Definitely on the mend.

Tuesday I had another appointment with Dr. JG. SS was decked out in full Dr. SS gear, and Dr. JG was happy to see her again. He looked at the infected areas but decided to wait two days before draining. We have no idea why he chose to wait, dude is kind of weird. But since it was postponing slicing into my skin and more pain, I was happy to procrastinate. After my last surgery, the emergency, really big one, I did not have an appointment with Dr. Pudge Boy until a month after and the man was no help. Completely different experience now.

We were at the doctor's office at 9:30 a.m. this morning. Like Tuesday, I dressed SS while she slept, and that is no easy task, because it included her shoes. Waking up SS before her time can get you killed, so we do crazy things to avoid her wrath. On Tuesday, I secured her in her carseat and she did not wake up until we left the driveway.

Dr. JG came in, said hi to P and I, turned to SS and said in a formal tone "Hello doctor." Dude has a pleasant bedside manner, in addition to five kids, and the youngest is only two. The middle of my large incision is still draining and the doctor seemed pleased at the mess that is my infection. He wanted to cut and drain without numbing and I said heck no. I do have a high threshold for pain, but the heck if I want more right now. He obliged and I did not mind all the twisting and blood, because I was not feeling a thing. Dr. JG asked P to "milk" the infected areas frequently. Sunshine loves blood, guts and gory stuff, as long as it is not him. The doctor's request made Sunshine grin like a fat kid in a candy store.

I have an appointment in a week. Dr. JG is confident that this is the last hurdle I will encounter. The man obviously does not know me and the dark cloud that follows me everywhere. When the local anesthetic wore off I was hurting something awful. The Percocet did not help much, all that twisting he did I felt. It was difficult to keep a happy face for SS, but I am really good at that.

Although the pain is there daily, I am really doing so much better. It was worth taking a chance and closing the incisions, even though it became infected. Bottom line is that I was not doing this well fourteen days after my previous surgery. I can pick up SS, she is not constantly reminded about Mama's surgery by the wound vac. I know this because we have to remind her that Mama's incisions still hurt. SS forgets and gets really rough in her play, which makes me feel good. Her guard is not up, she is not hypervigilant. We also know that JJ's time with SS has a lot to do with this.

It is going to take months before I am back to whatever normal is. But for now I am really grateful for how I am feeling, and more important, I am grateful that SS fared better emotionally this time.

SS was seating in bed next to me while P was draining and cleaning my incision. P used a saline solution at the end and I complained because it felt cold. SS was frowning and mumbling something at P. Thinking that she was mad at P for hurting me, we quickly reassured her that Mama was not in pain, just startled. SS then showed us her arm and said "No, it got me!" Ha! So much for my daughter coming to my rescue. She was teed off that some of the solution got on her delicate arm. A while later, I placed my hand on my chest, close to the dressing that P was securing. SS said, "No touching Mama," and quickly removed my hand and held it on her lap. When P was done he asked SS if she wanted to touch the dressing. The girl had the gall to say yes, and did touch it, while still keeping my hand away. At least she always delivers a good laugh.