bt shunt) done between his ribs, so he has that scar that starts at the front of his armpit and goes around his back almost to his spine, it also was infected so parts of it are an inch wide 17 years later, then the little 3 inch scar for his pyloric stenosis surgery @17 days, one week after the bt shunt. he has so many tube holes we always say he lookes like a tic tac toe board and the O's were winning altho his last 2 chest tubes aren't the bullet hole ones the way they closed them they look like little division signs I told him to ask his math teacher if he could get extra credit for having them) Lyn

 

[geebee]

tell him they were in your pleural cavities.

AS for battle scars.............well, Katie probably wins the prize. While they do manage to cut down the same center line for each surgery, they have yet to put the chest tubes in the same spots. Having been through the chest tube scene four times now, her little chest looks like she has been in one helluva a knife fight. When she's older, she can say, "Yeah, but you should've seen the other guy............" Course she better not be showing off her little chest when she's older............at least not like she does now........sigh! Chest and everything else............

Hugs. J.

I know what you mean. I have six scars all around the same area but they obvisouly never cut through the old scars. Maybe it's a scar tissue thingy??? I think the chest tube scars look worse than the sternum scar because they are all over the place.

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Chest tube removal didn't hurt for me - but it *was* an odd, tickly sensation for about 3 seconds. More "eeewww" than "ow." They had me blow out real hard while they pulled on the tubes, but I'd bet that was mostly to give me a distraction.

Now, if you want to talk about the Foley Catheter removal.....

 

[Ross]

Now, if you want to talk about the Foley Catheter removal.....

Like the insertion was some sort of picnic?

 

[Randy & Robyn]

Like the insertion was some sort of picnic?

Blessedly, I was asleep for the insertion and have no recollection of the removal of that torture device.

One tip for those going in for surgery soon...DON'T TRY REMOVING THE BREATHING TUBE YOURSELF! Take it from me. THEY DO NOT LIKE THAT!!!

 

[Tom F.]

I had no pain when they took out my tubes, none at all.

 

[Guest]

Gina,

You are so right about the amount of abuse one's emotional state can take before all control is lost.... Sadly, that can happen for other reasons than surgery .


Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker
MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/
chdQB = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/quilt.html
"Time will heal the pain" ... Exile ... 'Even Now'

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I had at least 4 tubes. Two small ones that left little round scars like doggy nipples about 4 inches from real ones . I'm not sure what those were for. Two large chest drainage tubes that left slits. It didn't hurt when the chest tubes came out, but I was quite surprised at how long they were, and it did cause a tickly slurping feeling.

 

[Mama2Rylan]

I dont remember having my drainage tubes pulled out at all...and I had five of them!!! Does anyone else think five is alot of tubes I have had two previous OHS when I was younger and only had two tubes..I thought this was a little much. But honestly, I don't remember the tubes at all...I don't know if I was still sleeping or what...I do remember the pacer wires...those HURT I remember having an intern take those out...but I do have to say, once you realize your in pain, its over with

 

[JohnnyV_46]

Very weird feeling to look down and see those tiny wires poking out thru the skin......

 

[KristiinSD]

I had a drainage tube with my c-section and

I had a drainage tube with my c-section and

the dr. distracted me when he was removing them by saying that I was going to have to stay another night...It worked and the pain was over very quickly.

Kristi
mr

 

[Eric]

I'll bite on this one. Seems we all can relate to the removal of the "tubes". My doc came in, told me and my family that he was going to pull the tubes out and asked my family to step out...that's when I knew I was in trouble. The rest was no problem, because my doc informed me that "younger" patients for some reason have a harder time with the tube pulling than "older" patients and asked me if I would like an injection of...some strong pain killer. With no hesitation I took him up on his offer but still felt that "uncomfortableness" as the tubes slithered out of me. For me it was not unbearable. My family came back into the room and I was tubeless...next came the neck line, but that's another story...

The long and short of it is...don't sweat it. You have a different perspective when you are actually going through it. You're still on pain meds, the anesthesia has not worn off yet and you will have other things to divert your attention.

 

[gijanet]

Oh, puh-lease!!

Oh, puh-lease!!

Like the insertion was some sort of picnic?

Try giving birth (sans meds) to a seven pound baby through that thing, and then we'll talk!

And, Gina, I agree on the chest tube thing. They do look worse. I wince every time I look at Katie's little chest, and since she stays butt-naked, that's a bunch. I dunno.......seems like if they can make the major incision in the same spot, they should be able to with the chest tubes, but there may be too much involved with cutting away old scar tissue in smaller sites.......I think Katie's, too, might be due to her growth between surgeries, as each set of chest tube scars are a bit lower each time..........but not much! Regardless, they are badges of honor! Hugs. J.

And, Lyn, yes, I think Justin should get extra credit for those. Hugs. J.

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Like the insertion was some sort of picnic?

Dunno - I was already out for the insertion.