Rest of the story

At least I wish it was the rest the rest of the story. As I detailed last month I was scheduled for surgery at the Huntsman Cancer Institute January 8th to have a larger incision and make sure all the cancer was cut out of my leg. It was a success, all the margins came back clear and now I just have to see the oncologist a couple times a year for a few years to make sure it stays that way.

At check-in we got some good news. My insurance had waived my co-pay. I guess they figured what's $20 when they are on the hook for 100 times (or more?) that. Thank you Altius! Despite the good news there was still a sense of foreboding. Not because I was scared, or nervous, or because I hadn't eaten in 12 hours, but because I was afraid they would find out I cheated and had a sip of water at 6:00 am. It's just so dry in this state, how can they expect no food or water after midnight?

There was bit of role reversal as Beth watched me slip into the ever revealing hospital gown and then get my first IV. Then there was the waiting game which went longer than expected. At least I had a T.V. But as SportsCenter began for a third time I decided to check out what else is on. I've said this before but daytime television is the worst! The total lack of options is infuriating. Even more so now that I can't watch any Olympic skiing or hockey live. The only interruptions came in the first 15 minutes as the heart monitor alarm kept going off as my hear rate kept hitting the low 40s. That made me feel good considering it had been 6 weeks since any sort of a work out. Now if I could just do something about the high blood pressure.

Eventually my doctor came and took me away, then I was put away into the magical land of no recollection or pain. Eventually I woke up with a huge bandage on my leg but otherwise I felt OK and walked out of there. While Beth got the car I got myself a Twix and Haagen Dazs and water and Diet Coke. Couldn't eat any of it and it wasn't until that night I felt OK enough to finish the kid's mac n cheese, only to get violently ill a few minutes later. The sad part was despite all that I don't think I got close to pre-Thanksgiving weight. There was some pain and nausea for sure but my parents took care of all for the next day or so.
The bandages stayed on for five days. Yes I did the ridiculous grown man in a tub with his leg up thing. Hated it.
Once removed an adorable 6 inch incision with 15 staples was revealed. The staples came out slowly over a three week period. I was told to take it easy for at least that long as there isn't a lot of extra skin in the calf/ankle cankle area and wounds often open up in that area. At one appointment I asked the nurse if it was just me or is the pain getting worse each day. She smiled and said that was a good sign that I was healing and the nerves were regrowing. I did think it was weird I couldn't ever feel them removing the staples.
This picture was taken February 2nd, almost four weeks later. As you can see my surgeon was some sort of magician and it had closed up and healed nicely. Well as I said at the start I wish that was the rest of the story. And since my doctor called this afternoon and I won't be going under tomorrow morning (delayed until next week) for another surgery (sorta unrelated) I should have time to that part.