FOR THE STRONG ONLY... GROSS PICTURES ATTACHED OF MY NEW OPEN SURGICAL WOUND. Darcy, this one's for you.

My wound was left open intentionally. It is packed with several feet of gauze that is packed way into the gap that was left behind from the port. Billy will remove the packing today and replace it with several feet of fresh gauze, and my friend back home will unpack and repack the wound every day. The object is for it to heal from the inside, out. So, hopefully the inches of gauze will get a tad smaller every day.

Dr. Billy opened the port incision to clean it and to remove the port. He also made small slits in 2 of my original wounds (you can see bits of white Steri-Strips) to insert the camera for the laporscopy (sp?) and he made one brand new incision... can you find it? Nope, cuz he was nice enough to hide it inside my belly button, so when it heals it will be completely concealed.

Get your barf bags... Darcy, enjoy.

Photographs by NPM (Nurse Penni Money)

Well it's about damn time! I'm so glad to hear it's really, really closed now.

M

I'm glad it's closed and LET'S HOPE IT STAYS THAT WAY!!!

I wanna see a pic NOW

Here's a current pic. Not bad compared to the original one, eh?

It really does look like an eye with eyelashes!

I'm so happy for you!

Lisa,

I think it just winked at me!!!

Right back at ya...

My belly is winking at all of you! She's very happy today. All that rash around the whole thing from a years' worth of bandages can finally heal. And I can put nice lotion on now, winky wink.

Yay Lisa! this is such wonderful news! I'm doing the happy dance for you right now!

Congrats!!!!! I am sure u feel much better!

Holy Moly Bat girl!! Where did the hole go? It is GONE!!! HOORAY!!!

I am so happy. OK don't move, don't sneeze, don't cough. Hold it! Steady!! Yeah it is closed alright. LOL!!!!

I agree with you DeLarla. It looks like a purple mouth with teeth around it (LOL). I'm so glad you're better!!!!

This is the first week I'm able to look at the "before" pics of this wound. Trust me (and ask Penni if you don't believe me) but the pictures don't do the thing justice. It looks like a surface wound from the pictures, but it was the size of a huge golf ball in depth with a 2nd gaping cave off to the side deeper into my belly. You could stuff a sock in it. (Okay, a kid's sock.) So thank you all for being happy with me. This is huge to me. Champagne-this-weekend-huge.

Jack, I've heard that "sage" thing many times before, but till this day I don't know what a sage is or what it's saying, but it must be a good thing, huh? Today I am clearing all the surgical supplies off my bathroom counter! I'm even in the mood for an order of those dancing bananas.

WOW! you did a good job of healing...

are you sore or anything?

I'm so happy for you Lisa, now that your wound has finally healed. You have been through so much and continue to be such an inspiration to me.

Thank you.

talk about your navel gazing....