Skin Graft Success!

I had my second appointment with the wound specialist yesterday (post-graft) to remove the modified bolster. The graft has taken! What a long road this was! Cue happy tears!! Now I need to do a daily dressing change: xeroform cut to fit in the wound, damp 4×4 fluffed, dry 4×4 fluffed, ABD pad, gauze wrap, compression sleeve. I need to send her a photo on Friday and then a week later just to be sure nothing funny is happening with the site. Next up will be a visit to the surgeon in two weeks or so. The pain level will continue to drop as the graft heals. I’m allowed to increase my activity level as tolerated which will increase the blood flow to the graft region and continue the healing.

The donor site is completely dry but the dressing has not yet begun curling at the edges. As the skin below scabs, it will push the dressing off. It’s still a bit tender, so I continue to wear baggy shorts.

Yesterday I made more juice from twelve carrots, four apples, one lemon, and a generous slice of ginger which made three pints. I drank half a pint of juice, a fruit smoothie (blueberries, kale, ground flax seed, banana slices, almond milk, and Activia), and a mug of herbal tea. Last night I woke up with severe indigestion! What a night! I’m back on omeprazole and will take it easy on my healthy drinks till my body can adjust gradually. So far today (it’s noon) I’ve only had a cup of coffee and water, and I’m not hungry at all. One step at a time!

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!

Two Days Post Skin Graft

Two days post surgery: Last night I was upstairs preparing for bed when I noticed a spot of blood on the floor. After cleaning that up I needed to find the source – wound or donor site? The wound had some drainage, but no blood, so I dressed it with a clean ABD. Then as I unwound the ace bandage from my thigh I saw that this was definitely the source. The plastic sticky covering was leaking at one side. I needed Bill to check on the post-op instructions for me since they were downstairs. As the most devoted partner in all of this, he left the Penn State game to come to my aid! The instructions said in case of leakage to remove the plastic covering and replace it with Xeroform. Now how many homes have a supply of Xeroform at their disposal?! Uh, that would be us!! It sounded familiar and, after looking it up online, I had Bill check our past leftover surgical supplies to look for a foil packet and there it was! I cleaned up the site with 4x4s, applied the Xeroform, and we wound my thigh back up with the ace bandage. Done!

Pain meds: Yesterday I dropped the Motrin after the morning dose and started back on my “normal” dosage from pre-surgery. That worked out just fine yesterday. Today, whether it’s from bothering the donor site or just typical two days post-surgery happenings, the pain is a bit less tolerable. I will probably add the Motrin back in at my 3:00 dosing time – no need to be a martyr!

Juicing: The idea is to increase my servings of organic fruits and veggies without chewing all day. Today Bill and I used the Breville Juice Fountain Plus for the first time. I used a juice formula from https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/ ( all organic): 5 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 small red beet and its greens, slice ginger root, 1/2 lemon (or lime), 1 apple (calls for Granny Smith but the store didn’t have any organic). It made just over a pint of juice. Two ingredients I was missing were turmeric root and a clove of garlic, but it was a good start. I tasted the beet and celery most strongly, so I think I’ll add more carrots and apples next time. Also, since I have to peel the lemon for this juicer, I might use a whole one next time. The juicer was easy to clean up, but it’s definitely a two-person operation since I can only use my right hand. I put handfuls of the fruits/veggies in the chute and Bill put the chute cover on ( after we blasted a red beet chunk into the air!!). I’ll double or triple the recipe next time (tomorrow?) so I have juice for a few more servings (days?).

Another juicing recipe I’d like to try is the Gerson Carrot Apple Juice: equal parts carrots and apples. Three large carrots equals one apple. I’ll need to find organic, or at least no-spray, Granny Smith apples since the tarter fruit is best.

I did a lot of standing for the whole juicing process, so I’m back to sitting mode with my leg raised to prevent swelling that could negatively affect the graft. Bill is outside being a lawn warrior and I wish we could be working side-by-side. I absolutely love working outside in my flower beds! Hopefully next year will have me back doing more of the things I love! Dare I hope for long walks, swimming and gardening? I’m trying my very best!