Yesterday I had another fun adventure. Last year I had a rash on the area that was radiated. Four doctors looked at it and no one could figure it out. Finally a dermatologist said take the wait and see approach because she didn't want to biopsy the radiated skin due to excessive scarring. Well it came back and this year on my arm and leg so they sent me to a new dermatologist who gave me the option of wait and see or biopsy it. I said I have already waited and it came back so I would prefer the biopsy. She biopsied the place on my right thigh. So now I have a big bandaid, a single stitch, and get to wait two weeks (more of that patient patient crap that I am so good at - along with suffering in silence).
Whenever you have a 'procedure' they give you written directions to take home. Usually they give them to you just before the procedure to distract you from the impending 'little pinch' and say its all written down for you to take with you. Well that's just fine and dandy. You have to remember to read them later on when you aren't distracted by needles and people asking questions. I have two weeks of being patient to worry about potential issues. From Mondays little needle, I should be concerned about: severe pain that you have never felt before; new numbness or weakness in your legs; loss of control of your bowels or bladder; or signs of infection (like fever, or red or warm skin where you were injected). Too bad the injection was in the middle of my back so I will have to ask for assistance in checking it.
From yesterday's little adventure, I need to keep the area dry for 24 ours; remove the bandage after 24 hours; learn the area twice daily with soap and water; allow area to dry, apply a layer of Vaseline; cover with a clean bandage (provided); continue would care until the stitches are removed (or in the case of no stitches, until the area is healed). If you should experience any bleeding at the biopsy site, apply direct pressure for 20 minutes (no peeking!). If you are still bleeding after this process, apply a second course of pressure for 20 minutes. Call if this does not control the bleeding. If you encounter any problem in following these instructions or if signs of marked redness, tenderness, pain, fever and/or discharge occur, call the office. After I got home from work I read these instructions and noticed bleeding under the bandaid but not through the bandaid.
Should I practice my patient patient skills or just pretend I am normal and be crabby and stressed? I was crabby and stressed last night. It was hot. I got home late, had to rush around. Burned dinner. Was very crabby. Was told to sit down and drink a glass of wine before being crabbier.
Today it is 47 degrees this morning (yesterday was a high of 93). I am going for a walk now and then some 'rocket scientists' are coming to remove the bird's nests from the gutter helmet which is supposed to prevent all animals and birds from getting in to your gutters. We have two birds nests. I was told on the phone 'they probably need to be readjusted'. Well, I have been waiting a month and now think we have baby birds instead of just a nest. I want to be home when they arrive so we can see about relocating the nests instead of just destroying them. (Perhaps I have some latent crabbiness lingering here....)
I do need to add that although my back isn't 100% it is substantially better than over the weekend. that could be due to the fact that I have been able to start taking my pills again. Last night I got about 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep, was up for an hour or so and then got another hour. I'm shooting for 8 solid hours of uninterrupted sleep. Some day??? Please?
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