July 27, 2010

The Unveiling of the Leg. . .

This morning I arrived at my plastic surgeon's office with my entourage. Because the staff in his office don't wear uniforms, I was surprised when the woman who took me to my room started unwrapping my leg. I was about to tell her "hands off woman," when I realized that she was a nurse. She helped me unstrap the immobilizer, took off the ace bandage and then started cutting away layers of gauze. Finally, only once small piece of gauze remained over top of the incision area. I held my breath.

She slowly pulled it back and away and what was left underneath was nothing like what I expected. . .

I exhaled and choked back tears. My leg looks normal again.

The scars from the previous two surgeries are completely gone. The scar and all that crazy discolored skin, blood vessels so easily seen before right through the skin. . . gone. Instead, one half moon shaped incision line, thin and tight. The only bruising that remains was one the size of a pinky fingertip pad, right near the incision. When I tentatively touched the area, it didn't even hurt. The best part? The tissue there actually bounced back. You can't feel the bone anymore. For the first time, in two and a half years, the skin around that area doesn't hurt when touched.

I sat there in disbelief as my girls leaned over and admired my new leg. "Wow Mommy, your leg looks so much better!" they both said. I couldn't help holding up my right leg and making the comparison. They're now almost exactly the same.

My surgeon came in then and went through the dirty details of the surgery as he carefully took out the stitches. It pinched a bit (getting stitches out is always my least favorite part of the whole ordeal), but it was nothing major. He then placed some steri-strips over the incision and wrapped my leg up again in gauze wrap and tape. He wants me to keep a little compression on it for another week. The immobilizer needs to stick around through Friday. But I can start showering normally now. I can start FEELING normal now.

He discussed with me the importance of not doing any exercising for the next couple of weeks. The hole left in my tibia is substantial and it needs time to heal and close. I have a much greater risk right now of breaking my leg if I'm not careful.

I go back to see him in a month and I'll see my orthopedic surgeon in a couple of weeks. He's going to be surprised too I'll bet. I was expecting better; I wasn't expecting this good.

My plastic surgeon also told me he'll do whatever he can to help me get compensated for the alloderm. It was simply not an option to not use it and clearly it is doing what it's supposed to do. It's working and it's absolutely wonderful.

I am hoping this is the final chapter of this almost three-year ordeal. I still can't believe it.