Surgery Tomorrow With Dr. Lettieri

UNFORTUNELTY THIS DID NOT GET POSTED UNTIL AFTER THE SURGERY.

When I came home from the hospital last week I was told to clean the open wound area everyday with a solution Dr.Lettieri gave me and to keep it covered. That night I came home and cleaned out the area and noticed there was a bandage or clear mesh substance covering the area. I began to clean and took that very important piece of integra out of my ear.  I can tell you it was one of the worst pains I have ever felt and bled like crazy.

Looking at this now, I can clearly see the integra

I had a post operative appointment the next day with Dr. Lettieri, he was quite amused that I had pulled out the integra.  It is a glue designed to keep the area covered and only done under  general anesthesia. Imagine how dumb I felt, good thing Dr. Lettieri had an alternative and I was ok with his funny candor as he explained the importance and expense of the integra.

This is what it looked like when I went to see
Dr. Lettieri--Integra Gone

I've spent the past week cleaning the area everyday and keeping it covered. Yesterday I visited with Dr. Lettieri after spending some time with him it was determined I will enter into surgery tomorrow.  Dr. Lettieri is going to debris the wound and fill it with integra again.  I was under the impression the wound would be stitched back up, however he explained to me the risk of another infection.  He will eventually do a skin graft over the area, then we wait and see how it heals. I will be undergoing a few more surgeries.

Day after surgery--Dr. Lettieri Blonde Proofed
the integra...it won't be coming out this time.

This surgery has really been difficult to recover from. Maybe it's from the anesthesia but I have been nauseated and dizzy for 3 days.  Today I am grateful I was able to write a couple thank you notes and lift my head off the pillow for a few minutes without sickness lingering in my head.  I have not taken any pain medicine, I will start a regimen of Advil tonight to help relieve some of the pain.

Post-op With Dr. Lettieri

On Thursday March 31st I entered Maricopa County Hospital for my post op to the surgery I had on Monday March 28th. I felt good, had no idea what was about to come out of his mouth. " We are going to admit you in for an immediate surgery it looks like things have made a turn for the worst" The surgery was not long but I was not expecting to be headed to surgery so had driven myself. Frenchie left to take care of some maintenance issues on the condos in Mexico and would not return until Friday night. I wanted him to enjoy his time away, as he loves to visit Mexico and I know this would be an in an out procedure there was no need to alarm him if not necessary,  I quickly sent a text out to all of my children asking them if any of them would be available to pick me up after an unexpected surgery but to please not tell their father. I knew he would rush home only to be waiting on me when he could be enjoying the cool breeze of the ocean. Of course this escalated into a full blown major even when Blake decided to call his father and tell him what was going on, without actually knowing what was going on.  I ended up calling my sister Sonya and she was able to work out picking me up. She said Dr. Lettieri explained to her there was some infection to the peroded gland.  Sonya picked me up and drove me home where I rested for the rest of the day.

Sonya mention when Dr. Lettieri talked to her he told me the cut on my neck is an open wound, he stuffed it with antibiotic beads. I've never heard of them and have to admit I was curious; but I was told not take the bandaging off.  Last night  blood was dripping and causing the bandages to loosen up. I text Dr. Letieri and asked what to do, he said to keep it covered with an ACE bandages around my neck to keep everything sterilized.  It was never sterile, it dripped constantly their medicated bandage was falling off bit by bit, piece by piece....believe me it was not sterile.  One morning I was changing the dressing because it had so much blood, it was very difficult to keep it from leaking. The packaging and taping they used caused the sharp edges of the tape to gouge my neck.

Anti-Biotic Beads--they look like teeth

On Saturday I received a call informing me I would be back in surgery Monday April 4th (today) at 5:30 am. I'm not exactly sure what this surgery is for, maybe to take out the antibiotic beads
Dr. Lettieri place in the open wound on my neck, if that is the surgery it should be quick and I should be home to my comfy bed before noon. Giving me enough time to heal and be on a plane for St. Louis on Wednesday.

I was told when being released from the hospital exactly what I was suppose to do to keep this doozie clean.  It was stuffed with saline soaked gauze, then a dry gauze over that then wrap it up with an ACE bandage to keep it all sanitary and clean.  Pulling the gauze off was brutalizing. Not enough pain medicine could keep from wanting to scream out in pain. I soaked it with as much water as I could.the started to peel away the gauze it was dry and bloody.

now that is impressive

I text Dr. L to ask him if it was normal to feel throbbing pain, not be abel to turn my head one way or the other, and to barley be able to open my mouth....?  His text back was Yes it is normal, but you need to get some ibuprofen in your system then it will start feeling better.  Dr. Lettieri told me to keep the wound wet, clean and covered. He can't stitch this up until full recovery occurs.  I will see him next Monday.

My body has an awful time healing, I'm exhausted quite literally tired of surgery after surgery, weird diagnosis after another; it's time to live an abundant life free of pain, sorrow and exhaustion.  Within one week I have had three surgeries, scraping and cleaning out infection.