August 8 - Instead of Chrysa I actually got to see the big man himself today! He said my arm looks great. He was a little concerned with the last small piece of scabbing. I had to grab him before he started picking at it! I told him not to worry about it, it's going to soften up in the shower and fall off in the next couple of days. He laughed at me for shooing him away from it. He told me to wear the bandages for another week or two and then I can remove them. The graft is good to go. No limitations on lifting. I was a little worried as I lifted Mason's 4 year old chub butt into a swing yesterday but it turns out my hesitation was due to loss of some of my super strength, not due to skin grafts being on the verge of rupturing. ;-p

He also commented on the fact that the incision on the right side of my neck looks like crap. It made me snort because I had just complained to Sammy yesterday that it had looked so much better up until it got infected and re-opened itself twice! I told him about the infections and drainage. He wanted to know what the ENT dude had said about it. I told him I hadn't seen the ENT dude since the hospital and I'm not scheduled to see him again until 10/19. He was a little surprised by this but then he told me to come back and see him 6 months after my radiation treatments end. He said that he can often do some "clean-up" to make incisions look better. I told him that I was hoping it would look better all on its own once the bullfrog effect went away in a year or two. (Made him laugh again with the bullfrog comment!) He said it probably would. So maybe I'll see him, maybe I won't.

I posed Sam's question about using Mederma or some other stuff on the scars. He said it's pointless to do anything until after radiation because radiation is going to make everything a bunch worse. Yay.

And with that, I 'graduated' from the plastic surgeon. They should be faxing over a letter today letting my work know that I can get my butt back on the job on Monday. Woo hoo! I can't describe the huge wave of euphoria that swept over me when he okayed my return to work. Better than any drugs or alcohol! I miss my customers! I miss my coworkers! Hell, I even miss my boss who drives me up a wall on a weekly basis!

My wave of euphoria swept me out the door and down the road a mile to the mall for a little retail therapy. I'm not usually a shopper but some new outfits to wear back to work might make me feel better about the bride of Frankenstein look I've got going on, right? Plus, I gave myself a pedicure last night, I'm getting my eyebrows done tomorrow, and I have a message in with my hair stylist that I'm waiting for her to return. I'm going back with as much style as I can muster!

So, this week is all about hanging with peeps one last time before the radiation starts. Yesterday was Sam, tonight is Sush, Friday are the poker guys, Saturday is Patilda, and Sunday is Luke. Busy but fun!