Weeks 38-40: Thursday 10 - Wednesday 30 August 2017
So this exciting instalment covers a lot of things... a build up of more activity, some interesting wound management discussions, trips to work and exposure to germs!
The first weekend of this blog saw family members come to stay... aside from party pooper Linz going to bed at 10pm, it also meant that following a mix up with babysitting arrangements, children arrived too.
Unfortunately... said children may also have come with Scarlett Fever. Unforeseen but possibly not the best for someone with no immune system and open wounds... but life is funny like that.
To be fair, not sure if I contracted anything or whether it was chemo / surgery hangover...but I did have suspicious rash and vomited a few times the following week. .. but maybe I was just being a drama queen!
I actually spent most of this first week at my sister's in the Borders... where I was literally not allowed to do anything! 😄😄😄
Was great to have change of scenery though, and my niece and nephew started their new high school... so I spent the evenings grilling them and then playing 'self awareness games' lol... oh how to mix professional and scout games together lol 😄😄😄.
Got out to see the high life of the Borders and also got to celebrate my sister's birthday... unfortunately the requisite photo of us had me positioned under a spotlight... which definitely reflected off my bald pate in a very non flattering way... so had to get extra photo taken of us with my head scarf on...
(Vanity I know lol... 😉)
During this time, my amazing work family had another event fundraising for the charities I have benefitted from during this time... this time they did charity cycle around Millport... IN THE POURING RAIN! (Many jokes about chafing 😱)
Since they started fundraising, they have raised over £1000 so far, through the cycle, bake sale and hamper raffle.
You know... I would never wish this on anyone... but it is so touching that everyone has got together to do this in my name - really means so much to me 😄😄😄.
Other things of note in these few weeks... include the massive fact that my hair is growing back!!! I now have eyelashes and eyebrows... and unfortunately... hairy legs. To the point where I now feel I need to get them waxed, but my beautician friend just laughed and said I literally have about 8 hairs on my legs.
(That's probably true... but after 8 months of no hair... that's gigantic!!)
The other weird thing I discovered is that the skin that they took from tummy to put in centre of breast tissue... also started developing fluff! 😱😱. Supposedly that will sort itself out in due course... but I do have an image of going in for a bikini wax and asking for 'extras' 😱😱😱.
Anyway... my actual hair on head has had a growth spurt too... feels a bit like velvet... and can't really tell yet what colour it's growing in. At the moment it looks more grey than anything... but am also more comfortable going out without hats and scarves on nowadays too... there is something quite liberating about eyeballing people who may be staring at you... 😉
In relation to wound management updates... I changed from silver dressings, to honey dressings, and then to flamanol gel.
Basically, the honey dressings were to debride the dead skin ... which unfortunately I did not really understand the consequences of... 😱
Effectively it melted the dead skin away and pared it back to the fresh raw new skin underneath. There was blood. And the wounds then looked like bloody craters! This was planned supposedly. They just forgot to tell me that bit. You know, as I was nearly passing out with queasiness when changing dressings!!
Anyway... after another trip to wound clinic.. they then cut away dead skin with big scissors (ok as no feeling), and then tweezered out the remaining stitches... (bloody nippy!)... but supposedly still all good and going to plan 😄😄😄.
On upside... tummy scar looks amazing ... but funny story from support group... supposedly a great way to keep scar tissue to a minimum is to use a vibrator on it... however unlike when I happened to mention I like eating mints to control sickness, I really don't want my friends to inundate me with a supply of gift vibrators... 😜.
Finally... had to go through an interview with DWP to assess my levels of mobility and independence - what I have discovered is that once you are in a process they don't like letting you go!
Anyway... after answering some very personal questions, I got told I will hear back in about 6 weeks... I did stress to the very nice lady that I am not disabled and I fully intend on being back to work at earliest opportunity... so I am fully expecting a nil return for PIP Assessment. I didn't even want it lol.
Anyway... that's about all for this blog... basically I am getting a little bit stronger each day. Still sleeping lots and still on painkillers, but also managed to start driving in 10 minute increments in the past week ... freedom!!!
So again... build up process of getting up, out, about and socialising.
Concentration can still be an issue. Can't focus on reading or any complex plot lines on tv...but watching cookery and DIY shows... but starting to get impatient about recovery... so it's a sure sign I am getting better when I get impatient.
Next couple of weeks plan to get into work for visits and definitely get out more and get longer dog walks in 😄😄😄. Random conversations with friends online has sparked some interesting debates too...
As ever... onwards and upwards! X
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