To be curious about someone's illness?

[dreamoutloud]

AIBU to ask what illness would lead you to carry around two bottles of blood attached to your body by tubes? Saw a lady yesterday and have never seen this before. Anyone know?

Portable dialysis?

an operation of some sort, I had this after a breast reduction.

Wound drains?

Just carrying them? That sounds a little odd. In most medical scenarios that I can think of they could be hidden away. When my husband has his treatment in hospital he could easily be wandering around with what looks like bags of blood, but he doesn't do that.

I know some will say "they shouldn't be ashamed of any medical condition", but that's not what I mean. There is no need to see any bodily fluids, be they blood or urine. I don't know why you would do that.

What was the context op?

Actually you don't say whether this is in public or not or indeed any other info. If it was in private then it was fine and I don't think any of us could tell you exactly what the illness is. It could be lots of things.

Could they have been wound drains after an op, although I have no idea why someone would be out and about with these in, and I think they are generally removed before being discharged from hospital.

Sound like wound drains, my brother had a lump cut out of his chest and had one. The hospital was right by his sixth form
College so he went out one lunchtime carrying it, to visit his mates!

Wound drains and they will discharge you with them. You have to do the measuring of fluid over 24 hours and when it's below a number they take them out. Luckily I didn't get to take mine home but then I also got a seroma (fluid filled lump) that had to be drained. Mine was breast surgery - masectomy.
I never knew about it till I was going for the op!

PS it's not really blood - general body fluid. The breast surgeon made a joke of - do you drink a lot of rose Daylily? Cheeky beggar but true I do like a glass!

I took mine home, in a hosptal pillow case, dh hated sleeping next to me in case he caught them and pulled them out.

Ah, thanks all. Sorry for not replying earlier - I'm on holiday so have been out and about all day. That's the thing, we're on a small island in the Caribbean and she was sitting by the pool. I don't think this is a medical tourism destination but I'll have to go and google that now!

Oh, and I've never heard of this either (obviously). Quite surprised!