More Dancing In The Rain

Last Friday, May 23rd, one week, 7 days, after my skin graft surgery, I went back into the plastic surgeon's office to have the graft site and donor skin site unbandaged and checked to see if the graft was taking and healing.  A nurse removed the bandages and gauze.  On top of the skin graft site there was a Xeroform pad stitched in place.  So, she had to clip and remove those stitches before we could get a look at the graft site. Before the "reveal" she reminded Eric and I that we just don't want to see any gray or black areas because this would mean that the grafted skin is dying or has died, which means that the graft would not have taken and we would be back to square one, and starting over.  We wanted to see pink or red skin.  And, then she removed the Xeroform pad.... PINK and RED skin!  HOORAY!!!  The nurse asked me if I wanted a hand mirror so that I could have a look at it.  I actually wasn't sure that I wanted to see it.  If you have been following along as I have been telling about my adventures in skin cancer, you will recall that on my first surgery day, I actually asked for a mirror to see my face after the first stage of the Mohs surgery.  (Something that I will forever wish I had NOT done.  What a horrifying moment.)   If you need to catch up on my adventures you can Click HERE to read the first post, DANCING IN THE RAIN.  And, Click HERE to read the second post, STILL DANCING IN THE RAIN.  So, I asked Eric to look at my face, and then to tell me if I should really look too.  I probably asked him at least three times if he was sure that I should look.  He said, "yes", each time.  So I took the mirror and looked.  Below is what I saw, pink and red, and lots of small stitches.  Next, my surgeon came in to take a look.  He said that it looks GREAT!  It looks exactly like it should right now.  Not pretty, but just like it should look one week after the graft.  This was GOOD NEWS!

The nurse was instructed by my surgeon to remove all of my stitches around the graft and donor skin sites, then to clean the areas up with some saline and hydrogen peroxide mix.  Next, she placed some glue and steri-strips over the areas.  Eric watched how all of this was done, so that he could repeat this at home for me when necessary.  (He is such a good nurse.)  Then there was MORE GOOD NEWS, I didn't have to wear gauze on my face anymore!  And, EVEN MORE GOOD NEWS, I could go home and wash my hair!  Below is the donor site, right in front of my left ear, with the stitches removed.

Below is what my left side of my face and graft site looked like, with the steri-strips on, after we left the plastic surgeon's office on Friday.

And, below is a look at what the graft site looks like on day 10, Monday, May 26th, after the skin graft before Eric put new steri-strips back on for the day.

So, now we are playing a waiting game.  We continue to PRAY and HOPE that the graft will stay PINK and RED, ALIVE and HEALING.  I will return to the surgeon's office again next Friday, May 30th, for another check of the graft and donor sites.  The graft area could take up to six months to heal and start to look somewhat normal again, and my plastic surgeon may have to do some buffing and other procedures to help it look just right, but we are on the right track.  Again, THANK YOU all for your continued thoughts and prayers.  I appreciate them all so much.

May School Days

Phoebe really liked getting to do art projects at school.  She could not remember her favorite, but told me, "All of them were fun."  Each month the children in her class had a take home art project to complete with a family members help and bring back to school to hang on the bulletin board.  In March they completed a rainbow, in April it was a kite, and in May was the butterfly pictured below.  Also pictured below was an art project, a sunflower, that Phoebe made while at school this month.

More cutting practice... Phoebe is getting very good at using her scissors.

Me: How did you make this rainbow?
Phoebe: "We took the cars and we paint.  And, I made a rainbow."  (I think, that they used cars, first rolling them in the paint, then rolling them onto their papers to create the rainbow.)

Me: What was this plant that you brought home?  Tell me about what you got to do with it.
Phoebe: "A bean one.  Dirt first, then a seed, then cover it up.  And then it started to grow.  And then it growed leaves.  Then I put the bag on it.  And then we bringed it home.  That all.  And I plant it outside with Daddy."

Me:  What are these pictures that you made?

Phoebe:  (Kangaroo picture below) "A kangaroo with a baby.  I colored it with markers.  And I write my name where it says name.  (Caterpillar project below) First we read the story about the Hungry Hungry Caterpillar.  So there was a dark leaf and a light one, and I picked the light one.  I putted the things on it for the caterpillar and it was different colors.  And then I putted eyes.  And then I putted antlers.  And that was all that I did."

Me: What did you like about your teachers?

Phoebe: "They had fun at my class.  They were nice.  I liked everything."

Me: You and Daddy got to meet your teachers and some of your friends at the zoo on Tuesday to look at the animals together.  Who did you walk around with at the zoo?  What were your favorite animals that you got to look at?

Phoebe: "Malachi, me, and Daddy, their family.  My favorite thing was sheeps and goats."

May Schoolwork

May seemed to fly by for Sarah.  The last month of first grade.  She has learned so much this year.  She has shown us and her teachers that she is a hard worker and cares about completing all of her schoolwork correctly.  She wants to always do her best and she cares about being a good friend to her peers.  She is very smart and has such a big heart for others.  I hope this part of her never changes.

Me: What were some of your favorite things that you got to do or learn about in first grade?

Sarah: "Recess, sharing my turtle shell, Friday Free-Time, coupons for filling up your sticker chart, when you finish up your number scroll to 1000 you get a coupon to go to a restaurant, we got to have a paper and we wrote everybody's name in the classroom, assemblies, and talent show, computer lab"

Me: What did you like the least about first grade?
Sarah: "taking tests, getting things wrong in first grade, when I was on the bars at recess and I fell down and got the air out of me"

Me: First Grade Field Day was a very hot day!  Above 100 degrees on that day.  I did not get to go watch you because I had my first surgery that morning, but Daddy, Popee, Phoebe, and Silas came to cheer for you.  What events did you participate in?  What did you like the most about Field Day?

Sarah: "Egg race, Bean bag toss, Tire race, Hula Hoop contest, Soccer kick.  I liked winning the egg race and Hula Hoop contest."

Me: Tell me about the Hula Hoop contest.
Sarah: "Me and some girls were in a Hula Hoop contest and all the girls Hula Hoops fell down except Hannah and mine.  And, me and Hannah were still in it, and then Coach Miller gave us two Hula Hoops and we Hula Hooped and we Hula Hooped then Hannah's got mixed up.  Then Hannah's fell down and I won.  All the kids cheered."

Me: Most days you packed your own lunch to take to school with you, and about once a week you picked to eat a hot school lunch.  What were your favorite things that the school cafeteria served in the hot lunches?

Sarah: "CiCi's Pizza, Fudgesicles, sorbet, milk, and chocolate chip cookies, chicken dippers, popcorn chicken, corn dog, something that tastes like an orange but doesn't look like an orange, and I like the carrots and green beans and peas."

Me: You got to go on a first grade field trip to a Wichita Wingnuts baseball game.  Was it fun?  Tell me a little about the day.

Sarah: "Yes.  It was hot.  I had to go to the bathroom and I missed some of the game when I was going to the bathroom.  My head hurted a little.  We got to eat lunch there.  Some of them striked out and some of them didn't.  They got big hits."

Me: You also got to go on a first grade field trip to Camp Hyde.  What did you get to do there?

Sarah: "Played Ga-Ga, and we got to explore nature, and a girl that was naturey showed us where deers were living.  I got to be the car and Myla was driving me and I had a blindfold on and Myla had to drive me to the balls and then I had to throw them.  We ate lunch there on a basketball court."

Sarah worked very hard for a long time at school to write her numbers from 1 to 1000 on her number scroll.

Below is her end of first grade, School Memories book.

Me: What did you like the most about your teacher?

Sarah: "She was really nice.  She helped me.  She is pretty.  She has a pretty smile.  I was glad that I had her for my teacher."

Still Dancing In The Rain

Last Friday morning was skin graft day.  (I realize that almost every picture I post below is not flattering in any way.  And, some of them may make you sick or queasy because they do it to me too.  Just know, I am posting this so that you know what I am going through, and in hopes that you will take better care of your skin and your children's skin when you are out in the sun.  WEAR SUNSCREEN.  WEAR A HAT.  Find a shady place.)  I woke up very early so that I could shower and wash my hair.  I already had been told that I would not be able to wash my hair or get anything above my neck wet for about a week after the skin graft.  I know, YUCK.  

Below is the last picture that Eric took of the hole in my face before we headed to the plastic surgeon's office that morning.  Notice that with a little help from the Doctor, Eric had gotten almost all of the black debris off of my wound.  If you read the previous post about Dancing in the Rain you will recall why the debris was there and why it needed to be all gone before we could proceed with the skin graft.  If you missed that post Click HERE to read "Dance In The Rain".  At this point, I was, and still am, getting very tired and gripey about doctors, nurses, and my husband touching my face, and inflicting pain with each touch.  I am ready for healing and less pain.  In fact, I told Eric that that morning, and I asked him if he was ready to be done with cleaning and rebandaging my face....He said, "no".  Thank you God, for my patient husband, and for his extra patience that he has been giving me when I gripe and complain about how the gauze and tape look each time he tries his hardest to make it look just like he thinks I want it to look.

When Eric and I arrived at the plastic surgeon's office at 7:00am, Eric was directed to the surgery waiting area, and I was taken back to begin the pre-op process.  I first had to change into a gown, take all jewelry off, including my wedding ring, give a urine sample, and put my hair up into a not so attractive paper hat thingy.  Next, I climbed onto the rolling bed for a blood pressure check (my blood pressure was elevated, but not high enough to be overly concerned) and let the nurse get my IV in.  By now you should know that needles poked anywhere into my body are making me very anxious and feel sick.  So when the nurse poked the right side of my wrist and wiggled the needle around for what seemed like twenty seconds, I began by saying, "WOWSERS, that really hurts".  Then, I may have done a little bit of an audible whimper.  The nurse pulled the needle out, inspected it, and then let me and the anesthetist, Sharon, know that the needle was dull and she would get a different one and try a different spot.  Oh great I thought to myself, just one more needle poke, that's what I need.  And with that she poked the back side of my right hand and began wiggling that sharper needle around trying to find a vein.  Finally the anesthetist, Sharon, could see that my blood pressure was going up higher and I had just about had enough of the wiggling needle and she helped the nurse out.  Thank you Sharon!  Next, I was told to lay back.  The nurse started an antibiotic in the IV line and Sharon put some type of medicine into my IV line to help me relax.  She told me it might make me feel like I drank a glass of wine.  Okay, that would be good, I thought to myself, and maybe said out loud to Sharon.  Next, Eric was asked to come back with me.  We went over some paperwork and talked a minute.  Sharon told Eric that I would not be able to do housework or cooking for at least 6 weeks.  I verbally added, no sex either, at the end of Sharon's housework and cooking statement.  (Remember I had been given that medicine in my IV that was like a glass of wine, I could've said just about anything then.)  Everyone laughed and Sharon said that the medicine must be working.  Indeed it was because my details start to get a little fuzzy at this point.  I know Eric went back out to the surgery waiting area and I was wheeled into the surgery room.

In the surgery room I remember moving from one bed to another and being covered with a warm blanket.  I also remember two things being put onto my legs.  These things took turns squeezing each one of my legs which was supposed to help prevent blood clots in my legs.  I also had an arm blood pressure cuff on to help monitor my blood pressure while I was in surgery.  Then, I must have been given more medicine in my IV because the next thing I remember is waking up suddenly, but still feeling very sleepy.  My face was being sewn up on both sides.  I could tell this by the pulling and tugging.  I could hear the doctors and nurses talking around me and to me some.  Something was over my eyes so that I could not open them and look around.  Details are still fuzzy because I felt so sleepy.  A nurse cleaned my face up and rebandaged my face, then wheeled me into post-op.  

In post-op I continued to try to wake up. Eric was called back again to be with me.  He helped me get dressed.  At some point while in the surgery room someone had put my hair into a lovely bun on top of my head.  Eric told me that the bun on top of my head was hot, but I did not believe him.  The nurse went over the post-op instructions again with Eric and I and then I was walked out to our van.  (In all we were at the surgery center for about three hours.  7am check-in and pre-op, 8am surgery and then recovery/post-op)  I was still just so sleepy.  Eric drove us to the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions that had been called in for me.  I slept in the van while I waited for him to go in and get the prescriptions.  Then, I tried to sleep on the drive home too.  (Below is a picture Eric took of me in post-op after helping me get dressed.)

When we got back home I went to our bed and laid down to sleep some more.  The next thing I knew a little arm was gently around me giving me what could probably qualify as one of the sweetest little hugs ever.  When I started to wake up from the sleepiness, I was hungry and my face was starting to hurt...bad.  Eric went and got me some soft foods, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese from Kentucky Fried Chicken.  (I was told I should eat soft foods for a couple days after surgery.  This was because the movement from chewing affects your whole face.  It made my face hurt even more when I was chewing.)  I took some pain medicine and an antibiotic, ate my lunch, and then went to sleep again when Eric returned to work for the afternoon.  Here is where I should give a big SHOUT OUT of THANKS to my parents...THANK YOU DAD and MOM for helping take care of our children and me, and for helping to keep our home running smoothly while I had both of these surgeries on my face.  It would have been more difficult and stressful for both Eric and I if it weren't for you both stepping in so willingly and helping us out in our times of need.  THANK YOU!

Dancing and playing in the rain, sort of ~ That evening Sarah had her first baseball game.  I wanted to go to watch my little slugger, so I got dressed, took the "hot" bun off the top of my head, and went to her game.  It was a little bit rainy outside, so I watched from the van with Silas, Phoebe, and my parents.  Sarah played right field in the rain.  They let the teams play for two and a half innings, then with two outs and Sarah up to bat, they called the game off because of the rain.  REALLY?!?  Boo to them.  They had already let the kids play two full innings in the rain, so why not let them at least bat through each of their line-ups before calling off the game in the middle of the third inning. And, REALLY?!? There were two outs, at least end on the third out.  REALLY?!?  We're about dancing in the rain in this family, and playing baseball in the rain too apparently.... come on people, I just wanted to see my daughter slam one into the outfield.  Now, I was getting a little grumpy/mad, my face was hurting again - time for some more pain meds, and I was just SO tired, again.

When Eric uncovered my new wound area on the left side of my face the next morning (Saturday) to clean and rebandage it, we got our first look at what had actually been done, and more tears from me.  I thought this incision would be more on my cheek and smaller, but it actually started a bit above my ear, in my hair/scalp area, and runs the length of my left ear, and down below it just a bit. It is about 6cm long or about 2 and a half to 3 inches long.  There are approximately 26 stitches there.  This is the place that the skin was taken from for the skin graft.

I handed my camera to Sarah and asked her to take a few pictures of her Daddy cleaning my new wound and bandaging it back up.  I close my eyes every time he does this for me.  I think it helps me to not feel pain...not really, but I don't know any other reason that I do it.

Keep dancing in the rain ~ I am SO THANKFUL for Eric.  He has patience beyond measure with me.  I am OBVIOUSLY ready for everyone to stop touching my face NOW.  But, he, and I, know he has to keep cleaning, applying medicine, and rebandaging my face until it starts to heal and the doctors give us different instructions.  So, for putting up with my tears, my sighs of discontent and impatience, and my complaints about how the gauze is taped onto my face, I am nominating him for HUSBAND OF THE YEAR.  There are many other reasons he should get this award, but hands down this year, the award is his.  God sure gave me a good one with him.  He was and will always be the perfect match for me.

More dancing in the rain ~ My parents got me a new phone.  A FANCY phone.  I did have an old flip phone.  It worked just fine for me.  It made calls.  I knew how to use it and my girls knew how to use it.  But, about three weeks ago my parents upgraded their phones and mine at the same time.  They gave me my new phone on the day of my first surgery.  Now, I can make calls, text, take pictures, and get on the internet all on my NEW phone.  It is actually pretty fun and handy to have.  I wasted about two hours one night sitting on our couch with my parents listening to and picking out new ringtones.  We shared a lot of belly laughs about ringtones and which ones should be assigned to certain people on our contact lists in our new phones.  I also have used it to look up things on the internet, below I am looking up one of my medicines that Eric is supposed to put on the wound by my ear... Bacitracin...what was it for?  Was it the same thing as Neosporin?  Where could I buy it?  I found all the answers on my new phone.

Dancing in the rain ~ Flowers and candy!  On Friday my Dad took Phoebe with him and they picked Sarah up from school. It took them an extra long time to get home... That was because they were picking out cheer up and get better flowers and chocolates for me!  How thoughtful!  The flowers could brighten up anyone's day and I do LOVE chocolate.

Still dancing in the rain ~ Because I haven't been able to wash my hair now for a few days, my children have been kind enough to help me brush and comb it.  It is actually very relaxing to sit and have someone else brush my hair.  Thank you to my children for being thoughtful, understanding, and kind during a hard time for me.  I love you each so much.

Did you know that May is SKIN CANCER AWARENESS and DETECTION month?  It is, and my HOPE for you is that you will read my story and be more aware of the sun and UV rays/light and the damage it can and will do to your skin and your children's skin.  Protect yourself and those precious babies.  WEAR SUNSCREEN.  WEAR A HAT.  Find a shady place.  Remember there is always HOPE in all situations.  God gives us HOPE.  We can cling to it and His promises.  One of my best friends, and owner of the The Rusted Chain Jewelry, designed a bracelet for skin cancer survivors, but it is fitting for everyone. 

 "HOPE shines brighter than the sun". 

(Click HERE to see and order one for yourself or someone you love today.) 

"The Lord has promised good to me.

His word my HOPE secures.

He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures."

~ 4th verse, AMAZING GRACE

I will return with HOPE to my plastic surgeon on Friday afternoon (May 23rd) to have the bandage removed over the skin graft.  At that time my doctor will evaluate how the skin graft looks and if it is taking or not, and give Eric and I new instructions for home care.  Please continue to pray for me, that the graft will take and that both wounds will heal nicely.  THANK YOU ALL for your prayers, cards, food and meals for my family, words of encouragement, and support!