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.