I'm skittish about a drain incision infection because from the literature I've read, once these infections take old they can be a sort of gateway to other complications which I can't afford. So I'm worried about packing my gauze -- in the hospital they put two layers of gauze on the wound: one was folded over in half directly over the incision and the other held it in place, full size, over top. I am not sure if they did that because it was meant to be more absorbent over the site, or if there is some advantage to packing the wound more tigthtly. Does anybody know?

Also, when I woke up this morning and checked it there was the *smallest* little but of blood at the tip of the brownish drainage. There is a lot less drainage -- just a little every day -- and no real redness, hotness, or inflammation but it does sting a little sometimes and yesterday it started to itch. I read that "bleeding" at the incision site is one thing to look out for -- is what I just described "bleeding" or am I just being a church lady about my incision?

Church lady! Church lady!

No, you are right to be concerned about the post-op phase until the danger of complications is past. The 2 pieces of gauze are there because there will still be some drainage from the incision site for a few more days and the extra gauze soaks it up. It will stay red for a while and if you are like me it will be the last incision to heal fully. It's itching and stinging because it's healing. Bleeding from the site means real blood, like from a cut, not the brownish discharge or a tiny bit of red. No worries-

Church lady! Church lady!

No, you are right to be concerned about the post-op phase until the danger of complications is past. The 2 pieces of gauze are there because there will still be some drainage from the incision site for a few more days and the extra gauze soaks it up. It will stay red for a while and if you are like me it will be the last incision to heal fully. It's itching and stinging because it's healing. Bleeding from the site means real blood, like from a cut, not the brownish discharge or a tiny bit of red. No worries-

Lol, yay, I'm a church lady. I should be grateful, I guess, that my biggest problem is the tiniest little bit of blood on the gauze. It could be worse!

My drain incision was the first one to heal. It did not even leave a scar. I think people think the drain s more than it is. I was so scared when they were removing it I thought it was going to stick to my insides. It was not even an inch in my stomach. I was holding my breath waiting for the pain and he was through. I'm glad I didn't know about the drain before the surgery because I would have thought it would be worse. It will be ok.

My drain incision was the first one to heal. It did not even leave a scar. I think people think the drain s more than it is. I was so scared when they were removing it I thought it was going to stick to my insides. It was not even an inch in my stomach. I was holding my breath waiting for the pain and he was through. I'm glad I didn't know about the drain before the surgery because I would have thought it would be worse. It will be ok.

Thanks wareagle.