If only I knew to ask for this after having my c-section I wouldn’t have lost some skin and have the scar to show for it. Almost three years later I can still feel my skin ripping off like it was yesterday.
Let’s back up to July 2021. I had just given birth to my daughter via c-section. If you didn’t know, when you have a c-section, they insert a catheter since you are numb from the waist down.
Some hours after my surgery they removed the catheter. However, they left the tape on my inner thigh where they taped down the tubes from the catheter.
I had gotten up, went to use the bathroom, and discovered the aforementioned tape stuck very firmly to my right inner thigh.
The nurses hadn’t mentioned anything to me about how this tape was going to be removed so I assumed it was up to me.
I gently started to pull on it, thinking it would probably come off quite easily. I quickly realized this might be the stickiest tape ever made placed in one of the most sensitive areas of the body.
I called my husband, Luke into the bathroom to show him the situation I had going on. I asked him to try and GENTLY pull it off for me.
He was so sweet, trying to save me as much pain as possible but, no joke, it felt like my skin was coming off with the tape. I didn’t think that’s what was happening though!
After a solid five minutes and quite a few internal screams later, the tape was removed, but to my shock, my skin did come off with it! To be honest, at that point, I was just glad it was over.
Fast forward, my nurse came in a short time later. I told her about the removal of the tape and that I now had open wounds on my inner thigh. She then tells me,
“Oh honey, you should have asked for my help. We have a spray to help remove the tape easily.”
Whaaaa?! Why wasn’t this told to me after removing my catheter? A little, “Hey, you have some tape on your leg from the catheter, but, don’t worry, we will bring you something to help remove it because it’s very sticky,” would have been helpful.
So PLEASE, if you find yourself in a similar situation, be sure to ask your nurse if there is something that can help remove the tape so you don’t have to endure the pain I did.
Has anyone else been in this situation? If so, were you offered spray or help in any way to remove the tape?