Cancer Support

What I did was use safety pins thru the top tab of each "bulb" and pinned both drains to the thick layer of dressings that encircled me.
Really excellent way to go at night, cause I did not have to worry about accidentally laying on them. I don't sleep on my back and could not sleep on my stomach, so it was right side only as long as I had the drains.

For me, it was actually about 4 days that I needed pain pills, which was good cause the doc gave me lower strength ones than I could have really used.
After 4 days, the pills worked better as the pain decreased.
The area will be numb for a long time, thus the pain is less. I am 5 weeks out now and have very little feeling still in front, side, armpit, and even under upper arm.
Doc said it takes a long time to regain feeling and in some places feeling my never return.
I want to emphasize that the operation was on the same side as a very severe attack of shingles a few years ago and the shingles left numbness there also, so it is kind of hard to tell which is which now.
Everyone is different, and reacts differently, plus the age factor.

Sticking surgical pads, or in my case Kotex pads ( much cheaper) over the area under the dressing keeps normal pressure from bothering you.

Ya know, I have never had an operation, and they did tell me I would get morphine in the hospital. I had heard all these stories of people getting high on it and getting hooked. It ran as a drip in my IV. Did not feel a thing...no pain for 2 days, no high ( dammit), nothing. Excellent pain control.