Post 25: Updates

Updates!

• Big news first: the removed lump and margin area has been assessed (retrospectively); the surgeons are happy that all of the tumour has been removed! This means that everything that needed to come out is out, but also that I don’t need to go back in for more surgery.
• Also, I’ve been back to work this week!! (Which is the first photo in this post.) I work from home and (according to my kids!!) I don’t "do very much at work" anyway! The physical impact to my healing has been low but it’s made me a lot happier to be working again, as I really enjoy what I do.
• Otherwise, the flap on my chest has settled in a little bit. Until now, I’ve been washing it in the shower, but only _really gingerly_ using just soap on my hands to clean it and avoiding the scary blackened edges. Only this morning did I manage to get the majority of the black stuff off from around the edges, using a flannel and soap. Even then, I was a little hesitant in case I ripped my guts out, or something random. In fact, the skin has stitched together quite well.
• I am still back-crying a little from the wound in the ‘donor area’; am still having a pad on there in case, which saves changing t-shirts and bedsheets all the time. The wound itself appears to be gluing-over, if that is a term. The hole in my back appears to have covered over by a yellow-coloured glue; I’m guessing that this will turn into scar tissue, perhaps? (Will ask at hospital next time.)
• The scar under my armpit is probably the most progressed so far. Feels ok to touch, no pain, and the hairs are even starting to grow back from when they shaved it before surgery. The armpit fluid-lump is slowly decreasing, allowing a little more movement in my right arm, and generally a little less discomfort at night.
• Stitches – I’ve been asked if the stitches need to come out. They’ve said at the hospital that the stitches will dissolve by themselves.

#latissimusdorsiflap #latissimusdorsi #surgery #cancer #sarcoma