Speed bump! Back to ED

Don't panic Mr Mannering!

We hit the Emergency Department this morning (Sunday, 10 days post-op) cos the flap was oozing stuff. It's ok, it's a "superficial infection of the skin" just at the edge of the flap and I'm now on antibiotics, it will be fine. Best to be over cautious. Especially as so much time, expertise, money and worry have gone into this extreme makeover, don't want the flap becoming a mud bath of slurry for the bugs to wallow in. Uh-uh.

The decision making process to go to ED was interesting. So, we'd had the week 1 follow up with Dr J and the dressing clinic on Wednesday. "See you in 3 months and we'll sign you off" he says. Er, cool, great news. It wasn't til we were in the car on the way home that J and I looked at each other and said "Do you know what we're supposed to do to look after this flap?". The dressing clinic was mental. Screaming child with burns in one cubicle, phones going off, hospital photographer with blinding flash taking photos of the flap - "I will need an off the shoulder one if that's ok" I thought he'd never ask. My personal paparazzi! All three dressings were getting the spa treatment while the nurse was distracting us with talk of coffee and cheese scones. Before we knew it we were out the door without as much as a follow up appt. We were lost. 

The district nurse came out Friday and noticed a touch of redness on the edge of the flap. It had felt a bit scratchy but the doc had had a look Wednesday and was happy so we didn't think anything of it. She said if we're in any doubt or the redness spreads to just head to ED and get the plastics registrar to take a look. J decided to call the dressings clinic anyhow for a follow up appt so we could get our questions answered. 

Saturday night we struck another milestone, my first beer and Little India (Kadai Chicken and Aloo Gobi, oh and Choosa Tikka to start. Fecking deadly). I only managed about 4 inches of beer (Tui) but I broke my alcohol cherry all the same. Chuffed with our evening we headed to bed. I checked the flap and noticed it had started to drip, not a tsunami just a trickle. Ok. What does this mean? Infection? Failure? So began the dance of decision-making. You know that bit in Love Actually when the bride has just seen the wedding video that the groomsman has done and she realizes he fancies her? Then he goes outside and does this to-and-fro indecision dance because he wants to tell her he loves her but he can't cos it will screw everything up with his best friend. Well we were a bit like that in and out of the bedroom. Is it bad enough to go to ED? Are we being over cautious? Screw it, J says, there's too much at stake here to take chances. We slapped a dressing on overnight to collect "evidence" of seepage (ever the scientist me!) and set the alarm for 8am. This morning we got up and there had been no further seepage which was good. We headed to ED, were seen and out within an hour. Fantastic. Armed with 1 gram of Flucoxacillin 4 times a day in liquid form, tastes like Mercury, I'm not complaining. I'll wash it down with a Wetherall. Triffic!

Just a wee speed bump on the road to recovery is how my niece put it. Do you think she might take after me?