Robin After Surgery (HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!) --- 09/30/09

Robin and I sat in her room with very little action (except filling out forms and signing pages) until about 9:00PM. THEN, all of a sudden, people in white coats started showing up to take blood, take vital signs, take x-rays, etc., etc., etc. Within fifteen minutes, they whisked Robin off to the OR for surgery. A little after 10PM, Dr. Mason came out to talk to me and said that everything went well. Robin had a Carbuncle (I think), A carbuncle is an abscess larger than a boil (not to be confused with the gemstone, “carbuncle“), usually with one or more openings draining pus onto the skin. It is usually caused by bacterial infection.     (Click here ==> Carbuncle).

I was able to see the wound today, and it is quite a bit larger than the last wound. I would estimate the hole is two inches in diameter, and about 3/8 to 1/2 inch deep. Her last wound required one full gauze pad to pack it tightly. This new wound took two full pads, and was packed loosely. Certainly, the surrounding skin is not as red as it was yesterday, and the wound is not oozing nasty stuff, like it was before surgery.

The pain has been much more tolerable today, but the shingles seem to be relatively unaffected by the pain medications. The rash from the shingles did not look as bad, perhaps the reduction of Robin’s stress levels. Dr. Mason started Robin on Valtrex, an antiviral medicine that prevents the virus that causes shingles from multiplying. It should shorten the duration of the disease and hopefully, reduce the potential nerve damage that might be done. The other rash in Robin’s waistline is almost gone (but not quite). Overall, Robin seems to be MUCH better (as I see it), even though she has lots of pain. My guess is that the carbuncle caused the other problems indirectly, by diverting so much of Robin’s immune system to that infection.

WRT Robin’s birthday, I gathered all the cards (and other stuff) you folks sent and dropped them on her bed after breakfast. She received 48 cards (59, if you count the card that my Mother made for Robin as 12 cards, which it really was). Robin has been getting phone calls and visitors all day, and when you add the medical visits, we have only had time to read about 15 of them. Based on this sample, though, I believe you folks did a great job!!! There were some that sang to her, “Sister Mary Discipline” talked to her about enjoying herself too much, and there were some that just made her laugh out loud. This was a dramatic difference from yesterday, when she was crying out loud. I imagine a few more cards will arrive today and tomorrow, so it looks like she will be reading cards for a several more days.

Well, I will sign off for now. I am out of time. THANK YOU ALL!!!! Please don’t be offended if I have not responded to your message to us. I have not been able to mail much from home lately, and when I do it takes HOURS to get it uploaded. (DArNED COMCAST!!!).

Love and Thanks to all,

                  --- Robin and Larry