Birkat HoGomel—the Jewish Prayer of Gratitude
This past Saturday, I attended Shabbat Services as I frequently do. I was asked to accept an Aliyah (being called up to the Torah to recite a blessing over a Torah reading). I accepted of course, but decided to take it a step further. I asked the rabbi if I could recite Birkat HaGomel. Birkat…
Long Overdue Update
Wow, it’s been a long month. I’ve lived with Wally the Wound Vac (yes, it has a name thanks to my friend Sue) for 4 weeks now. Yes, it’s a huge pain in the neck…and shoulders…but IT’S WORKING! My tunneling wound went from 10 cm deep to about 3 cm deep in the 4 weeks…
Me and My Wound Vac
Last week was a LONG week! I arrived at the hospital in New York at about 12:45 PM on Tuesday. After a long wait, I was finally wheeled into surgery at about 7PM for surgical debridement (a thorough cleaning of the wound). Before the procedure, I spoke with Dr. Dayan about a wound vac. He…
Quick Update on Procedure
This is a first—I’m writing from a hospital bed! Since so many of you have been checking in, I thought I’d give a brief status update. I got into surgery at about 7:00 last night. In general the surgeon was pleased with what he saw. (I haven’t spoken to him yet; this is based on…
Back to the Future
Sometimes in order to move forward you have to go backwards. Unfortunately, that is where I am now. I saw the surgeon for my weekly visit on Monday, September 18. While the abdominal and right breast wound are making good progress and will heal on their own, the left breast wound continues to fester. After…
Approaching 6 Weeks Post-Op—Finally Some Progress
Tuesday, Sept. 12 will mark 6 weeks since my surgery. I finally feel like progress is being made. I still have a long way to go and I’m not sure I see the light at the end of the tunnel yet, but now I feel like it’s actually out there somewhere. The visiting nurse first…
4½ Weeks Post Op—Challenges Continue, But Help Is Coming
Sometimes you need to advocate for yourself. I was scheduled for an appointment last Tuesday with a surgical NP. My surgeon was out of town for part of August so my hands-on care has been handled by his staff. His staff is excellent and I don’t have a problem with this. On Monday at 5…
3 Weeks Post Op and Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber
This is not easy. I look back on those earlier posts where I naively believed I’d be able to work part time after 2-3 weeks, and back at work around Labor Day. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’ve even wondered if this whole thing was a mistake. First the tidbits of good news. The…
Surgery and First Week Post Op
All the preparation did not prepare me for the last week. Last Tuesday, August 1, I got to the hospital at about 5 AM. After all the pre-op stuff, I was wheeled into the OR at about 7:30 AM. Next thing I knew it was about 9 PM. The surgery lasted 12 hours, far longer…
Surgery Is a Go
Thank you to everyone who reached out after the last post. Before I continue, I want to provide some updates regarding some issues I addressed in that blog. First, I learned that my insurance actually will cover a visiting nurse. There is a daily copay and I can arrange it if I want. Good to…
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