Today is the day that the surgical dressing was scheduled to come off, and Rachel was more than ready to have it done. The adhesive cover they use is super thin, but it was about 5"x5", and it pulled and felt really uncomfortable when she tried to move her left arm. I think it bothered her far more than the incision did, at least after the second day.
So, she got up, and we went right to work. I was lucky to have a small vial of medical adhesive remover leftover from a few years ago, so I used that to start the edges of the dressing. If you've ever had your skin peel after a sunburn, then you know what the thickness of this stuff was. Incredibly thin, but with a glue that pulled at the skin and left it red.
We finally got it off, and got a good look at the incision site. Not bad, considering the fact that they'd been working with scar tissue. The incision is a bit lumpy because of that thin skin, but I know it will smooth out over time. It's not looking irritated or hot, and must have dissolving stitches, because there are no knots, and the thread almost can't be seen in most places.
Rachel was very happy to be able to have a real shower, and get completely clean all at once. It's amazing how good that feels, when you haven't been able to do it for a few days. She still can't submerge the scar for several weeks, but she can shower carefully, at least.
I may take a photo once it's healed a bit more, but not yet. It's still pretty fresh, and that just icks some people out. I just keep thinking that there's an awesome little device under that scar, which helps keep Rach feeling good, and she likes to joke about being a cyborg, so it's not so bad.
Thanks for hanging in there. I apologize for not updating sooner, but there wasn't much to share until the bandage could come off.
-Kelly
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