Today is the day the stitches come out. Not something I was looking forward to but something which has to happen before the skin grows over the stitches and the nurses have to dig out the stitches.
Early preparation means take extra pain killers before going to the hospital.
In an attempt to get through the system faster I was at the hospital much earlier than I needed to be, not even the coffee shop was open...bugger.
I have a Kindle, I can wait for hours if required. And it was.
There were delays.
The doctor called me in at about 9:45 and then decided I needed the dressings off first, funny that. Hard to see wounds covered by dressings.
More delays. The nurses do what they can but there were about 60 other patients patiently waiting, is that why they're called patients?
The dressing came off and things looked OK. Some of the stitches were removed and the nurse decided she needed some feedback.
The trainee surgeon came and had a look, she decided that the surgeon also needed to have a look but that takes longer. So I continued to wait.
I had thought about taking some additional painkillers to the hospital with me but had decided against it as I thought I would be home before the original lot wore off.
Mistake. After the plastic surgeon folded my fingers double I knew it was a mistake and no, they don't supply painkillers in the dressing rooms.
As it turned out they still had to dig out some of the stitches. Some of that was nearly as painful as the original injury and I had some painkillers in my system from this morning unlike when I got my fingers caught in the first place..
Anyway, after some of the removals and the dressing here are some photographs for your viewing pleasure (if that's the right word).
Back of hand new dressing.
Palm side of new dressings.
The ends of the fingers doesn't look so pretty, yet.
The surgeon thinks I might grow one new nail but not two.
The little black triangle at the base of the ring finger is the graft.
Some of the stitches removed.
Some of the stitches removed.
All of the stitches removed from here.
From here I get the tip of the finger dressings changed every three days, Michelle has agreed to help with this.
Next Thursday I get to have another check by the professionals at Flinders Medical Centre.