Since coming home on Tuesday, I quickly realized wow, I can't do anything on my own! I was thinking just my knee would be immobile - nope... It's my entire leg! From ankle to hip. So, I have been trying to figure out who can help me! I can just make it to the bathroom and back on my own and can make it up the stairs to get to bed. I am very thankful for all who have helped come over in the morning to help me get ready for the day and for coming over at night to help me get to bed. It's been very challenging. My mom oh so graciously paid for the girls to stay with the Vet until this morning, and they are all clean & tuckered out.
When I keep ice on my donor site and take my pain meds, the pain is manageable. My knee isn't too painful, just stingy from the staples. It can't really bend because of THE GIANT brace I'm in.
Yesterday (Friday) was a good day. I spent it with my friend Angie. We hung out all afternoon and evening. She took me to my first post-op appointment as well. Which was like going to a spa! It's the new location and where all the plastic surgery esthetics stuff is done, and all the lovely ladies who worked there all looked like they had work done. Anywho... The nurse took my giant surgical bandages off -ow! And looked at the graft site and said, "wow, that looks fantastic!" She then looked at the donor site and said, "this looks amazing as well" when do I ever hear things like that at the doctor?!?! uh never! SOOO yeah things were healing like they should. I was then shown and told how to care for both sites and bandage them up. The donor site is super sensitive and will hurt like it does for about another week. The graft site should remain ok, since it is immobile. Everyday I need to change the bandages. Well, after the appointment Angie agreed with me that my leg with both its sites has just become a larger pain in the ass then it was before because I can not do the bandage changes on my own... Meaning I need more help! Sheesh. So, yay yesterday good day.
I did NOT sleep well yet again, because well who can sleep flat on their back and not move at all or bend a leg - not many. Very uncomfortable. This morning my cousin Ari and her two boys were coming over to help me get ready for the day and then Hang out and help me. On their way to my house, they got to pick up Darla & Olive from the vet for me! Yay, girls are home and snugly. Well, I got bombarded by hugs and kisses from two little boys and the doggies when they came into my bedroom! When, Ari unwrapped my donor site, things looked the same and good. She added the ointment, put the pad back and wrapped it back up with ace bandage. We then slid the immobilizer off my leg, and unwrapped the knee/graft site.... and my eyes couldn't believe what I saw and I looked at Ari with watery eyes... There are about three staples that are loose and a part of the graft has "peeled" away from the knee and it looks drastically different than yesterday. I know I was told to be patient and that healing was going to be real tricky I was just HOPING things would go well. Sure enough, I called Dr Sigalove and he told me how to rewrap the knee a little tighter and that I need to see him first thing Monday morning. He might do a procedure in his office to help the graft he might not be able too. He then explained to me again that some times grafts don't take all the way and how tricky of a spot my graft was...he then also told me how sorry he was that this has happened. So, I am frustrated. I don't understand why things like this keep happening. I am praying that things heal and that God continues to give me the strength to get through this all. But boy is it maddening.
Until Monday... I will continue to sit and watch TV, movies and the hawks. I am asking and receiving the help I need. Icing my sites. Taking my meds. Monitoring my sugars. Doing everything I can.
Thank you for ALL the help... Thank you for the encouraging words... Thank you for the prayers. Here's hoping things take another turn, only for the good.
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