Sooooo, I had my sleeve done on 7/21/11 and I go onThursday which will be my one week mark to have my external drain removed. I am more scared about this than the actual surgery!!! I am feeling pretty good just am sore around my stomach where the drain is at. Im on clear liquids until Tuesday then get to go to solid liquids... Im ready to eat something with consistency!! Any comments will be very appreciated!!!

I hate my drain! Honestly some times I feel like it's the worst part of the surgery. Third boob hanging around, wires & tube sticking out of my body to impede healing, & don't even get me started on how it makes it difficult to rest my hands in my boobs to read or text! However, those things are minor in comparison to other issues we could have. I just wanted to encourage you about the removal. I don't see any way on earth that it could possibly NOT hurt to have it removed and I haven't experienced much bothersome pain at all post surgery (I've only taken my liquid Loritab twice) but the nurse told me that no one ever complains about it hurting when it comes out - they all unanimously say it "feels weird". So my take is - it's a necessary evil at this point. And my 18 pound loss since Monday makes it slightly more bearable

Btw, I get mine out Tuesday. You can do this!

I had my drain removed after a week. It was a pain in the butt for sure. Don't be scared about getting it removed. It was a really funny feeling coming out but there was little to no pain. It's great to get it out, trust me!!

Sooooo, I had my sleeve done on 7/21/11 and I go onThursday which will be my one week mark to have my external drain removed. I am more scared about this than the actual surgery!!! I am feeling pretty good just am sore around my stomach where the drain is at. Im on clear liquids until Tuesday then get to go to solid liquids... Im ready to eat something with consistency!! Any comments will be very appreciated!!!

I had no pain or difficulty in getting it out. I was anxious but it was a complete non event.

I am the worlds biggest chicken and I worried and worried about the drain coming out. When the doctor was taking it out he talking and talking about how he had learned to pull drains and this and that and finally I was like would you just hurry up and do it and he said it was out five minutes ago! So I didn't even actually feel it when he was taking it out!! With that said, that little site has been the most tender. I am 11 days out and still baby it, but it seems to be healing well. Good luck, maybe yours will distract you too!! Cathi

I have to say, I had a Jackson-Pratt drain in and it was not painful to have it removed, but it was the WEIRDEST sensation I have ever stood still for. Yuck. It's kinda icky feeling, but it truly did not hurt.

Agree with people here.....it was so quick to have it removed, and it felt "weird", I wouldn't call it pain. And it was soooooooo much nicer to have it out!!!!!!

How do you spell relief? hahahaha I had mine out in 2 days...Doc said, "take a deep breath..." Then I heard this weird suctioning noise and voila, no more irritation in my upper left quadrant. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

I had mine out 4 days post op, and it didn't hurt. It was a strange feeling. Once it was out, my doc said, " is your shoulder pain gone?" I was amazed that it was!

Had my drain removed the next day and it was very painful When he pulled the tube out my stomach cramped up and it felt like a contraction. It brought me to tears and it was very painful I did a few minutes are breathing in and out before the cramp went away

It was a weird feeling. But no pain at all. Just take a deep breath and think about something else. Try and say the alphabet backwards or something. It'll be all good!!

I was so afraid of the removal process also, but everyone is right, it wasn't painful at all, just weird. It reminded me of pulling one of those bendy straws out of the travel mugs for some reason... anyway, sort of like someone tickling your ribs from the underside of them. Anyway, not at all painful.

I'm jealous that so many of you had no pain. It hurt when mine was removed, but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't handle it. Mostly it was just a really bizarre feeling. Right after is was removed, my abdomen felt so empty and hollow. That was strange. It was so nice to have it gone though.

Mine comes out in an hour and a half. I don't expect pain but momentary pain has to be better than constant irritation!

Not going to lie...it hurt like s@#!