Lippy, the Plastic Surgeon told me today,
"leave and never come back."
He also told me i CAN ride my bike again. Lippy said, 'the new skin is about 80% as tough as the old stuff so be very careful with your new skin. (Lippy wrote into my chart, "skip can ride his bike.")
Lynn the question sister asks, "Does the shin feel normal when you touch it? When something touches it (nerve feeling?)? Just curious. And how's your hip? " Lynn you supply some great questions again...
#1.) FEEL. i had not really felt the skin graft for 'touch.' i was always just so careful to change the bandage and avoid 'touching' the new skin. (it's been so tender i am conditioned to never allowing anything to touch the wounded area.) Today i was given orders from Lippy, to daily apply Aquaphor to the new skin. (advanced therapy healing ointment - clinically proven to restore smooth, healthy skin) *It has the Good Housekeeping seal. :-) While applying the Healing Ointment i found that the new skin has limited nerve feel. It's also very tender to the touch. I make a very conscious effort to not bump it. (i've been carefully practicing this since 7/8th)
#2.) HIP. well now, that's a tender subject... When they put the old bandage on 8/21st, they told me to 'leave it on till the skin heals and the bandage will fall off.' But, i knocked that bandage off when preparing for the hurricane. So i had to make a new bandage and mine was not the magic kind.... So the hip (photo from today) is not quite healed. But they put a new bandage on today and i expect it to be healed within a week. i am to change this bandage every 3 days. It does not 'hurt' but i can feel it and am aware of it.
It's great to be on the mend. I am loving walking upright on two legs again. So many things i have missed i can now take advantage of. I'm excited to be able to ride my bike to the store. To be able to take a shower. To have both legs in the water. Ahhh the little things we enjoy! I hope YOU have two good legs. Get up, walk!
This panoramic photo was taken from up on the bridge.
-Peg Leg Pirate Skip
