Bolster Removal

Yesterday was one week post skin graft and time for the bolster removal. My blood pressure reading did not reveal the nervousness I felt! Two years ago a bolster removal was so painful I felt faint, so I had them recline my head so I couldn’t watch. There was definitely white-knuckle pain as the staples were removed, but I got through it. Once the wound specialist said the graft looked really good, I asked to sit up so I could see it too. It looked great! The right edge was a bit loose, so a modified bolster dressing (no stitches or staples) was applied and is to stay in place till my appointment next week which will give it more time to heal. Directions are to keep it still and raised till then.

I juiced by myself this week (no veggies escaped the chute!) using nine carrots, three apples and a generous slice of ginger. It made two full pints which I’ve already finished. I liked this better than the first formula. With another five-pound bag of organic carrots in the house, I’ll be making more juice today. I almost crave it and definitely miss having it in the refrigerator!

Moving forward: Today I hope to complete an outline (to do list) to take what I’ve learned so far in the Chris Beat Cancer modules that I’ve just completed, and in the book Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect Your Brain – for Life. There is a lot of new information in them and I need to figure out what makes sense for me right now. With another PET/CT scan coming up in November, October is a good time to get started and see if I can at least incorporate changes that reduce inflammation and maybe even help restore more function to my left-side. I have an appointment at the Anticoagulation Clinic on Monday and want to discuss increasing my servings of dark green veggies, Right now I’m only allowed three servings a week and that’s not going to be enough going forward.

I ordered and received Sir Jason Winters teas and have already added them to my daily hydration. I learned that adding lemon to your herbal tea increases absorption! I’d like to keep some cold brewed in the refrigerator so I’ll drink it during the day. I had a cup before bed last night and was up till 2:00am!!

I’m still waiting for clearance to start back at the gym and I can’t wait!

Thanks for all prayers, good thoughts and sprinkles of pixie dust to continue this healing!

Skin Graft Done!

Yesterday we had to be at the outpatient surgery center by 7am. We had to wait over two hours till they wheeled me back to the OR. The surgery took about an hour, as expected, and the surgeon was very happy with the result. The donor site was my right thigh again, 3rd donation from that same area. It’s wrapped in an ace bandage till Monday, and I’ll leave the dressing underneath it in place as it dries. Normally this is the area with the most pain – feels like the worst brush burn ever. However, I have no feeling at the surface from the middle of knee on up due to the lymph node dissection years ago. The surgeon said he took a very thin slice of skin and I guess that’s why it’s pain-free so far. What an unexpected blessing!

The wound/skin graft is painful and I’m keeping it tolerable with alternating Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours while I continue my normal pain meds. When I woke up in recovery, the wound had the bolster dressing and nothing else on it – just a yellow dressing stapled around the wound! We were concerned with potential bumps or scrapes, especially getting in/out of the car and getting dressed/undressed, so the surgeon added an ABD and ace bandage for protection. I took the ace off this morning and taped the ABD in place. I must keep my leg elevated and still till the bolster removal on Friday. I’m on an antibiotic, Keflex, for a few weeks as added insurance that nothing interferes with the graft taking hold.

This morning I have a few windows open to enjoy the fresh air until it gets too warm. The birds at the feeders are entertaining me, as well as our resident chipmunk and squirrels. Murphy the cat is keeping me company till Bill gets home from work.

I made a healthy organic butternut squash soup with onions, carrots, and apples the night before surgery so I’d have lunch ready for the week. There was a lot of chopping and slicing involved, so I was very thankful for Bill’s offer of help! He took over the cutting board and went to town! The cinnamon makes it taste like Fall, and the cayenne gives it a bit of a kick. Yum! Tomorrow we’ll try juicing with our new (used) Breville juicer!

Even though I don’t feel like reading or watching TV, I guess that’s what I have to keep me entertained this week. I might try doing cross stitch or painting more rocks for the Cancer Institute’s walkway. I can do upper body exercises and figure out a seated yoga routine to do daily. Lots of possibilities to keep me seated and my leg elevated!

Onward to a successful graft healing!!

Skin Graft – Done!

On Friday, April 3rd, the skin graft finally happened. The surgery lasted about an hour and a half, and I was home before lunchtime. The site on my shin had a Xerform bolster dressing stitched on with extra 4X4 gauze squares, a gauze wrap and an ace bandage from my toes to my knee. The donor site on my thigh had a Xeroform dressing and a clear dressing on top of that. Directions were to keep my leg raised to prevent swelling and to eat lots of protein to encourage cell/tissue growth. I’ve been dining on lots of meat, cheese, nuts, and Greek yogurt.

The pain was higher than I expected in my shin, and the donor site burned as expected. It feels like the worst brush burn ever! It was also leaking out of the clear dressing, so I dug into my leftover surgery supplies and added an additional dressing to keep myself dry. Extra strength Tylenol helped, and I was allowed to alternate it with ibuprofen every 3 hours.

Today, April 8th, I had the bolster dressing removed. For the first time ever, I felt faint and had to lay down till it passed. I decided not to watch after all, especially since it was painful having the stitches removed, and didn’t I look till the bolster was off. The graft looks really good except for a small spot where the skin folded. My skin was bright red around the site, which explains the pain I was having. For most people, the bolster is not painful, and I think it was the irritation around the site that was causing my discomfort. My foot/ankle were not swelled at all. Just to be on the safe side, I was put on a short course of an antibiotic, Bactrim. Daily dressing changes now commence, exactly as the daily dressings I had been doing prior to the graft.

The clear dressing was removed from the donor site, and the top of the Xeroform was blotted dry with gauze (it was slimy). This is to remain, without any other dressing on top, until it dries and the new skin “pushes” it off. I can trim the Xeroform as it dries and curls around the edges. The directions were to go home and use a hair dryer on the cool setting to dry the Xeroform. The more it gets to dry, the better. I worked with my skirt hiked up my right leg all day, and it’s looking a lot better – drier already.

I go back in a week just for a quick eyeball check, and then a week later for a surgeon checkup. And then a week after that I have all-day appointments at the Block Center. I’m so excited to fill in the pieces of the puzzle surrounding nutrition, exercise, etc. I even have an appointment with Dr. Block at the end of the day. I think I’ll take my book for his autograph! Cancer won’t stand a chance after I make the changes that are recommended to me that day!!