Here I Go Again

Today’s sweater weather picture is brought to you by… emergency surgery and icy cold pre-op! Also, it’s a selfie because Husband didn’t want to come. It’s fine. I’ll do it alone.

My hand to God, I was whistling “Hi Ho” on the way out the door. So at least I’ve got that going for me, which is nice.

Today is to be the 9th surgery on (what remains of) my left leg in 10 months, although this time it is for a different reason than every other surgery. Those who have been following my story know that I have a blood clotting disease that caused catastrophic clotting in my left leg and elsewhere in my body, which ultimately resulted in amputation of my left leg below the knee and an amendment to it (shortening the amputation) shortly thereafter.

In the 11ish weeks since the last surgery, I have enjoyed the joys of both IV antibiotics and a wound vac. Although I’m done with the antibiotics, the wound vac has been sucking the life out of me (quite literally, I assure you) for weeks and weeks. At first the idea was that the wound vac would keep the incision pulled closed and dry so it could actually, finally, heal. And although wound vacs totally suck, I was healing!

Everything went swimmingly.

Until it didn’t.

About two weeks ago skin right next to the incision from the last surgery, which still hasn’t healed all the way, began to break down. I faithfully endured the wound vac but my previously virtually pain-free existence became extremely painful as the skin continued to look worse each day. With every vac dressing change the breakdown seemed to grow bigger and grosser, finally turning necrotic. My previously empty wound vac canister began to actually collect fluid (yuck) until things turned really interesting and my wound vac became vampiric.

Blah blah blah

*covers half of face with cape, raising only one eyebrow maniacally*

It vas suckink my blahd!

Seriously, if you didn’t just read that with your best Transylvanian accent and chuckle even a smidgen, there’s less hope for you than there is for me, because I am cracking myself up, especially considering the vampiric scars left by the PICC in my chest!

Anyway, once the vac started sucking blood, it was discontinued until the nurse could talk with the surgeon. So late this morning I got called and given two choices:

1. Put the vampiric blood sucker back on my stump.
2. Come for surgery today.

How exciting is that?

So rather than endure the sucking for another week and then almost certainly have surgery anyway when Husband has to be gone, I decided that today would be the perfect day for an operation because then at least he could come retrieve me from the hospital when all is said and done.

Oh what an adventure my life is!