Face Update

A little under two weeks,  12 days after the skin graft, (Wed. May 28th) I had a few questions about what was happening on my face and how it should feel and look while it was healing.... 1. It was feeling hard and bumpy towards the bottom of the graft.  Should it feel this way? 2. the top inner edge, closest to my nose, was still oozing yellowish brown yuckiness.  What is it?  Should this be happening?  Why is it happening? 3. I could see that there were still some stitches left in my face.  Should I try to get them out, or should I wait and let someone in their office get them out? - I called my plastic surgeon's office and they asked me several questions over the phone about the color of the ooze, the temperature of my face around the graft site, did it smell?  Finally they asked me to come on in so that they could take a look at the graft site and the donor site to make sure neither of them was infected and that they were healing as expected.

In the plastic surgeon's office that day all of the steri-strips were removed and both sites were checked.  The donor site was healing nicely.  I got the okay to keep it completely uncovered, and to start using a new type of scar treatment gel called ScarAway on it twice a day.  (ScarAway is a fairly new gel treatment for scars that uses a blend of silicones that improve the appearance of scars and prevent abnormal excessive scar formation.... it also is expensive.  Approximately $25 for a 10 g tube.)  The graft site however, didn't look so good everywhere.  That top inner edge, closest to my nose, was still looking pretty gross.  The surgeon told us it was not infected, but that the edge of the graft may be dying.  If it was indeed dying, what the hope would be is that the other parts of the living graft would eventually fill in a dying or dead part.  What we needed to happen was for it to stop oozing and make a scab, so that it could heal, and maybe live.  I was given instructions to stop using the steri-strips on the graft site, and to start wearing a band-aid over the whole graft.  This would protect it, and help keep it free of dirt and infection while we waited to see what it was going to do. A few more stitches were removed from both sites that were missed at my previous appointment and buffing my graft site was also discussed.  Buffing would help to smooth and blend in the new skin on the graft site, but typically is not done until about a year after the graft.  It also is something that is very painful, so I would be put to sleep during that procedure. The plastic surgeon asked me to make my next appointment to see him again in about a month to check the progress and healing of the graft site, unless I called with concerns sooner.

I was less than thrilled with the news of having to wear a band-aid on my face all the time.  The gauze was bad, the steri-strips were okay, but a band-aid was a step right back to dorkville, in my opinion  At least the gauze screamed "this girl has something seriously wrong on her face", but the band-aid just hollers "hey look at this dork, I bet you can't resist asking her what she did to her face."  And, sure enough, kids and adults, friends and strangers, have all been asking, "What happened to your face?" or "What did you do to your face?"  Skin Cancer, SKin CANcer, SKIN CANCER, people!  WEAR SUNSCREEN!  PUT SUNSCREEN on your CHILDREN, and WEAR HATS when out in the sun.  You do not want to have skin cancer anywhere on your body.  Trust me on this one.  So, I went to Walgreen's and spent $24 on different types of band-aids. (We will not need to buy band-aids at our house for years.)  I wanted to follow my instructions, but wanted the least visible band-aid I could get.  I had no idea what size or type, so I bought 4 different boxes.  The best band-aid for me has been the box of 30 BAND-AID Clear Strips, All One Size.  The sticky part is clear, but the padded part is not.

Sunday, June 1st, Day 16 after the skin graft

After showering and cleaning around the graft site, it looked pretty good that morning...before it started oozing again (see picture below).  Finally at about day 18 it stopped oozing and made a big yucky scab.  Hooray, but eeeww. (And, sorry, no pictures of that.)

Thursday, June 5th Day 20 after the skin graft

After showering, I realized that the scab had fallen off.  Looking into the mirror I got pretty excited... It was pink and red.  This is good news.  That means, at least for now the whole graft is ALIVE!

My next appointment date to check the progress and healing is June 27th.  Until then I will be the girl wearing the band-aid on my face to protect my new skin that is ALIVE.  Thank you God for listening to my prayers and to the prayers of others who have been praying for me.  I will continue to hope and pray that my body keeps healing and the graft continues to grow healthy and stay alive.

Toads And Frogs

**GUEST BLOGGER**

 ~ Sarah Hendrickson ~ (edited by me, Mommy)

When we went outside I asked daddy if he could go in the window well and see if there were any toads or frogs. They lived in there last year.  I was excited cause I like toads and frogs.  Daddy went in the window well.  He found a little frog.  Then he handed it to me. It was slimy.  I petted  it gently.  

And then he found a big toad and a few weeks later it climbed the window well and we were surprised that the big toad had did that. There were also two big striper frogs. Daddy likes to use those for bait.

When daddy got the frog and he showed it to Silas, Silas looked, and in a few seconds it jumped right at Silas.  Silas screamed and ran away.  We all laughed a lot.

Daddy caught the frog again and we all looked at it again.  Then he put it back in the window well.  The end.

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."