Sans Drains

Since Friday's hemoglobin homecoming, I had been closely monitoring the output of drain number one.  It had been steadily producing a little less than 10 CC/day but not the color I had hoped.  Drain number two now had output with a tinge of yellow.  But the active drain looked 'fresh' [if you know what I mean].

On Sunday all I could imagine was being admitted on Monday.  I'm sure the anxiety increased my heart rate which in turn netted red crude. Although the output was well below 5 CC/day, the color looked ominous.

I woke up 15 minutes before the alarm on Monday. Breaking from my 'low light' routine, I entered the bathroom and hit the light switch.  The output was at trace levels, but the color was still wrong (to me).

It is what it is.

I arrived at Holy Family and because it was a last minute, unofficial appointment with Dr. Chatson, hardly anyone knew the reason for my presence.  Thankfully someone knew and I was asked to wait.  About a half hour later, Christine called me into the Surgical Day Care Unit and directed me to an unassigned bay.  Dr Chatson probably just arrived and was still in his civilian clothes.  I was told to remove my shirt and a nurse (wearing a mask) asked me to sit on the bed. Dr. Chatson went off to look for gloves.

On his return he had asked for a brief synopsis of the Friday drama while looking and pressing the surgery area.  Thankfully I had remembered to bring my drain output ledger and there was only a few bubbles in the hose leading to drain one.  He said that he would take them (the drains) out.

After some discomfort, the drains came out and the nurse 'gauzed me up' and said no shower until tomorrow. Dr. Chatson discarded the drains and said he wanted to see me Wednesday.  He asked that I 'take it easy' and don't do too much activity.  So, I resigned myself to more binge watching on Netflix and accepted the fact that the grass won't get done anytime soon.  [My neighbor hates me anyway.]

I left Surgical Day Care in search of coffee thinking to myself - Free at last.  Free at last.

I really really hate the drain(s).