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Thursday, June 24, 2010

SUTURES OUT!!!!!!!! Yayayayay!

So I am totally thrilled that I got my stitches out today. It ends up that they were not dissolvable at all, they were totally, through and through nylon. As my family doctor put it, "my butt these are dissolvable you poor thing."

Getting them out was not fun at all. All of the knots were under the skin and he had to dig them out then slice them out with a scalpel. For some of them he had to cut the skin. Normally I tolerate pain quite well, but taking out two of them really made me tense. So apparently each of them are infected under the skin and he said that if I had waited longer I would have formed cysts. Wonderful. I just hope that he got out all of the nylon suture material because he seemed to be haphazardly hacking away at the sutures. Some of the incisions yielded great amounts of material and others were just the knots tied. I can't tell if there is any left inside since they are so sore to touch. Also, they have hard lumps under each of the incisions. One of them is kind of concerning since it is a large ball and tender to touch. I certainly hope this goes away quickly.

After having my family doctor get out, hopefully, all of the stitches I have been quite sore. Even my frozen pea bags hurt simply placing them on the incision sites. But I have managed all day without crutches! Perhaps I should have used them after dinner, but I really don't want to have to go back to using them if I can help it. I had to take some acetaminophen before bed this evening since the incisions started to give me stabbing pains. I am sure in a couple of days that it will be better.

One thing is certain, in my next appointment with my surgeon, I am going to tell him how the sutures were not dissolvable. See, I was kind of paranoid about not knowing what kind of stitches I was getting because after my first scope, three of my incisions had nylon sutures that had to be removed, then the larger incision had a stabilizing stitch and steri-strips. I had called the surgeon's office and spoke with his secretary and she said that I had stitches underneath (that is what his protocol is) and it ended up that I just had the steri-strips and I started to rip open my incision, mind you not too much though because I figured out that those where holding the skin together really quickly. In order to avoid this confusion I made sure that we knew what kind of stitches I had. My Mum asked my surgeon two times after the surgery to make sure that they were dissolvable and that I didn't need to make an appointment with my family doctor to get them removed. Twice! And it still got messed up! This is kind of scary to think that we double checked and it still turned out the way it did.

I have pictures of my hip after the sutures were removed, but I don't think I'll post them. I don't want my blog to start being filled up with pictures of my hip and butt all over. This is probably the last thing somebody wants to look at!

2 comments:

  1. Hi HC,

    Told you I thought they were infected and the skin would start to grow over. Now out better late than never. Finally I got my daughter to take a pic of my sutures which I shall post when she comes home (after Sunday). Maybe you should put some cream on them in case they get further infected. Good thing not on crutches that is improvement good on ya! Had a bit of a set back. I tripped over my son's shoe of course my bad hip well pain pain pain. Don't you have to be so careful. Pain tabs coming but I want to watch the footy tonight and they make me sleepy, maybe like you peas might do. Keep up the good work. Jill

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  2. Can't wait to see the pics. Sorry for the tripping incident. That is unfortunate! Hopefully it has settled down by now. And yes, please try the peas, they really do work. I love having them on my hip! I love the calming coolness that lasts after you take the peas off too. Very soothing! You lovin' the World Cup?

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