10 Stitches in Time.....

There is a saying that goes "a stitch in time, saves nine?" Is that the way it goes? I wondered what my doctor was saying when she was doing her artwork under/at the edge of my left armpit.Jack and I had worked on mom's house last weekend taking down the ramp. We put in maybe 4 or 5 hours and got a little tired and sweaty and as I said in an earlier story, Jack did better than I did.I got home and tried to take of my T-shirt and I had aggravated a 'cyst' just in front of my left arm pit and I had an almost pingpong size lump.

I will not go into the gross details but after a short visit to my skin specialist Monday, "Jeff that bad boy has got to come out!" I had aggrevated it so badly and my upper arm and left pectoral area was sore and red and swollen that I needed antibiotics (Keflex) to reduce the infection and swelling before removing.

I was lucky and she had an appointment open today Wednesday May 2nd.It was not bad (if you have read this far). Dr. Gerald has a small sterile operation theater at the edge of her offices and does office surgeries each Wednesday after appointments. I think the preparation took longer than the surgery. It is getting your preped, draped, that brown looking stuff painted across the surgical area and then numbing the area. I could tell by the depth of the needle that she was preparing to 'dig' (kidding).But she talked and we each told jokes during the 30 or so minutes to get the cyst excised and stitching me up. It will not be a big scar as the swelling was down and 3 stitches are internal (the kind that dissolve) and 4 surface ones.She had given me something (thankfully) for pain as the novacaine or whatever she used is beginning to wear off.

I won't be lifting or doing anything very strenuous for several days until they take the stitches out 9 days from now, next Friday. I have got to be careful as the underarm (she says) is or can be a stronghold for germs and bacteria and don't chance messing up her artwork with a nasty infection. Believe me, I made it sound simple but don't relish her messing with a very sore upperarm and chest right now.

Now where did I put that Ultram, and I am sure it has been 6 hours. Yummm! You don't have the 'druggie' feeling with this medication but it does help you rest. It took a little getting used to and hopefully will not need any after a day or two. She said I can shower after 24 hours and surprise, no bandage, just clean well with bactericide and an applied anitboitic salve for safe keeping. Then white T-shirts only and don't cause her any problems with a phone call where I have ripped the stitches out. Humm! Wonder why she said that.Well one good point. It is probably not anything but a cyst and it was relatively near the surface and I had not ruptured it.
She took some extra to assure a 'clean border' as I have had skin cancer before and this is always a chance of reoccurance. Keep me in you prayers and you can send any old pain Rx just lolling around in your medicine cabinet to 3281 Tyrol Road, 35216. Kiddiing! Love to all my family and friends.News and Updates at 11:00!!!

It is now Saturday, 4 days later and there was good news from the skin specialist Friday that all it was a 'cyst', nothing more. I have that history of skin cancer, we had to be sure and get all of it and establish a clean, neat border. I had ruptured the cyst allowing it to inflame the surrounding tissue under my arm creating the large swollen area that hurt. The swelling is down 75% and I only 7 stitches along a neat red line under my arm onto my chest.

I have showered now 3 times, carefully, and peroxide and neosporin with pain and chean white T-shirts. I tried going without the pain Rx for about 12 hours yesterday and last night but this morning I paid for it. I was out of bed this am, looking for the Rx bottle and a glass of water big time. I sat in my recliner with a hot cup of coffee soon, just enjoying the lack of pain for now. I think I'll take it today and try Sunday to reduce it to 1/2 and see how I fare.

Surgery of any kind is not fun, but when it involves need to have internal stitches and caterizing the small veins and capillaries but, you know it is a little more than a snip-snip which I expected early on. Not! But so glad this bad boy is out and on a frozen piece of glass in some lab somewhere rather than festering under my arm.

She said looking at my records, she had observed this very small cyst under my arm some year or so ago, but she choose to put it on my watch list as it possed no health problem based on its feel and appearance. It truly then was not bothering me and we together chose the conservative approach to more skin surgery until this series of events brought it to the surface. Originally she said I did not rupture it, but the lab tests appeared I did but it resealed over the days before the surgery.

Feeling good and hoping to return to full duty by Monday 5/7/2007. It is hard to do things one handed and will not be able to lift or pull with my left arm until I get the stitches out next Friday. Prayer works and God was watching over me to make sure this was something I could have and still stay here. You had better thank him each day for you never know! Waiting for the lab results is no fun. News again at 11:30....Jeff the Knutt in Birmingham, AL, USA