Is it healing?

[cjsmith]

Usually I can tell when a surgical incision is healing because it starts to itch all around the surface. I can't feel that now. Is it not healing? Is it just that the area is numb?

Can't wait to go to the doctor and see what's under there. I'm curious as a kitten. I'll take a picture.

Two people told me that they're surprised I'm following doctor's orders and not unwrapping the dressings myself. I was insulted. [um, edited to spare you a rant.]

Wow, there was more under that emotion-scab than I thought. Anyhoo. I'm very curious about what my incisions look like and how well they're healing. Hopefully the surgeon will unwrap and inspect them tomorrow morning and I'll get to see.

Comments

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Do your feet hurt any less than before the surgery?

I'm sure you are following doctors orders so you will be on your feet ASAP!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Not yet. Hopefully when I can put more weight on the forefoot and can get outta these shoes! [fingers crossed]

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

it starts to itch all around the surface

I hadn't thought of that but it makes sense it might not in this case given the fact that your feet are minus some nerve endings. I almost always get itchy around an incision that is healing.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is well past the time when I'd expect some ferocious itching. Very very strange.

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Sorry you had an emotion-scab prodded, that sux. *hugs*

I don't think my incision site started itching for a very long time, and never did itch much at all. Odd, now that I think back on it. Even with stitches in, I don't think I even had the faintest desire to scratch it. I remember some friend remarking that I'd better be careful to not scratch too hard, and being surprised at the comment 'cause I hadn't been scratching at all. P'raps not all surgery sites itch. Though with the wrappings you have, lack of itching seems extra surprising.

I look forward too to hearing about what you and your doctor find under the wrappings. A picture would be fab!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

It's not a huge one, just closely related to an old sore spot of mine. I'll talk about it to the person in question & it'll be okay. (The other person in that conversation is not someone who rates, or someone I would trust with, that level of discussion.)

Oh interesting! I thought a big incision such as yours would be incredibly itchy at the skin surface. Huh. Yours is a counterexample proof, then, so you're right -- not all surgery sites itch!

I do so adore taking pictures of stuff to remember later. :-)

[rampling.livejournal.com]

I've gotta say that I'm very thankful for my diligence in documenting my surgery and taking pix and putting them on LJ. At the time I mostly did it so my friends would know what was up with me, and so I'd have a place to talk and vent about my trials and tribulations. But it's additionally been a great resource for me to refer back to, and even shows me stuff I don't remember any more! I get dates, times, places, details, useful for my own interest and for when talking with doctors. Especially interesting to me is I can see the mental states I was in; verrrrry interesting. I suspect you'll get fine benefits like this later too. Especially from the (what will become) "before" pictures. :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know I'm pouring loads of crap onto LJ that many people may not be thrilled to read, but like you I see both the documentation and the venting as truly valuable things. To cut traffic I'm marking half the posts as private :)

[rampling.livejournal.com]

A good compromise is the LJ cut, if you think there are a few people who might be interested, but most would wanna skip. Some of us are appreciating the details.... ;)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Eh, true, but there are details and there are details. I think I'll skip posting the specific difficulties of bathrooms. ;-) As it is, the details are becoming less important lately because I'm so much more functional now than I was on Thurs/Friday.

[rampling.livejournal.com]

True, that sort of details aren't really necessary to share. ;)

Glad to hear you're more functional! :)

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

Oh, but bathroom issues are important! No, stop laughing I'm serious! I had a great discussion in chungjik's journal awhile back, with him and a couple of other women friends of his, about the issues of using public bathrooms when one is handicapped (to any extent). It was very helpful to exchange experiences and thoughts with others who have similar problems, albeit for different reasons. (I had written "exchange views," but thought better of that phraseology! )

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

They are indeed important! They were VERY important to me those first couple of days! That doesn't necessarily mean I'm comfy discussing them in a public entry, of course. ;-)

My worst problem, Thursday and Friday, was the transition from fully-clothed-on-hands-and-knees to seated-on-the-throne-and-ready. Move the shorts BEFORE getting up (thus tying knees together, CJ fall down, oops) or AFTER (need two hands to lift up my weight, then have to move the clothing via telekinesis)? That was a toughie. I learned that while crawling was faster and easier and more stable and less painful, still it was better to get into the bathroom on crutches. Thank goodness by Saturday I could stand up pretty well.

[dizzdvl.livejournal.com]

Take pictures! Yay!

Rantings cool. Rant away. I hope they were just having a momemtary moron moment and were surprised because they would have unwrapped the dressings themselves.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Definitely pictures! :-)

Yeah, it might have been a momentary brain fart. Both the people who were there are well aware of my fascination with icky things!

[zahraa]

I hope you're right about the itching thing, because I sure am itching!

Glad to hear things are improving, little by little.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Oh good! The itching at least fits all my prior experience. I hope you are healing up well!