Recovery Day 24

Follow Up Visits Galore!

Today was post op appointments Day 1. Three more days of post op appointments between now and the 21st. And then more I'm sure after that!

The morning started with blood work at 8:30. Then it was off to the wound ostomy clinic. After two calls with them over the weekend and this week, they had moved up the appointment from next week to today. The good news is we discovered the cause of the pain he's been having! The bad news he does now have an open wound bed sore! Everyone is pretty sure this is from the 17 days in the hospital and the massive amount of time he was unable to move much. They taught me how to dress his wound. And now we have an additional follow up with them on the same day as his plastics post op. 

After that appointment, he had his post op with Dr. Fournier and his team. After meeting with the nurse and PA, his nutritionist met with us. Due to the burning his internal organs took and his bed sore, Alan has to focus on eating between 120-130 grams of protein. It's the only way his insides will heal. So while he has done well focusing on 5-6 small meals a day, now we will be upping his protein intake to at least 20 grams in each. 

Then Dr. Wise One came in. He is so pleased with how Alan is doing. He was surprised with Alan has a bed sore. He wonders if it isn't a bed sore but shingles. So I will keep a close eye on it. In the meantime we will dress it and handle it as a bed sore! So grateful for a fabulous nurse friend who walked me through the supplies I have and the two different ways to treat it. 

Tonight after he showered, I dressed his drain that is still leaking fat necrosis. Then I cleaned and put antibiotic ointment on his incision. Dr. Fournier was thrilled with how his incision has healed. He thinks they could come out next Monday or the following. Then I dealt with changing his colostomy bag and dressing the bed sore! All told from the "I'm ready to take a shower" comment to complete was an hour and a half long process. Just when we thought we were getting to a point where we might get faster at this process...

After 4 hours at MD Anderson's Med Center location, we headed back home. The morning was long and took a LOT out of him. 

In other news, the girls and The Woodlands High Band had two competitions from Saturday to Tuesday in San Antonio. They placed 2nd in the Bands of America Super Regional and 4th in the UIL 6A Marching Band State Championship. 

Sadly upon coming home, Audrey wasn't feeling well, along with many of the other band members. Wednesday, Audrey was diagnosed with strep. Today Rebekah came home and was diagnosed with the flu!

So now the pharmacy on my kitchen counter and the medical supply company on my bathroom counter have both expanded greatly. 

Prayer Needs:

• Girls to heal and not get each other's illness. 
• Alan not to get either of their illnesses. 
• Me to stay well and able to care for the three of them. 
• Girls to be able to get all their school work done. 
• Alan's bed sore to completely and quickly heal. 
• Exhaustion is definitely real - sleep for Alan and I both. 

Everyone is isolating from each other and masking when around Alan. Erie Covid vibes... but we are all trying to protect him. 

Thank you all!

- Mel