Jackson pratt drain nursing

Why This Poster Exits

Our eleven year old lab has a non-healing wound on his upper front leg, as a result of a softball-sized soft tissue sarcoma that is causing his leg to become necrotic. The only reason we allowed the sarcoma to get to this point is because our previous vet had misdiagnosed it as a lipoma for over a year. We only found out it was a sarcoma when we moved recently and established him with a new vet, who wanted to do a punch biopsy on it (our previous vet had only done needle aspirations). Despite us following all the care instructions, the site of the punch biopsy became infected and led to the formation of the non-healing wound. The infection (which had formed an abcess) had to be drained and was cleared up with antibiotics, but we've been told the wound will never fully heal. After two weeks, it is still fully open and seeping fluid every day. We have to change his bandage every day (sometimes we can make it every other day) and he has to wear a cone 24/7.
We have spoken to our vet about potentially amputating his leg, and also got a second opinion from a different vet. They both say they don't feel comfortable performing an amputation, because due to the location and progression of the tumor, they are worried the amputation site will not heal properly. They also don't want to try to remove or de-bulk the tumor, for the same reasons.
The biggest issue right now is the daily dressing and bandage changing. The first two days, we had our vet change and rewrap it, but they (and the other vets in the area) charge nearly $100 for every bandage change. That would add up to $3,000 a month just for bandage changes. We simply cannot afford that. We couldn't afford it even if it was half that price. So, I asked our vet to show me how to do it, and my fiancé and I have been changing it ever since, with help from my mom who is a nurse. We've been doing it exactly as the vet instructed, even using the same materials, but we're stuck in a losing situation. If we wrap the bandage too loosely, it ends up coming off within half a day (or less), but if we wrap it too tightly, his ankle and paw swell up to 2-3 times their normal size. I feel so bad for him because it looks so uncomfortable. He whines constantly. We also know it is only a matter of time before his leg gets infected again.
That being said, he is still eating fine (he stopped eating when the infection was really bad, but has since regained his appetite). He wags his tail, asks for walks, tries to jump up, and acts happy a lot of the time (despite his frequent whining).
My fiancé thinks that when/if his leg gets infected again, we should have him put to sleep. But I feel terrible to do that when he still seems to be in such good spirits! I said when it gets infected again, we could try more antibiotics, but he says we can't have him on antibiotics for the rest of his life. I know my fiancé loves him as much as I do and just wants to do what he thinks is best, but I'm not sure if it is the best thing.
As vets, what would you do in this situation? If it is true that he probably should be euthanized soon, how can I make his last days/weeks/months more comfortable?

I got a surgical abortion at 7 weeks. It was the most nerve wracking experience but turned out completely fine. I hope this post helps others going through this as I was lurking in this community for support and doubts throughout.
For context, I am 25 and live in Germany - Nürnberg to be precise. I found out at the beginning of the 5th week as my periods was delayed and I took a pregnancy test through a kit. (Available in dm, rossman and other medical stores - from 3.5 euros). I took multiple tests to confirm even though I already had a gut feeling. There were no symptoms, though in retrospect me and my friends see how tired and moody I had been.
I knew that I was going to abort, having the baby was definitely not an option or something I wanted to. So I immediately called profamilia. They gave an appointment in the next working day. They were super helpful, spoke both English and German, as my partner isn't German and were able to give a list of doctors who do the procedure. (In Germany, abortion is still quite a difficult topic and most doctors do not advertise them performing this). They also cleared my doubts. You can choose to be completely anonymous too. The next thing was insurance, I earned less than 1300~ so my insurance provider covered it. This was very much a relief and it was a simple matter of going to the office directly and filling the form.
I then had to wait a week for the appointment from my gynecologist, ( this was because I was too busy to go directly with work and their phone line had an issue). So I did my ultrasound and checked the condition. I decided on SA as my close friend who'd been through and my healthcare providers recommended it but also because it seemed to be easier than the pills. Then my symptoms started, I felt extremely tired all the time and nauseous. I couldn't get up from my bed, couldn't cook and was absolutely drained. I felt alone and cold.
I choose to do it near a clinic in klinikum. I got an appointment for the abortion just a day after my appointment with the gynecologist. The reviews in general for this particular clinic were not good and people literally wrote like 'traumatizing experience'. I completely disagree. If you know the German way of being direct and professional, this is exactly that! They were really kind and helpful, explained the procedure simply and I was out in around after an hour from when it started.The anesthetist and the doctor who did the procedure met me before to explain and clear further doubts. I got a small duration general anesthesia. I think this really helped as I didn't want to be conscious and remember the experience. I woke up 20ish minutes after I went under and felt cramps like a bad period. The nurse offered me chocolates and a drink. There were people having panic attacks and crying around me which scared me, but the nurses were handling it efficiently. I was allowed to go once I felt fine and was given the prescription for antibiotics to take around the week. I thanked them and left 40 minutes after I woke up.
The cramps went away after an hour. There was light watery bleeding that stayed that day but went away the next day I guess. The nurse advised to not use any hot pack by the way. I had a review with my gynecologist two weeks later to check if everything was fine. I felt better that I choose to abort and made a small tribute by getting some plants and making a small bead.
Overall, I want to thank this community for sharing their experiences and doubts. It really helped me. I am now waiting for my next period. Good luck on your journey, please remember that you're not alone and there are so many people to help. My dms are open!

I have searched for it high and low evert since it was misplaced at the rehab facility back in March. We are located in Athens Ga, UNITED STATES.
Missing: Women's large periwinkle blue trench coat with a purplish tinge, London Fog, postman style, originally hooded (hood now missing), 3/4 length, no belt. Purchased from a Sears Roebuck catalog in the mid to late 80s or early 90s. The material is a shimmering, water-resistant polyester-cotton blend with a matching silken inner lining, likely made of nylon. Features include a plain design with hidden buttons on the front, pafded shoulders, a small to medium sized plain collar with a special button showing at the collar, decorative epaulets with buttons on the shoulders, a distinctive single button midway on the back of the collar, sewn-in pockets near the lower hem with button flaps concealing both pockets, button straps near the cuff of the sleeves, and two inside pockets, one on each side. A tag located on the inside near the button-side hem may have a name on it. The back tag may or may not be sewn on a diamond shaped patch. Belongs to Ruth V Nash of Athens, GA.
Last seen on March 10th or earlier, possibly being worn by a homeless man at a Circle K station across from the Dairy Queen on West May Street in Winder. Was reported to have come from Jackson County and back North, possibly back there again. The jacket holds significant sentimental value to my grandmother. Please contact me at 7063530272 or 7066147078 if found or seen. I do not drive, so if you find it, I'll compensate you for mailing or shipping costs to return it.
$300 reward.
Please share
PS (just in case) if you have or had any family in Winder Center for Nursing and Healing or discharged from there within the time I specified, please search their belongings to see if they didn't mix it up with theirs. It's quite clear the facility isn't going to cooperate with me.

Hello, my husband got arrested a week ago , the my case website says they are still pending those charges, but I can bail him out once i have enough. However he has a warrant 20 mins away out of town for a failure to appear for a driving while suspended. I want to bail him out asap because he's disabled in need of meds and hasn't seen a nurse in there. He could be in there for weeks months because our city drags their feet, sometimes it can even take a year. However, w the warrant , would bailing him out even allow him to come home even for a day? Do they hold them for misdemeanor for pickup? I don't want to pay a bunch of money if he's still not going to get to come home. I am so discouraged that he's in there. The warrant in the next city over is unfair because he never got the summons, it went to wrong address. If I write the prosecutor and show proof of wrong address could that help?. I just want him home but don't know if I'll be throwing money down the drain, but also not bailing him could result in him in there for who knows how long, and not only is he disabled but he has a few mental illnesses. What should I do? I want to pay a lawyer to drop the warrant at least but don't have much $$.

My husband and I have been married for three years. 32M and 30F. I am introverted and have been this way during our entire relationship, including when we were just dating. Sometimes I just need alone time to decompress, especially after work. For context I am an operating room nurse and my job is extremely demanding socially and it drains me. My husband in contrast works from home and doesn’t leave the house most days. He claims I need to be more present bc he doesn’t get it anywhere else. Is that my fault if he doesn’t make an effort to get other social stimulation besides me? He doesn’t seem to understand why I’m not more talkative and don’t give him more attention. I find being with myself so therapeutic and it keeps me sane. Well, tonight he told me he resents me for not giving him more of myself five days a week. I work five days a week and like I said I am so drained after work. My social battery is dead. I also deal with constant depressive episodes (I’m on medication and go to therapy for this). He just doesn’t seem to understand why I’m not very attentive and bubbly all the time. Honestly, I am starting to resent him too for this. Am I the bad guy? Is it wrong not to be 100% all the time? I’m trying so hard to be more present when we are together and I believe I have improved. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have 6 YOE in a student facing role.
My job is fine. "I could be digging holes", I say each morning. I regret getting such a specific masters (MA SAHE), but I did get that sweet 2.56% raise at graduation.
I am the most senior in my department by YOE. I went through a terrible depression several years ago and I utterly burnt out from this job during remote work. I just didn't have other options, and over time I somehow worked through the burnout. I think I've become numb to a lot of things. Some of my least favorite colleagues departing really helped. The institution is a circus with very intense political battles going on all the time. I guess I've learned to always walk with an umbrella so I can miss the constant shit throwing between faculty, student services directors, deans, etc. I've learned to mind my own business 100% of the time and just focus on getting the students in and out as efficiently as possible, that seems to be the recipe. When there is free food, I always bring some to the student employees and my appointments, if they want some - this is a golden ticket to good rapport.
I've become someone colleagues confide in and look to for advice. I've never been in a position like that. I care about my colleagues. People are really struggling and I don't always know what to say. They started asking me how I'm able to do this job for this long.
This place is usually a bunch of nonsense. Rules and policies are constantly changing (if nursing adjusts their prerequisites once more this academic year, I will resign). You have to know which faculty/staff are good and which are not good. Most of the students are fine, some of them are awful and will drain every drop of energy from you. You can't keep nice decor out, a student will steal it when you're away at the printer. You have to be so strategic about when you go to the bathroom, it's a whole thing. There will be smells. A parent will yell at you because their student child failed pre algebra at least seven times per term. Put public safety's number on an easily viewable note near the phone.
All of the above are things I've learned over the years, but I can't just tell my newer colleagues all of this. Reading this, it sounds crazy.
I don't know how to help my colleagues with the burnout. A webinar from the system office on self care is not going to help.
The lifers have a "this is just how it goes" attitude and I wonder if that's the only way all of this leads?

I need a Private Investigator who specializes in nurses & infidelity in the Jackson, MS area.
I’ve had my suspicions for quite some time now, and the ICU is a great place for them to hide. I’m over it. I just want the truth so I can make the decision to leave or stay.
Thanks.

Hi all.
27F. 200 lbs. 5’3”. History of depression and anxiety. Currently take Duloxetine 30 mg QHS and Buspar 15 mg BID.
I noticed a couple of days ago I had a sore on the side of my foot and didn’t think anything of it. Thought it was a bug bite that popped open. Today I woke up and noticed it was more tender to the touch. There are two pink streaks coming from the site now. It is draining clear fluid and I haven’t noticed any pus.
Could this be a MRSA infection? How screwed am I? I’m a nurse so I’m slightly paranoid of getting sepsis or my MRSA being resistant to any treatment.
Here are the pictures:
https://ibb.co/tmh0jSj https://ibb.co/44Mc6VG

I'm a nurse the truth is best Michael Jackson guilty

Hi Ladies, I need advice. I'm planning on leaving a review and reporting him to the Texas Medical Board but I feel like I'm going crazy and don't feel justified in reporting. I'd like to hear what y'all think (TLDR at bottom)
2 days ago I noticed what looked like a boil or cyst on my right labia. Yesterday this boil started to grow and become very irritated making it hard to sit down and hurt to walk around. I checked google and started putting a warm compress on it throughout the day to get it to drain naturally but knew I would probably need to get antibiotics to keep from infection. The boil (now know it was a cyst) was about 1cm big, pea-edamame sized and looked like it was possibly infected, hence the urgent care trip, and very red and inflamed. Wanted to be safe rather than sorry and decided it was better to go get antibiotics and start them that night just in case it started draining. It was pretty late at night and there was only 1 urgent care open, which was not the urgent care I typically went to.
Get to the urgent care, fill out the papers. Receptionist sees my paperwork and lets me know they only have a male doctor, and if that would be ok. Male doctors doing my exams in sensitive areas wasn't my favorite thing. Had some good experiences, had some bad. I said it was fine, since I assumed he was just going to examine if it looked infected and maybe prescribe some antibiotics. Wait for a bit in the waiting room then the nurse pulls me back for vitals. She was extremely sweet, talked about her bartholin's cyst and how it sounded like that could possibly be my problem. She told me to get undressed from the waist down, gave me a cover up, and she let me know she would be in the room with me while the doctor took a look.
Doctor comes into the room. It was an older man in his 70's or 80's. He did not introduce himself, he did not ask me what I was in for. I said hello, tried to start talking about my problem and he interrupts me with just a "show me it.". Rude and weird as we haven't even had a conversation yet but whatever, it's late at night.
I get on my back, there were no sternups or anything so I kind of awkwardly had my legs frog style. He immediately began touching the area- which was very red and tender and painful without a single word. Not a huge fan of that. My gyno's and dr's have always told me what they were about to do, especially when touching in or around my vagina. I asked him to tell me if it looked infected, if I could just let it drain and if I would need antibiotics (been super anxious about sepsis recently which was the biggest factor for coming in). He mentions that it looked like it may have started draining and then asked the nurse to grab him a paper towel.
Suddenly I felt a huge stinging pain on the area where the cyst was. Enough to make me yelp in pain and scoot back from him. He was popping my cyst. Popping it! No lancing, no gentle squeezing, no pain relief, NOTHING! He hadn't even wiped the area before popping a cyst, possibly making it more infected if it wasn't already. After the first wave of pain, nearly passing out he kept squeezing very hard I said "that hurts really bad can you stop?" and he did not stop. He squeezed again, and I yelped again and said "I'm serious I haven't had any ibuprofen or anything this hurts so bad please stop". Still no words spoken to me at this point. I was pissed, and in a lot of pain. I had wanted it to drain naturally because I didn't want to risk any extra scarring even with a cut or lance, but I will get even worse scarring from this doctor popping it! He took the paper towel and kept wiping and I winced in pain and told him to seriously stop touching it. He finally backed off, and waddled over to his clipboard all without saying a single word to me. The female nurse was in the room, silent this entire time- mind you.
He finally spoke up to ask me how much I weighed and if I was allergic to any medications because now that it's ruptured I needed to be on antibiotics immediately so I don't get infected. I couldn't believe what had just happened. He had not asked me if I wanted it "drained" if you could even call it that. He had not talked to me about what he was going to do. And if he had listened to me as he waddled over, he would have heard me say that I've been doing warm compresses to get it to drain naturally. I had to ask the female nurse for a panty liner so that I wasn't (TMI) leaking puss and blood all over my panties while I waited 45 minutes at a CVS to start my antibiotics. He left the room, without sharing any aftercare, without asking me if I had any questions. Nothing, just left. I just have this big gaping wound on my labia that I guess I'm just trying to keep clean and not pee on?
I have gotten cysts drained before at doctors offices, by the way. Cysts on my vaginal opening and urethral opening have been drained at gyno appointments. They are supposed to give you some kind of local numbing and it is done on request with either a lance or a cut. They certainly didn't squeeze-pop them without consent and they were explaining everything they were doing, before doing it. And the most important thing was when the pain was bad and I said "break" or "stop" and they would stop.
I left the clinic feeling violated. I'm upset that this cyst is going to scar more because he ruptured it without a care in the world. I had not asked him to drain my cyst on any kind of paperwork. I am upset he had not asked for any kind of consent before doing it. I was not there on request of a cyst draining. I had requested an exam to check for infection and to possibly get antibiotics.
I will be following up with my primary care physician, just to check for damage and proper aftercare instructions. I am planning on leaving a review on the clinics google page, which I found also had a few 1 star reviews about "the older gentleman" that took care of them. I want to also report to the medical board, but I have no strong evidence against him. I am a SA victim, and I'm already very uncomfortable with people touching me in that area. And I feel like he scarred me without my consent.
Any and all advice or support is greatly needed right now <3
TLDR: Went to doctor for centimeter sized cyst on labia to examine if it was infected and to get antibiotics. Male doctor refused to speak to me, and squeeze-popped my cyst without talking to me, without consent, without pain relief and refused to stop squeezing after I had asked him to stop, twice. My risk of infection is higher, and the area is going to scar. Left me no aftercare instructions. Gave me antibiotic prescription. This was a *non-emergency* urgent care trip.

I don’t know what to do and I’m afraid.
23F, homeless, no car, no food, no water, no family, no friends, only 10 dollars in bank acc, most likely about to be fired. Staying in motel for a couple of days.
Hi, I don’t know if this the right place to post this. Usually I’d make a throwaway for personal stuff like this but I’m desperate. I left an abusive household earlier this year, February 12th. It was my parent’s place. I went to a psych ward for a month, stayed at a motel for awhile. Then stayed with my aunt til I could find a place to go. It was fine for the first few days til the arguments started between her and her bf started. Often times it’d get violent between the two and I’d be locked out of the apartment until early mornings of the hour, next day they’re all lovey dovey again.
I’ve been surrounded by domestic abuse my whole life and have been, for the most part, isolated from the rest of the world; so this was normal to me. The problems started happening when they’d directly involve me in it. Trying to get me into their arguments by having me pick a side, choose who to defend, telling me to call the police only to backtrack a minute later telling me not to. If I had a room it might’ve been ok, but I was in the living room so I’d be caught in the crossfire a lot; since I’d often wake to them arguing and throwing stuff around.
I reached my breaking point yesterday. Another argument, but this time he started going at me. Mind you I said nothing to him and continued not to. But he started hurling out insults, talked about my appearance, my mom, etc etc. I didn’t say anything before, during, or after this and just tried to keep quietly reassuring my aunt it’d be ok and just to ignore him. I wanted to lock him out, since it’s not his place, name isn’t on the lease, not paying rent. But he took the keys, both to the car and apartment and refused to give them back unless she went back with him. He kept coming in every few minutes to yell at her then goes out to smoke, then back in again. I told her to call the police or I’d call but she kept on saying no, cause she didn’t want to deal with that.
I think at that point I realized this was just a repeat of my childhood. My father would assault and batter my mom, I’d try to defend and comfort her, I’d try to get her help/call the police or family, she’d completely refuse; she’d go back to him, act all in love again, then they’d both be against me. I left my house cause I couldn’t deal with it anymore so to have to jump from one domestic abuse situation to the next is all too much for me. I especially decided to leave because he went through my stuff. My stuff was moved around when my aunt and I were outside, and it was left in different places. I haven’t been able to find my social security card since, so now I’d need to go through the whole process of getting a new one.
I have no money, no transportation, and no type of support system. Right out of high school I became a full time caregiver for my mother (severe MS, BPD, manic episodes, and depression) along with housekeeping, and helping raise/school my youngest brother (ADHD, unmedicated).
During these years I wasn’t getting paid for this and I wasn’t working since no one else would be able to take care of my mother if I did; other siblings were children besides my older brother, but he has autism and schizophrenia and struggles keeping up with himself. So the responsibility fell to me.
We couldn’t get state benefits for my mom, dad made too much (200k/yr) so we didn’t qualify. He’s too much of a cheapskate to put some money to the side hire a nurse, or caregiver, let alone pay me. I know he has the money to afford these things but mainly chooses to spend it on lotto tickets, gambling/betting, trips to Vegas, alcohol, expensive shoes, random products advertised to him online, steaks, lobster, etc. All while complaining that he has no money and we’re draining him. I dont ask for money from him.
He didn’t pay for my rides to the doctors, appointments, or medicine. I had to rely on my older brother or mom to sneak me some money for that. I didn’t have money for basic needs. I wore the same clothes I had in high school; half of which were borrowed from my older brother. Only had one pair of shoes which my aunt bought me, and had to borrow soap and other hygiene products from my brothers and mom since he wouldn’t buy me any. “Oh I forgot” “I don’t have any money on me, ask your brothers” and other excuses like that.
My therapist just keeps telling me to contact dhs, go to a shelter, or stay with a friend or coworker, family even. DHS never picks up their phone and I have no transportation to get there. There are no available shelters in my area. The ones that are open require either a referral or that I be a domestic abuse victim. I don’t have any friends (isolated since we moved in 2013) and I’m not close with any coworkers. I’ve only been working a couple months, and for the most part I’m left to work alone, besides customer interaction.
I’ve tried telling her this isn’t a possibility but she just says someone will say yes, “you’re so nice, so someone is bound to” or “if someone else was in your situation you’d help them, so why wouldn’t they?” I’m just at the end of my ropes here. I’m really just posting this just to rant ig. I don’t really have any options left. I’ve struggled with suicidal tendencies since I was 12 and I’ve come to accept life isn’t getting better. I don’t know. I just need some advice or support. Anything I’m so desperate.
I’ve decided that the end of this week is probably going to be my last. My brothers are old enough to not need me around anymore and the rest of my family doesn’t give a damn about me; partially due to burnt bridges during my mom’s manic episodes when she’d harass them. They want nothing to do with us now. I’m just completely over it now. I know there’s no going back for me and I don’t have anything to lose so I’m posting in any subreddit I can find for help. Sorry for the long sob story.

I had DI w/ free Nip Grafts at Reformkliniken in Malmö on 18th April! Dr Tuve was my surgeon. I wanted to leave a review here since a few things happened that I wasn't prepared for and maybe this'll help anyone else!
I am from the UK and decided to have surgery privately with Dr Tuve as it was much cheaper than the UK. The cost of the surgery was 65000 SEK which is about £4800.
I flew from Manchester to Copenhagen, and then took a train to Malmö. It wasn't that expensive and very easy to figure out directions in person.
I went for 2 weeks and 4 days so I could go to in person appointments before and after the surgery. I'm also autistic and felt I needed the extra time to ground myself in a new country. I stayed at the Scandic St Jörgen hotel which was only a 5 minute walk from the clinic. Hotels are quite pricey and it has it's pros and cons. Pros - close to clinic, hotel cleaners, free wifi, close to food shops and restaurants, easy to get to train/transport. Cons - more expensive than airbnb, no fridge so had to have takeout a lot, they did a laundry service but it was VERY expensive.
In the end I do think the hotel was right for me and my needs, but I know many others are not as privileged to be able to stay that long in a hotel.
I had my pre op appointment on the 16th, which I was dreading but it went a lot better than I thought it would. Dr Tuve asked me a lot of questions about my gender, how long I've wanted top surgery, is my family accepting, etc. He then examined my chest and asked what kind of results I'd like. He let me get changed before he stepped in which I was grateful for. They asked if I had picked up my prescription (meds needed before surgery), however I hadn't had any notification about this prescription at all. They were very quick to give me a new one, which I collected the next day.
The 18th was surgery day, and I was told to arrive at the clinic at 7am. My partner walked me there, and we said goodbye outside the clinic doors. I had to fill in some paperwork, have an anti bacterial shower, and pee before surgery. I was really nervous for the anesthetic and going under, plus the IV, but it was a lot better than I thought it'd be! The nurse who did my IV was very kind and did it quickly, and it wasn't painful at all. I was called into surgery at around 8:20am. I had to lay on the surgical table, which was honestly the scariest part. The anesthetic took a few minutes and then it all kinda hit and once. It felt like a very deep long nap. I was out of surgery and awake by 12:20pm.
I was very sleepy for a few hours and apparently I sent a lot of videos of me to my partner but I don't remember taking them! They are funny to watch back! I was feeling quite nauseous so out of the food options I had some granola and apple juice. I was offered a sandwich too but that was too much for me. I kept falling in and out of sleep for a bit. The nurse was encouraging me to try go to the toilet, but I was really nauseous. I did end up being sick a lot, it was whenever I sat up. We ended up wheeling me in a wheelchair to the toilet to try pee (which was a success!). I was given some anti nausea meds. Before I left the clinic, the nurse took off my post op binder, nips dressings, and large dressing, and I felt a lot better. I got to see my chest for the first time (my nips were still covered by gauze). It looked really good for the first day! The nurse showed me how to wrap the binder myself and what to do with the nip dressings. He then wrapped me back up, but I immediately threw up which he realised was from the pressure of the large dressing. He decided to take off the large dressing so I was just wrapped with the nip dressings and binder. He only allowed this because I wasn't that swollen!
I left the clinic at 7pm, and my partner picked me up. I was able to walk easily, just sore on top, and I was on a lot of painkillers so it wasn't that bad.
The instructions from my dr was to have a shower daily, antibiotics twice a day, pain meds twice a day, more pain meds can be taken if needed (I did for the first few days). My partner helped me shower the first 3 days as I couldn't really reach anything, but after that I was slowly more independent. We had a shower head we could take off the wall which was very handy and made it a lot easier. I had to sleep on my back, which is quite painful since I had a curved spine, but I found ways to cope with it (pillow under lumbar region, pillow under feet for elevation). I brought a travel pillow and a mastectomy pillow with me. I honestly didn't use the mastectomy pillow for what it was made for, as it hurt to put my arms in the side holes. I used it more to stop myself rolling to the side. The travel pillow is a must. It helped stop a lot of neck pain, and I could fall asleep a lot easier laying on my back with my head surrounded by the travel pillow.
Unfortunately I got really ill on my 4th day post op. I track my periods, and knew one was coming up, so I was already expecting pain the week before (normal for me). This pain was a 10/10, I couldn't move and threw up a lot. We called the clinic and apparently it is normal for surgery to affect periods and cycles. I wasn't expecting anything quite this intense, so I thought I'd leave this in here in case anyone else experiences it! No-one else that I knew that was having top surgery experienced this, but I know I have a lot more intense symptoms of periods normally so this may have contributed to it. Luckily this only lasted 1 day.
The rest of the week was a lot better, and I managed to eat a lot more and do a few more things. I went on daily walks as advised by Dr Tuve, but nothing too far.
On my 9th day post op I had a random allergic reaction. My body really went through it! My face was swollen and red, and I had hives all over my body. We had no idea where it had come from since I was just doing the same stuff as normal, however I am almost certain it is linked to my autism/stress levels (I have had random intense illness related stuff flare up from overstimulation and stress a few times). I was given some antihistamines and they worked slowly over a few days.
On my 12th day I had my post op appointment where a nurse removed the gauze from my nips and any visible stitching from them. I was super nervous going to this appointment as my nips smelt really bad and I was worried they were infected. Luckily all was good ! Apparently I had a small hematoma, but it didn't have fluid so no need to drain. I was instructed to wash my nips 2-3 times a day, have my daily shower as per usual, and change the tape on my insicions once a week. I also had a small bandage gauze I taped to my nips which I had to do til they were dry. My nips were dry by 2 days after this appointment, but I used the small bandages for about a week as I was nervous of the binder causing irritation on my nips. I also had to keep wearing the binder, which I have to do til 4-6 weeks after surgery (depending on how swollen I am).
I flew back home on 2nd May, and it was all good health wise.
Since then, recovery has been good! I'm very happy with my chest. My insicions look super thin and the nips look great too.
Overall, my experience with Dr Tuve and his team was great! Here are my main pros and cons:
Pros - Cheaper and high quality results! - Very lovely nurses and Dr. I felt I was in good hands. - They are happy to answer any questions, post op and pre op. - The clinic is very nice. Felt like I was in a hotel! - You do not need to be on T or have a gender dysphoria diagnosis. These things can help the process, but are absolutely not necessary.
Cons - Most documents were in Swedish and I had to translate them using Google Translate. You can call up the clinic to ask questions, but I am not good with phone calls! - The documents/help sheets aren't super clear on post op care, it is mostly for pre op information - Sometimes a lack of communication, such as with the lost prescription.
I hope this helps anyone!

This is a slighly long one but I will truly appreciate every single person who reads this. I never really speak about my scoliosis, yet it is something that really gets me down.
When I was 11 I had spinal fusion on my 50 something degree curve, but they didn’t do it the typical way with rods and used some kind of liquid substance. This is probably a good point to add a disclaimer that I don’t know very much about my scoliosis. This something i look back at and upsets me greatly, the lack of understanding and autonomy of your own body when youre child is very daunting. Being a child I never really followed or understood what was going on, and it kind of progressed that way into adulthood.
Anyway. This surgery went wrong. A week or so later (I can’t remember the exact time frame) the liquid was being reject by my body and I ended up needing an emergency surgery and had to spend weeks carrying around tubes draining this liquid substance. I missed most of my last year of school and had to have daily nurse visits once i was discharged. I won’t even go into detail how horrible it was. Anyway, as years went on in my teenage hood, my curve had returned and even worsened a few degrees to 54.
When I hit 19 I had another operation booked in to go down the route of rods. My surgeon was very encouraging about doing the surgery and seemed very confident that this was the best decision, and this time it will be better. However, a few weeks before my op, I had cancelled the op as I was having a very horrific year and due to an array of personal things going on in my life, it just didn’t feel appropriate to have the op. A few years later (21) I went back to the hospital thinking that I would go down the route of having surgery again. However, my surgeon had retired and I was given a new surgeon who was strongly discouraging me towards having another surgery… to the point of him basically making the decision for me to not. He said that my spinal discs at the bottom are already very weak, having rods would add extra pressure to them and eventually I would likely need survey at the bottom of my back to fix this. He mentioned I would lose a lot of flexibility, and all of the other common side affects. Additionally to discouraging the surgery, he also decided I should stop my yearly appointments as he didn’t want to keep exposing me to radiation. (I wonder whether if all the above was just nhs budgeting or actually genuine helpful medical care?)
I am 26 (f) now. In the last year I feel my scoliosis is getting worse but I wouldn’t know as I haven’t had an x-ray. I recently have been getting spasms, shooting pains in limbs my body feels hot when I walk with sharp pins and needles, the pain is really bad (nothing new) and I feel my mobility and energy levels are decreasing greatly. I also don’t do Pilates very often as I’ve been very avoidant towards having this condition even though it affects me everyday. I have booked physio therapy and an appointment at the hospital and hopefully I will be able to request an x-ray after I have my initial appointment.
What do you think of this situation with the contrasting opinion of my surgeons ?
Is it likely my scoliosis is still growing?
Thank you so much for reading. I really do love that I have stumbled across this online scoliosis community. I wish there were more than existed in person.

My LO is 7 weeks old and I have been exclusively pumping since he was about 1 week old. I was triple feeding for a while before I decided to end our nursing journey and just exclusively bottle feed. Waking up every two hours to pump is sooo draining. The baby also needs to eat every two hours (he was very underweight so we had to wake him), and by the time you pump, feed the baby, change a diaper, get baby back to sleep you MAYBE have an hour before you have to wake up and do it all again. Then during the day you really can’t get much done or leave the house because you ALWAYS need to pump.
Well I decided to try pumping every 3 hours instead when my LO was 6 weeks, and oh my gosh it has made a world of difference! I feel like I have all the time in the world! Baby is sleeping three hour stretches so it works out for us at night, and I feel so much more rested only waking up about three times at night now, and getting two hour stretches. I feel more productive during the day and have been able to get out of the house a bit more with a lot less stress.
I was worried about how my supply would be with pumping less but to be honest I think my supply has increased (that could be because I started taking sunflower lecithin and haven’t gotten any clogged since). I think I heard your supply regulates around 6 weeks, so I’m not sure if I would recommend pumping less before then. But this new schedule will also definitely make going back to work and pumping at work easier too.
Just wanted to share my experience if anyone is feeling overwhelmed with pumping around the clock- this honestly saved my mental health so much !

My friend was sent home from the hospital under hospice care. The hospital inserted an Aspira Drainage Catheter for her malignant ascites. The drain itself leaks around the incision. A hospice nurse was doing the actual drain bag yesterday after removing her sopping dressings, and we could watch beads of fluid roll down her tummy.
Is this just something we need to live with? It bothers my friend because it keeps her gown wet and she thinks it is gross, and she is sleeping on a terry cloth towel over chucks, which she finds uncomfortable. Any advice?

This is my third time trying out online dating so don’t be mad if I suck at it but be patient 🫶🏾
A bit about me: Hey there! I’m 23 yrs old female, black and 🎶 I come from the land down under, do you know I ride kangaroo to work everyday( I just joke) I’m interested in a few things but I haven’t been able to do much because I work a lot. But I’m interested in swimming, listening to music, go out to the beach and also traveling I mostly travel alone so I can get some alone time but I’d love a travel buddy someday I currently don’t have a career but I work two jobs until I’ve saved up enough to go to uni for nursing next year And also I love music so much that I use music for everything, music is literally free therapy you know? I love Disney old movies and songs from the 80s There are more things I wanna get into when I start studying and working less Like learning how to surf and fish but also scared of water and I also love it? Weird I know 😅😂 I do play mobile games on my phone the recent I played is called creaks it’s pretty good you should try it out. Speaking of music I’m the biggest fan of Bruno mars and Michael Jackson but atm I mainly listen to joji, keshi, Rex orange county, Stacey Lacy, sza, laufey and tame Impala. I’m big fan of horror movies I’ve pretty much watched all the gory movies you could think of but im open to suggestions please! I love Disney old movies too Im also an ambivert! It does depend on how open the person makes me feel I’d love to build a genuine friendship then progress into something meaningful 🫶🏾 I love memes Btw do you know Australia is not as scary as people say it is ? Omg forgot to mention that I do have bpd ( Borderline personality disorder) I hope that’s not an issue and I’d prefer if you have bpd or have experience dealing with people that have bpd cause it would make my (our) life easier.

(whoops rant) I’m finally relating this to adhd after so many years of being undiagnosed, in primary school I was often alone but by my choice, I literally hated talking with people apart from like one close friend because just talking or spending time with people would tire me out so much. I distinctly remember running away from other kids at like age 5 who wanted to talk with me lmao and sitting by myself, and when I was older sometimes I would pretend to be sick and go to the nurses office just to sit in a quiet area away from people talking. Honestly how did people never connect the dots ever?😭
I kind of had to snap out of it after like age 13 because as nice and peaceful as it was I also hated being alone, but I don’t even think I ever really enjoyed talking with my friends because it almost always felt forced and I’d always be stressed going to school despite them seeming to like me and me liking them? I remember always having days off from being drained and then getting surprised when they asked me where I was and getting concerned that I didn’t keep in contact, for some reason. Even now I wish talking wasn’t such a normalised thing lol wdym I can’t form friends by not communicating??😔😔 even with family I would just hate having to respond to almost everything. I still feel this way and it’s so odd because I will be drained and can’t talk for ages when I’m with people, but then I’ll get a random burst of energy and cannot shut up for the life of me for an hour straight. I honestly still find every interaction soo exhausting but I know I can’t stay by myself for too long bc then I’ll never see people again otherwise lol

today i got tilt table test results back. a nurse called me over the phone. she said my results were abnormal, and highly suggestive of POTS. & everything just is clicking into place for me. i can’t stop thinking about it, and need to get it all out.
i’ve been exhausted my whole life. i am almost constantly fatigued. like the kind of chronic tired where i can regularly sleep for 14 hours straight no problem. where even if i’m consistently getting 8 hours everyday i still need a scary amount of coffee to do basic level function. most days i don’t function very well at all. my brain is constantly foggy. i forget things constantly. i lose my wallet & keys & debit card weekly. i literally can’t think straight most of the time, and everything’s kinda blurry in my head. when i stand up i usually feel like i’m going to faint, but i never do, so for the longest time i pinned this on me being weak, out of shape, lazy, some kind of personal failure. sometimes my vision gets blurry too, or my heart rate goes up to where it’s not in a normal range anymore. i feel lightheaded, woozy, off balance. and even though it was hard to think before, it just got a lot harder. i feel like i need to sit as much as i can. if i have to stand for more than a few minutes, i can feel the energy leave my body. it feels like the bottom half of me is deadweight, and the top half of me is giving everything it can to make sure the bottom doesn’t fall down. that’s why my chest and head feel so weak. i have bad posture, because it feels too hard & draining to properly support my torso & head. i slouch really badly to ease the burden. when i was younger i went to physical therapy for it. they thought i had scoliosis. i later found out i have hyper mobile EDS. this made sense. but no one else thought to look for POTS too. i lean against everything i can. i cross my legs to help make myself more sturdy. when i shower i sit on the floor. my feet turn red or purple when i stand for a long time. i can’t stand straight up, feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed, back straightened without feeling like shit. that makes me feel small & defunct & like i’m not trying. how can someone be trying when they have to crumple themselves up just to remain upright. i work a job where i have to stand all day. i fuck things up a lot because my brain is cloudy and my body feels sick. i have to sit down throughout the shift and feel guilty for not being productive. when i clock out i am overcome with exhaustion. i sit in my car for 40 minutes sometimes before i can get myself to drive home. when i get home, i usually spend the rest of the night in bed. i can’t cook, i can’t clean, i can’t hang out with people. i’m too tired.
for years i thought it was because i spent so much time in bed. i didn’t exercise enough. i’m so lazy that i’ve reduced my body’s ability to function. if i was in shape, if i was more active, standing wouldn’t feel so bad. but when i tried to be more active, to exercise, to get out of bed- i caused muscle edema, i experienced asthma, i over stretched muscles & pulled things out of place & made the lightheaded feeling worse. i exhausted myself to the point of being bed-ridden for the rest of the day, or days, enough time to off-set any progress i made from trying to be active. i felt like i caused a problem and messed myself up so badly i wouldn’t be able to fix it. turns out the problem wasn’t my fault after all. i wasn’t lazy, or at least not by choice. i didn’t sit in bed all day and ruin myself, i sat in bed all day because it drained me not to. i have imposter syndrome & guilt.
when i was younger i developed an anxiety disorder. i had panic attacks. it makes sense, it still does, i could feel it in my brain, even if you couldn’t tell on the outside. but then i started to have tremors. and shakiness & excessive sweating & fast heart rate. all the same things that are associated with the physical side of panic attack, but i wasn’t panicking when the physical symptoms started. i started to though, when i realized i couldn’t stop shaking. which came first? the chicken or the egg? the tremors or the anxiety? the POTS or the anxiety disorder?
my hands are almost always cold. my feet are too. sometimes when i go outside in the winter my legs will take on the cold too, and from my foot to my hip my skin will feel eerily cold to the touch, and it will for hours. in the summer i go outside & i feel sick. i feel nauseous & small & exhausted & weak. i can’t be outside for too long without feeling like i’m barely getting myself to function. i don’t go outside very much in the summer.
my stomach is always fucked up. i was diagnosed with IBS at 14 because i had reoccurring excruciating stomach cramps & flare-ups of constipation. i get heart burn and nausea and bloating almost daily. i have stomach aches sometimes that interferes with my ability to stand and do the things i need to do.
it makes sense. all the symptoms make sense. i have almost everything, minus the fainting. i’ve only fainted once. i have risk factors- i’ve had mono, i’ve had covid, i have EDS, im a young female.
but i don’t feel sick enough.
& what if it’s something else? another type of dysautonomia? orthostatic cerebral hypoperfusion syndrome? orthostatic hypotension? MCAS? what if it is just physical deconditioning? something else?
how do i know what i have? all i know is i feel like shit.

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share my story with anyone who cares to read. I’m 32 F and relatively healthy.
At the beginning of December 2023 I developed a sore throat, which is how all of my typical colds start, but it was just a little worse than usual. Also had a fever of around 100. I wasn’t concerned.
A few days later, the sore throat was subsiding and a lymph node on the left side of my neck became very swollen and tender. I called my PCP’s office, and they gave me a few suggestions saying it sounded like a virus. I called again a day or two later because my fever went up to 103. I was seen by a doctor who wasn’t my PCP, and he did COVID and flu tests. He thought my throat looked ok (no white spots, etc) so didn’t test for strep.
Started vomiting later that night and my fever spiked to 104 over the weekend. I called my local ER and told them my symptoms. Again I was told it sounded like a virus and it would have to run its course. (I was taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen around the clock for my fever too).
Monday morning I couldn’t take it anymore and drove myself to the hospital, luckily only a few minutes away. I’d never felt so sick and weak. I also had noticed a little swelling in my right hand, and some red spots appearing around it. I spent most of the day in the ER with various tests and scans being done. At one point the nurse was checking my blood pressure, and couldn’t believe what she was seeing (systolic pressure was in the 80s) so I was wheeled to another room. The next reading was better, but the third reading was very low. I wasn’t getting much info from anyone about what was going on, until the nurse told me they were following their sepsis protocol (giving me lots of fluids). The doctor thought I had an abscess or necrotic tissue in my neck, but there was no ENT doctor locally, so I was taken by ambulance to a hospital 2 hours away.
Spent the rest of the afternoon/evening in that ER where they did more tests and put a central line in my neck. By this time my right hand and part of that arm were quite red, swollen and VERY painful. They wrapped it to try to keep the swelling down.
I was admitted to the ICU and was there for 1-2 days, but spent a total of 10 days in the hospital. I had surgery on my hand/arm so they could be sure I didn’t have necrotizing fasciitis. Luckily I didn’t. What they found in fluid/tissue samples from my hand and in my blood was group A strep. I also developed a blood clot in one of my carotid arteries at some point. I did have the start of an abscess in my neck, but it didn’t need to be drained. I had trouble breathing due to fluid in my lungs so I was on oxygen most of the time. I was so weak and only had the use of one hand, I couldn’t roll over in bed (or do hardly anything by myself). Not an experience I’d wish on anyone. 5 months after having surgery (and OT) my hand is still pretty stiff and painful at times. My PCP called it traumatic arthritis.
Just mind blowing to me that this all happened so quickly, and had I not managed to get myself to the hospital that morning I probably wouldn’t be here right now. I’m glad to have found this community to hear other’s stories and know I’m not alone in this experience!