Drain bags and post surgery pillows

It may be weird starting off a blog post about drain bags and surgery pillows talking about belief and faith, but bear with me here.

I don’t know what powers are at work in the universe. Do I believe in some sort of “higher powers”? Yes. Did I ask for help from those “higher powers” to help me get through diagnosis and treatment? Yes. Do I think they removed the cancer? No, the surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy did that. However, for whatever cosmic debt I may owe and to repay the kindness and warmth that was shown to me during the worst period of my life so far, I’ve been finding small ways to pay it forward.

I thought others might feel the same way and want ideas as to how they can pay it forward want too, so I plan on sharing some more ways in which I’ve done it in future blogs. If there’s things you’ve done or want to do, I’d really welcome more ideas! Please let me know!

Anyway, back to the main point of this blog.

After surgery, I was given a handmade drain bag holder to carry the drain pouch and make it easier to get around. I was also given a small heart-shaped pillow to go underneath my armpit to make sleeping easier. These were both made and donated to the hospital for patients to use. For the sake of hygiene, they’re given to you permenantly. My drain bag holder now gets used as a toy bag for my son and I still use the cushion on the odd occasion when my scar aches and it’s uncomfortable to sleep.

I was alone in hospital after the surgery. Due to the Coronavirus and restrictions, my husband has dropped me off at the main entrance and wasn’t allowed in. I’d never been in hospital for myself before, only to visit relatives. I didn’t have a brilliant reaction to the general anaesthetic, so was kept in overnight. I didn’t know at that point how much cancer was left in me and despite my brave face, I was feeling pretty low and scared. That pillow and bag were a small kindness from a stranger, but they were a ray of light in a pretty dark time.

So, when someone in one of my local cancer support groups asked the Macmillan staff how people can go about donating and making things, how could I not jump on board to offer help? A perfect way to help repay that kindness to other people.

I drafted up the heart cushions based on the one I was gifted and found a drain bag pattern with an adjustable handle online – and then I recruited my mum in. I could wax lyrical about my mum’s crafting. She’s amazing. She made up a whole batch of drain bags in the time it took me to do a couple of cushions.

They’ve since been donated to the hospital and I hope that they give the same little lift of spirits that I felt.

Patterns and guides to make your own drain bags and post-mastectomy pillows

If you want to send out a little kindness into the world, maybe get in touch with your local Macmillan Centre, Oncology or Breast Units and find out who to speak to with regards to donating items, or maybe make one up for someone you know who may be coming up to surgery.

This is the link for the pattern to the drain bag. You can play around with fabrics to really make them different. My mum prewashed the fabric to help remove any chemicals or starches and added bright linings. I added a small iron-on heart detail too.

The cushions, as I said, I made my own pattern. However, if you’re not too confident in doing that, you can find guides online like this one.

I’d recommend using natural fabrics where possible, like cottons as they can be easily washed. Also using a toy-safe stuffing or similar, as again, it needs to be washed and it’s going to be used against the skin. Apart from that, having been on the receiving end of this sort of thing, it was lovely to have variety and choice. It wasn’t expected and it really felt like it made it more my own.