It's our sixth day at the hospital.......time seems to be flying.....It was also Lekha's birthday by the Malayalam calendar. Calls from close relations and friends had started coming in from 6 o'clock. I'd wished her many happy returns with a couple of Cadbury's chocolate bars!
The day had begun early as usual with the sister, on duty, coming and giving Lekha her first infusion. The hospital was slowly come back to life and soon extended queues in front of the doctors' rooms were in place.
Lekha's younger sister and her son were the first set of visitors of the day. She'd dropped her elder son at his boarding school nearby before coming to the hospital. And then came our neighbours. Ten minutes into our conversation, Lekha was taken to the operation theatre for the review. The cast on the graft was removed to ascertain that the healing process was on.
The doctor had then briefed me about applying another cast after three days. He, then, gave us an option of going home to return for review after five days or for staying on for another five days till the last of the casts was removed and replaced with a light dressing which would go on for the next 45 days. We chose the second option.
The doctor had clearly spelt out the following facts:-
(a) the new wound was above the old graft to provide better anchor for the newly positioned skin.
(b) it would, therefore, be able to take more shocks and stress from the movement of the foot,
when things became normal.
(c) aesthetics had been achieved but its priority was low as the preceding points had to be
adhered to.
In short, the wound has become bigger than what it was last.
Tailpiece.
Was reminded of the words of the doctor who'd done the surgery last year, "You see sir, we shall hope and pray that Lekha's SLE never perks up again because in such an eventuality, the graft would be rejected by her system which will see the new skin as a foreign body!"
That's a disheartening thought to live with, I shall hope that such an eventuality never arises, ever!
The day had begun early as usual with the sister, on duty, coming and giving Lekha her first infusion. The hospital was slowly come back to life and soon extended queues in front of the doctors' rooms were in place.
Lekha's younger sister and her son were the first set of visitors of the day. She'd dropped her elder son at his boarding school nearby before coming to the hospital. And then came our neighbours. Ten minutes into our conversation, Lekha was taken to the operation theatre for the review. The cast on the graft was removed to ascertain that the healing process was on.
The doctor had then briefed me about applying another cast after three days. He, then, gave us an option of going home to return for review after five days or for staying on for another five days till the last of the casts was removed and replaced with a light dressing which would go on for the next 45 days. We chose the second option.
The doctor had clearly spelt out the following facts:-
(a) the new wound was above the old graft to provide better anchor for the newly positioned skin.
(b) it would, therefore, be able to take more shocks and stress from the movement of the foot,
when things became normal.
(c) aesthetics had been achieved but its priority was low as the preceding points had to be
adhered to.
In short, the wound has become bigger than what it was last.
Tailpiece.
Was reminded of the words of the doctor who'd done the surgery last year, "You see sir, we shall hope and pray that Lekha's SLE never perks up again because in such an eventuality, the graft would be rejected by her system which will see the new skin as a foreign body!"
That's a disheartening thought to live with, I shall hope that such an eventuality never arises, ever!
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