It seems as though life is at a crawl here. However, I expect our tolerance for waiting will increase tomorrow, when Allison and her family arrive! It will be good to have the distractions, and something to engage us while we wait for what comes next.
Four days post-surgery, we have adjusted to the status quo. Robert is set to see the plastic surgeon on Tuesday to have the official unveiling. His head is wrapped with what Dr. Convit called a “mummy bandage.” Essentially, there is an ace bandage covering the gauze that covers his wounds. It keeps pressure on the graft site – and also creates tension around his face, which is the major discomfort he feels. On one side it covers the incision from the sentinal node extraction. On the other, we can see the gauze.
He also has an incision on his abdomen where Dr. Convit took the skin to graft to his head. This is less troublesome for him, he says – he doesn’t feel it. However, it is bandaged and needs to be kept dry.
We have figured out how he can shower – with a bag over his head! Of course we don’t tie it in around his neck, but he cut it off so that it is long enough to keep the mummy bandage dry – it sits up there loosely, like a hood. To cover the abdominal incision we use waterproof tape to afix a section of the bag that was cut off. It works OK – not perfectly, but whatever dampness got inside seems to have dried quickly.
He also has figured out how to sleep with his head and shoulders elevated, as instructed. The first night he sat in a chair, but he’s been able to sleep since then. I think the Percocet helps him get to sleep, and three pillows keep his head and shoulders up.
And now, we wait for the biopsy results. I have not yet inquired why one specimen was to be examined locally while the others went to Boston. It’s a question for Dr. Boisvert when we see him on Wednesday.
So, not much to report on the melanoma front. We’ll let you know when there’s something to say. And in the meantime, I’ve bought new pillows – and toys! What fun!