New post op pics

Here's me without staples or drains.  The open area on my  lower abdomen is from where the doctor took out a few staples to encourage drainage. Now I have to clean and pack it with gauze twice a day.

 

Staple and drain free

Today I got all of the staples and drains out. I still have some drainage and one area that needs to be packed twice a day. I go back on the 20th for a check up.

Home again

After going back to Mercy on Saturday, I got another JP drain installed. This one is on my left side to help drain the abscesses. They kept me overnight to be safe. I got home on Tuesday afternoon and I didn't even have to take a Lyft! My sister was able to leave work early and come pick me up.

 I have to go in Monday for 2 appointments. One is to get the staples out and possibly the right JP drain as well. The second is to get the left JP drain replaced. Apparently I'll have that one for about a month and it will be changed weekly.

 Thankfully, this county has a Medical Assistance Transportation Program for those of us on Medicaid so I don't have to sweat getting the 60 miles to and from scheduled doctors appointments in Baltimore. The ones the are here in the county are much easier to get to.