This is the text from the e-mail I sent out to my friends and family on the 26th of March.
Hi
It’s been a while since my first e-mail and this update is for those of you who are curious/anxious about the state of my hand almost two months since the accident.
Phase 1: Pseudomonas
Pseudomonas (affectionately referred to as Pseudomon) is a post operative infection so common that Word did not pop up a spell check error when I typed it in. Unfortunately for me, this extremely sturdy bacilli decided my hand was an excellent place to flourish in. Two weeks of vinegar dressings and antibiotics later, the infection was under control but continued to hang around until a fortnight or so before today. The result, the need for yet another skin graft surgery, and my left thigh happened to be the unwitting volunteer.
Phase 2: Skin Graft
I spent around a week in hospital during the first half of March, and had a couple of skin graft surgeries. The only points of note here are that Pseudomon was such a concern that I was given intravenous antibiotics twice a day, each of which were around 500 bucks, some pretty strong stuff. It worked, thankfully, and the grafts held firm for a 90% success rate. The doctors are happy, so I’m happy too.
Phase 3: Physiotherapy
I’ve been asked by the doctor to go for some preliminary Physiotherapy for a period of around three weeks so that my joints don’t get stiff and cause complications during the eventual, final physiotherapy period. I started last Thursday and have attended three sessions to date. I finally got to see my “hand” in all it’s glory; it isn’t pretty but there are signs that a recovery of around 40-50% of functionality is possible. Physiotherapy is a messy business, thanks to the state of the wounds on my hand, but I’m beginning to be able to trigger some miniscule movements in a couple of fingers. Slow, but gave me a hell of a lift.
Immediate Future:
The doctors tell me I’ll have atleast three more hospitalizations lasting around three months. If everything goes well, I’ll be able to begin the final physiotherapy then, and get back to work with one hand by July. All this is speculation, so I wouldn’t commit anything. The physiotherapy could continue well into 2008, a long story indeed. But since I’m pseudo-jobless and talkative, I’ll have plenty of time and motivation to keep you folks updated.
Regards
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