Saturday, October 26, 2013

Skin Graft a Success

Home again after a five day stint in the hospital. Doc said it looked like the skin graft went beautifully: He was hoping for a 50 percent successful graft but he nailed it and it looks like he got 100 percent. Some is already dying--was dying when he unwrapped it, but it still stuck. That portion, the dying portion, is where there is still some infection. But the infectious disease doctor said that my cultures came out negative for all four of the flesh eating bacteria that got me in June and ravaged my leg in early July. I was scared to death to change the dressing at home right now, afraid that I'd pull off the old dressing and discover that the graft had come undone. Put off changing it for three hours. I finally had to do it and voila! It was still intact.
    The upper right thigh, where my doc took the new skin, hurts, but I suppose that's to be expected when someone takes a cheese slicer to your leg and pulls off an 8" by 10" slab and uses it like a drape--after running it through a meat pulping machine--on your wound.
    So I'm scared to death it will all fall off but thrilled that it's done and doc tells me not to worry. I told him I wouldn't but am. Still, all of you with all of your good wishes helped make this happen, so thank you. Just like people thinking negative things about you can hurt you, people thinking good thoughts can help you and after all this it looks like I'm not losing my leg, I'm not out of commission, I'm not going to be stuck taking antibiotics more than another fews weeks--which means the muscle aches all over my freaking body should stop soon--and you know, next thing you know I'll be down in Peru and out into the deep green for my February trip--on which there are still two or three slots open so you better rush if you want one.....Wait a minute! I wasn't supposed to put a plug for the trip in there! That was slated for a "Buy my book" plug. Oh, my, what these little pain killers will do to a person's sense of dignity.
    Thanks everybody. I really appreciate it and hope to one day pay back the favor, if not to you personally, to someone who needs good thoughts and help with the doctor bills.

1 comment:

XS said...

So glad to hear the good news regarding the success of your surgery! Congratulations. You are a gift to the world, Mr. Gorman, and I'm sure your best days are yet to come. I hope you can relax and feel the love as you heal. :-)