Timeline

This entry is mainly for myself, but others might find it interesting as well. As I said before, I wish I had started this blog when I was first injured to have a journal of what happened when and what might have been going through my head at that time. I have a Post-it note on my desk at work that I have kept a few dates on. Knowing how my desk is, that note will be lost one of these days. I'm surprised is has lasted this long. The following is a timeline of events.

• April 23rd - Date of burn. Visit the E.R. at Community South.


• April 24th - First visit with Dr. Troiano.


• April 26th - Surgery no. 1.


• May 5th - Homografts from surgery no. 1 not taking. Dr. Troiano determines the burn on the left leg is much deeper than initially thought. He cuts away dead tissue until he reaches the bone. I consider this surgery no. 2.


• May 10th - Referred out to Wishard Burn unit to Dr. Sood. I'm admitted to Wishard with surgery planned for he next day.


• May 11th - Surgery no. 3. Burns are debrided and I stay at Wishard while the doctor decides the best course of treatment.


• May 16th - Surgery no. 4. Dr. Sood decides to go with the least invasive treatment route, surgically apply Integra and attach a wound vac.


• May 17th - Disharged from Wishard with portable wound vac treatment. Because of the wound vac, I have to travel to Wishard three times a week for dressing changes.


• June 19th - Surgery no. 5. Admitted to Wishard for skin graft surgery.


• June 20th - Discharged from Wishard. Wound vac therapy continued.


• July 18th - Return to work.


• July 31st - Wound vac finally removed.


• August 12th - Regranex gel added to wound to promote healing.


• September 6th - Wound heals over but opens back up again due to drainage.


• January 16th - Bone scans are ran and detect a mild infection in the bone.


• February 6th - Surgery no. 6. Bone biopsy surgery at Wishard to test for infection. Results are positive for sensitive staph.


• February 12th - PICC line inserted (does this count as another surgery?) to administer IV antibiotics for 6 weeks.


• March 25th - PICC line removed.

That brings us up to the present. As of today I still don't know the surgery date. Surgery no. 7 coming up. Seven is the number of completion in the bible, so it's quite fitting that the seventh surgery will be the last.

August 28th - Surgery no. 7. Went in to have the free flap surgery, but the doctor found a pocket of infection and couldn't do the free flap. Instead he cleaned up the wound bed, took a bone biopsy to check for infection.

September 6th - Surgery no. 8. The doctor performed a pedical flap surgery instead of the free flap. It's less invasive and shorter recovery.