Day 123 - Pain killer Cocktail, originally uploaded by clarity25.

It's now 5 days after the surgical procedure and I'm in more pain than I expected...

I was under the impression that I would have only one follow up appointment on Monday. They would give me the bandages and antibiotics I need to heal and send me merrily on my way.

I was wrong...

On Monday they opened up the bandage and took a look. The wound is deeper than I thought and there was unfortunately some more cutting involved. (ouch!!) I went again on Thursday and although it's healing up nicely, they are going to have to do another procedure NEXT TUESDAY to make sure it closes up evenly. It's a hole, so they can't just stitch it up like a regular wound. This procedure involves some sort of burning (?) and I was warned it would be painful.

"Be sure to take a heavy dose of your prescribed painkillers before the appointment. At least an hour in advance"

Wonderful. Could anybody who has experienced something like this give me a heads up on what they're referring to?? the nurse didn't seem to want to elaborate.

I will have to go to the hospital wound clinic two times a week for the next 4-6 weeks.

The doctor instructed me to take a few days off from work for bedrest, to avoid moving my arm as much as possible and not to carry anything heavy for a while.

So I've been off from work this week and resting in bed most of the time. I have a cocktail of Vicodin, Motrin, Naproxen, Aspirin and Acetometaphin. I have the doses measured out, so don't worry.. I'm not taking them all at once. I'm in pain, but not suicidal.

I'm feeling a little better tonight, ...it's good to know I'm slowly healing. I can move my arm again without the extreme pain under my arm. I have to take it easy, but I should be back on my feet entirely by next week.

But I'm NOT looking forward to receiving the hospital bill in the mail...

This is just an update on the ER visit and to let you know what's going on right now. I'm woozy, so now I just need to crawl into bed and get some sleep.

THANK YOU so much for all of your supportive, caring and kind get well wishes. It meant a lot to me and helped me get through this week. It's nice to be back. I've really missed you guys.