Some really good signs of progress today at Hopkins. Dr. Schulick gave a look at the two open incisions and was exceptionally positive about the healing of the upper incision, pronouncing the tissue "granulated." Once again there was some back and forth between Dr. S. and Dr. Cunningham as to whether to replace the ostomy bag or pack the wound with gauze and bandage it. The later choice won out. I really hope this works. Faina has needed attention at about 3:00 am, the magic hour, for the past four nights, with the ostomy bag leaking and needing to be cleaned up, re-sealed, and bandaged. Somehow, come morning, she does not even recall the episode. My out-of-the-ordinary third cup of coffee before noon is added testimony to my nocturnal ministrations.
After Dr. S. pronounced the still closed part of the incision to have healed sufficiently, Dr. C. removed Faina's last three staples. He also removed some more necrotic tissue (debridement is the technical term). Faina is still dehydrated, so she will be getting a liter of saline solution for the next few days. Dr. S. said, "Her kidneys can handle it." We were expecting to return to Hopkins on Thursday, but Dr. S. decided a weekly examination would be all that is necessary. Nurse Potter put a new ostomy bag on the lower incision and we were pretty much good to go.
Faina was pretty wiped out from all the poking and probing and conked out a few minutes after we got home. At this point, Dr. S. is pretty casual about talking about a third surgery, to close up the fistula, so that future chapter, in about five weeks, is a virtual certainty.
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