When I got out of the shower I had decided to get this 'new skin' stuff off of me. New skin is a clear substance they use to help keep suture sites together to prevent strain and tearing of the incision site. The thing is, the stuff expands like an inch beyond the site all the way around, so when I started to gently scratch away at the stuff I couldn't help but notice: THIS STUFF was the reason I'd been itching so badly! It felt so good to scratch and pull peel it all off , and I found that once it was off- it looked like I had yet one more surgical adhesive allergy- oh joy!
As I began removing this gunk from around my port site, I peeled a little piece off (it reminded me of peeling dried out Elmer's glue from my skin when I was a kid) and there was a little clear 'hair-like' object hanging from it. Of course I didn't have my now necessary- not accessory- eyeglasses so I really couldn't tell what it was. As soon as I touched it, I knew: "Holy crap! That's a suture!!!" Yikes! So I looked at my port site and lo and behold- there was a lovely little opening at the very end of the site showing beautifully pink underflesh. Wonderful!
Well, what was one to do? I got a bandage, cut a butterfly, pinched the pieces of flesh together and slapped that puppy on there. All good. Just to be sure I wasn't in any serious trouble (this was abdominal surgery after all) I texted my doctor. I whatted my what?!!! Yes, you heard me right, all patients have direct access to Dr. Owens because he gives ALL of us his cell phone number and HE ANSWERS IT!!! He called me back to tell me to do exactly what I'd already done and not to worry unless there was more seperation. Okey dokey- no prob there!
My day went on as usual, nothing spectacular happened, but in the evening as Brian and I sat on the porch swing drinking wine and talking, my cell phone rang it's ridiculous ring-a-ling-ding to alert me of a new text message. I picked up my phone to find Dr. Owens had sent me a text saying, "U did right thing with tape call for more seperation." Even at the end of his day he was thinking about my situation. What can I say? I could never hope to find a better Doctor than him and I am so thankful that I found him.
As I began removing this gunk from around my port site, I peeled a little piece off (it reminded me of peeling dried out Elmer's glue from my skin when I was a kid) and there was a little clear 'hair-like' object hanging from it. Of course I didn't have my now necessary- not accessory- eyeglasses so I really couldn't tell what it was. As soon as I touched it, I knew: "Holy crap! That's a suture!!!" Yikes! So I looked at my port site and lo and behold- there was a lovely little opening at the very end of the site showing beautifully pink underflesh. Wonderful!
Well, what was one to do? I got a bandage, cut a butterfly, pinched the pieces of flesh together and slapped that puppy on there. All good. Just to be sure I wasn't in any serious trouble (this was abdominal surgery after all) I texted my doctor. I whatted my what?!!! Yes, you heard me right, all patients have direct access to Dr. Owens because he gives ALL of us his cell phone number and HE ANSWERS IT!!! He called me back to tell me to do exactly what I'd already done and not to worry unless there was more seperation. Okey dokey- no prob there!
My day went on as usual, nothing spectacular happened, but in the evening as Brian and I sat on the porch swing drinking wine and talking, my cell phone rang it's ridiculous ring-a-ling-ding to alert me of a new text message. I picked up my phone to find Dr. Owens had sent me a text saying, "U did right thing with tape call for more seperation." Even at the end of his day he was thinking about my situation. What can I say? I could never hope to find a better Doctor than him and I am so thankful that I found him.
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