Yes, I had drains both times. Honestly they weren't bad at all. Kind of gross when I had to empty them, and it was a relief to get them removed. It just felt less restrictive. I had to empty them into a measuring container and record the amount, and then when it fell below a certain amount per day, the surgeon removed them. You'll be glad that you have them when you see how much fluid actually accumulates, just imagine your poor body trying to re-absorb all that fluid! The swelling would be incredibly worse without them.
There is a website that really helped me so much when I went through my surgeries. It's mostly for reduction and implant patients, but you can get some great tips for dealing with recovery, from patients that have been there. It's
Welcome to BreastHealthOnline - Bringing women better breast care through knowledge and support I used to work as a volunteer there but got kind of burnt out on talking about boobs all the time
The site owner is a wonderful, caring lady. I hope that you'll visit there, even if you don't join in the discussions, just to take in all the great info they have on surgical recovery. The "Healing Diet" really is wonderful too. Also the Lemon Tea (juice of one lemon in one cup of hot water, sweetened to taste) really helps with the swelling. Of course, you should ask your doctors if there are foods/beverages you should avoid while undergoing treatment later on, but otherwise this stuff is all time-tested and very safe and healthy
If you have any questions or concerns that you feel silly calling the surgeon about, you can always PM me and I'll do my best to help you out
Hugs and continued prayers for you
!!!