Healing

We're still in the middle of it but Mike is making progress and healing, slowly but surely. The picture is sepia tone because it isn't so harsh with the color removed. The light area at the top of the incision is a fatty tissue area on the inside of his abdomen. It has already mended from the inside, just needs to close up the remainder of the way on the external dermis area.

The tube laced through openings in the incision is part of the JP drain set-up. That tube snakes through parts of the intestine and is connected further down to a drain tube and a suction bulb. It's progress.

Difficult Days

After breaking my arm on 2/15 I had surgery to set the bones and secure them with rods on Wednesday 2/22. It has now been four days since having this latest procedure done and the pain has been, at times, unbearable.

I have not been able to use my hand or any portion of my arm. I have managed to identify a couple of propped positions where my limb is comfortable for short periods of time. Nothing is comfy for more than a couple minutes. I am indulging in pain medicine far too often for my own peace of mind. I've tried alternating with acetaminophen or ibuprofen and the far more potent oxycodone prescription pain reliever without success. The non-prescription meds don't phase the pain in the slightest. It is a catch 22 with not wanting to rely on these meds yet needing them to get through the day or night.

It is my prayer that these hardships will quickly become faded memories and my arm will regain strength and purpose without the pain.

Agonizing

I went in yesterday morning for that scheduled surgery to repair my deviated septum. I have been in complete pain and agony since then. My entire face and head hurts, bad. The area of my nasal cavities, everything behind my eyes and into my forehead has had agonizing pain from the moment I came to in recovery and it hasn't eased at all. The night was near unbearable. I was up and down the entire night and for a bit of time I know my body was experiencing shock and would have waves of uncontrollable shaking and chils would wash over me. The pain that started to grow in my mouth and ears last evening has intensified and every aspect of those two body areas hurt worse than any toothache I've ever encountered over the years.

Through it all, my thoughts drift to Quentin and all he endured when his nose was broken as a young teen. Although I had tremendous compassion for him then I know now that I didn't come close to imaginging the pain he was experiencing.

This really is unbearable. There's more I'd like to express but cannot possibly stay here at the keyboard. It'll have to wait.