Buying Dressings

[elisebutt65]

Do Boots sell sterile dressings?

I had a gall bladder laparoscopy the other day and they gave me enough dressing for 2 days but my GP's receptionists are being their usual pleasnat selves and say I can't get into see the nurse for at least a week!!

I need to get my dressing changed and wound checked but if I can't get into see the nurse then I'll have to do it myself.

Just need to know where to get the dressings from.

[purplepurple]

Yep Boots sell them.... you get loads in their first aid kits and they do sell them seperately too... might have to ask at the pharmacy though.....

[bobsa1]

You should probably be getting visits from the district nurse, ring and ask for this to happen. At the end of the day you need to have wound checked for infection

By the way selles chemist sells dressings as well

[sarahlouise210]

Is it too far to pop back to the hospital and ask them to change the dressing?? When I had a similar procedue I did this no problem. I think it is totally shocking that these days we cannot get doctors appointments. Phone again and say you need your wound checked and if they cant give you an appointment you will need a home visit - guarentee they will find you an appointment then!!

[elisebutt65]

I tried to tell them this but they said that I'm not a priority patient!!!

I.e. - I'm in my 40's and generally fit and well and can get around without help!!!

I am absolutley fuming and am writing to my mp and the surgery manager. I had to pay fpor the damn scan in the first place as they mis diagnosed me for 3 years as it was. This is jsut so peeing me off now!!!

I'm just going to go in on Mondya and I'm going to just sit there and loudly protest until someone changes my flaming dressings!!! I did it myself tonight and the one in my belly button is totally gross and I have no idea whether it is infeceted as it one solid mass of black blood clot!!.

[sarahlouise210]

urghhhhh!!! x

[Westywoodpecker]

I had a gall bladder laparoscopy the other day

Do you mean a laparoscopy or a laparoscopic cholecystectomy??

Either way you should only have port site wounds which are better left exposed rather then have more dressings applied after a couple of days post op. I would have a shower & then gently pat them dry. Ask for advise from your GP practice if any are red and inflammed or oozing. Sutures are normally dissolving, clips will need to be removed. HTH'S

Westy

[sali_mali]

Tescos pharmacies sell sterile dressings, all sorts of sizes and brands so you can find what you need there. you have to ask behind the conter though because theyre kept in special cupboards

[elisebutt65]

Do you mean a laparoscopy or a laparoscopic cholecystectomy??

Either way you should only have port site wounds which are better left exposed rather then have more dressings applied after a couple of days post op. I would have a shower & then gently pat them dry. Ask for advise from your GP practice if any are red and inflammed or oozing. Sutures are normally dissolving, clips will need to be removed. HTH'S
Westy

laparoscopic cholecystectomy - That one!

I have quite a big hole in my tummy button and about 5 stitcehes in the one under my breast bone. The other 2 only have about 3 stitches - their self dissolving ones. The nurse at the hospital told me to keep them covered until I see the nurse in 7 days time(Friday then).

I had a shallow bath today with t-tree in and splashed them clean and then re-dressed after drying. The b-button one oozed loads of iodiney coloured stuff though. No smell there - I had to get my eldest to sniff them as my sense of smell is knackered - lol

Anyway - I'm going to GP's tomorrow as Monday is emergency appt day, as long as I can beat the OAP's who queue from 8.15 - doesn't open until 9am

[Westywoodpecker]

How did you get on today elisebutt65 ?

[elisebutt65]

Got in to see the nurse practitioner no probs after waitng for an hour.

She had a look and said they were all ok and re-dressed them for me.

I hd to buy a walking stick yesterday as walking over a mile to pick kidss up in this heat is so tiring and my tummy keeps going into cramps around my stitches. Turning into an old dear all ready - lol.

Alos go an appointment no problem for Thursday - there were loads of times free - makes me so mad that one receptionist is blocking times, the one there on Monday is so nice and really puts hersefl out to help - even got me some water as I had been there so long and I nearly flaked out.

I have to keep the dressings on for the mo cos of the heat and sweating etc - lol If I could keep them dry then I could leave them off.

[Westywoodpecker]

Glad to hear you got on ok. If I was you I would leave them exposed now anyway as the fresh air helps them to heal quicker.

[shelly]

I too have a wound in my belly button from surgery 2 weeks ago. Looks to me like its infected but nurse says it isn't. She recommended I clean it with boiled then cooled salty water then to keep it dry by putting a piece of folded clean tissue into the tummy button hole. Apparently due to the nature of the wound being in a crease and like you say all the heat and sweating its best not to have a dressing on it as that just keeps in any bugs. Mine is much better since doing this.

I got some good dressings from Tesco, they are more like a plaster. I don't think they are sterile but they have an antiseptic pad. They are waterproof so you can shower in them.

I still have 3 small wounds covered as for some strange reason I feel safer knowing they are covered. They are coming off tonight though when I have my shower :D

[elisebutt65]

Yeah - I've taken one for the dressings off now as I seem to be developing another allergy to the adehsive - Got these ones cos they were hypoallergenic - yeah right!!!

My BB wound now looks a bit better as most of the gack has gradually been washed off though there is an area of rawness - looks like a stitch has popped - ick - I've got the nurse tomorrow soi she can have a proper look. This happened when I walked too much with my appendix. I'm doing 1.5 miles to school, then back and the same again in the pm. BF has now taken over - picking up DS and taking him in for me so I can rest up a bit.

[shelly]

I got hypoallergenic dressings/plasters too but when I took off one of them off tonight it took a shed load of skin off too :eek: Hurt like heck.....bled alot too. I think though that I just left them on too long.

[elisebutt65]

Aargh - Because of the rash, I have to put up with the stitches for another week. The nurse wanted to snip them out - they are supposed to be the type that dissolves but they're tightening up and digging in instead. But the wound then needs to be covered for a day of so after they're out. My weals, as she called them, mean that I can't have any dressings on for about a week - gaaah!!!

My bb is fine though the scab needs to come off, so she put on a seaweed dressing to draw it off - weird!!!! And I've also got a weird rubbery type sticky thing on top of that which won't make me rash - allegedly!

God, I never used to be allergic to anything - now my skin is getting so fussy. I can't even use soap powder nowadays in the washing - thank god I found out about the soapnuts on here - lol

[shelly]

I saw a nurse this morning and she won't take out my stitches. Said that as they are disolvable I have to let nature take its course which could take weeks. She's worried that taking them out before they are ready might "pop open" the wound :eek:

How old are your wounds elise? Mine are 17 days old and I was really hoping to get the stitches out.

[elisebutt65]

Mine are a week old and mine was quite happy to take them out - alos hospital told me that they could come out after a week - I'd get a new nurse - lol.

I can't have them out due to this rash though if it goes down after the weekend I might invest in some forceps and surgical scissors and do it myself as they are SOOOO tight. I've done it on patients before when i was a student nurse 20 years ago - lol. Alternativley I might get my mum (midwife) to do them next week, if I do get desparate.

[wigginsmum]

Not all dissolvable stitches dissolve - I've still got my internal ones from my hysterectomy 2 months ago. My surgeon doesn't seem concerned but they're a bit spiky if I rummage around.

[elisebutt65]

Not all dissolvable stitches dissolve - I've still got my internal ones from my hysterectomy 2 months ago. My surgeon doesn't seem concerned but they're a bit spiky if I rummage around.



Oh blehhhhh - Horrible visions now of internal rummaging!!!!:rotfl:

[wigginsmum]

Just concentrate on the expression on my face instead :)