Tape and incisions

Malaika · June 20, 2009

How long are you supposed to leave the tape over your incisions. I know some take them off soon after surgery; however, I haven't removed any of them. One this morning was hanging by a thread so I did remove it; however the others seem fairly secure and in no danger of coming off anytime soon.

Am I suppose to leave them on and let them come of as they are ready or take them off at a certain time.

I know Nina's mom (WHAT THE HECK IS HER NAME, I CAN'T RECALL) said to keep the incision where the drain was covered for 15 days. Wondering if that is the same for the others. I put a bandaid over the one that came off this morning- wondering if that is necessary.

Elisabethsew · June 20, 2009

Most of the bandages/tape come off in the shower by around day 10. Once they come off, there is no need to cover them. If they haven't fallen off by day 14, you can manually remove them.

Malaika · June 21, 2009

Most of the bandages/tape come off in the shower by around day 10. Once they come off, there is no need to cover them. If they haven't fallen off by day 14, you can manually remove them.

Great, thank you Elisabeth. I asked Bob this morning if he thought I'd ever get all the adhesive off my skin and not look like I had some red blotchy disease. Not too many more days then.

Ruthi · June 21, 2009

All my tapes are off and all spots are already healed except the drainage spot, it is smaller and is scabbed over. I put a bandaid over that one. My skin is still red and blotchy but that is going away. I removed the tape around day 4. I hated that it seemed to stay wet after my shower. After I removed the first tape and found that wound was scabbed over, I figured the rest were also and they were.

Eyfura · June 22, 2009

I learned the best trick to remove the adhesive! I was in so much pain from being allergic to the adhesive and just could not get it off, Renee told me to go to a pharmacy and get adhesive remover, but they had none! I asked the pharmacist what he would recommend and he said olive oil first (which I had tried) then he asked if I had heard of "goo be gone". It is organic and so long as you keep it out of the wounds should be fine. I got it and did not have to scrub or anything just lightly wipe over the adhesive 2-3 times and it was gone! I felt so much better when it was off!

BTW...I still have tape on 2 sites, I figure it will fall off when ready and is not bugging me. (Its the white tape that hurts me) I took the drain cover off at about 8 days and it is doing great as is the other site on my left that came off!

Edited June 22, 2009 by Eyfura

debking811 · June 22, 2009

Dr Aceves stated tape would fall off after 10 days but def told me no swimming for 15 days:cursing:...I thought if I could lay in swimming pool I could get my mind off of being hungry!!

Eyfura · June 22, 2009

Dr Aceves stated tape would fall off after 10 days but def told me no swimming for 15 days:cursing:...I thought if I could lay in swimming pool I could get my mind off of being hungry!!

LOL!!! I know just how you feel! Saturday was my sons 9th Birthday and we had rented a pool party for him...2 hours of swimming then pizza and cake and ice cream! It sucked sitting out from all that!!!!! :frown1:

debking811 · June 22, 2009

Hi Beckie,

I'm really down...I'm so hungry I can barely stand it..seems you've come through like a real trooper...on my flight home the airlines was passing out hot sandwiches... I was drooling like a mad dog!!! It can only get better...LOL

Eyfura · June 22, 2009

Hi Beckie,
I'm really down...I'm so hungry I can barely stand it..seems you've come through like a real trooper...on my flight home the airlines was passing out hot sandwiches... I was drooling like a mad dog!!! It can only get better...LOL

OMG...trust me I know how you feel, I cried so much the first 8 days, after that it has been a bit easier, but not much. I cant get anything really down so it is still hard, but I am not as hungry. Those first 8 days I still felt really really hungry! It will get better though! Even with the problems I have getting anything in, each day has gotten a little easier, thats all I can ask for right now! Hang in there hun!

Malaika · June 23, 2009

Hi Beckie,

I'm really down...I'm so hungry I can barely stand it..seems you've come through like a real trooper...on my flight home the airlines was passing out hot sandwiches... I was drooling like a mad dog!!! It can only get better...LOL

It does get easier Deb, really, it does ... I know exactly how you feel ... and I'm a bit better than Beckie in that I didn't have to live on popsicles for the first 10 days; however, I can't get down a lot at a time either ... that is why I didn't worry about the 2 oz in 15 minutes ... it takes me at least that.

funnigrl · June 23, 2009

I have an allergy to tape adhesives and when I have had to get that junk off I've used mineral oil, the same kind that can be used as a laxative or in oil lamps *lol* It works as good as wd40 does *laffin* I'm sure the mineral oil is safer for use on the surgery areas though.

Beth

Rosebud2 · June 24, 2009

I've used goo be gone to get labels off of glasses and the like. I never thought of using it on my skin. I wear hormone Patches and it leaves an adhesive residue every week. I've tried baby oil and it doesn't work. I've tried alcohol too. I guess I'll have to try goo be gone.

Malaika · June 24, 2009

I learned the best trick to remove the adhesive! I was in so much pain from being allergic to the adhesive and just could not get it off, Renee told me to go to a pharmacy and get adhesive remover, but they had none! I asked the pharmacist what he would recommend and he said olive oil first (which I had tried) then he asked if I had heard of "goo be gone". It is organic and so long as you keep it out of the wounds should be fine. I got it and did not have to scrub or anything just lightly wipe over the adhesive 2-3 times and it was gone! I felt so much better when it was off!

BTW...I still have tape on 2 sites, I figure it will fall off when ready and is not bugging me. (Its the white tape that hurts me) I took the drain cover off at about 8 days and it is doing great as is the other site on my left that came off!

I always have goo-b-gone on hand. WD-40 would work, too; however, I think I'll just use good ole soap and Water .. that seems to take it off with some effort. Only have 2 more tapes to come off and then I'll be done and I think by then, I'll quit covering my drain incision too. Yolanda said to keep it covered 15 days.

Malaika · June 25, 2009

WOO HOO -- all the tape is off and the incisions look pretty good -- bit of bruising around some of them but that's not unusual for me -- I bruise easily because I'm so fair skinned.

Now once my tummy clears up from where the bandaid I had over my drain incision -- I'm allergic to the adhesive, I may not look so much like I got in a knife fight! Once the scabs are gone, I'm going to get some of that prefer-on and see if it helps the scars like so many claim.