We have Closure!

Today we have closure.  The open wound that Paul came home with has official closed as of this morning.  I check it daily when I clean the J-Tube site and wound area.

 

This is a picture of the wound he was sent home with.  It measured 5 1/2 by 2 1/2 centimeters at the widest part and was approximately 2 centimeters deep.

March 23, 2013

It was a trial and error with which tape to use, most of the medical tapes, including the paper tape which the nurse highly recommended, caused Paul's skin to blister, tear away or become raw.  After finding a tape that would hold the J-Tube in place and not blister the skin, I was given permission to cut and pull the stitches from the J-Tube site.  The stitches had started to tear through the skin, pulling when he slept at night.  It has been a long process of cleaning the open wound site every other day which included cleaning the site internally and externally. Needless to say I now have proven to myself that I can do more then I ever thought possible.  Especially when the surgeon explained that I needed to remove any dead tissue from the inside of the healing wound so that it would heal correctly.

This morning it looked like this! 

May 31, 2013

I teased Paul that he now has two belly buttons.  Cleaning the J-Tube site will continue to be daily, and it is healing well.  Without the stitches pulling the skin, it is much less painful then when we arrived home two months ago.

The human body has amazing capabilities of healing itself.  The largest organ in the human body is the skin. Our skin creates a barricade that prevents harmful bacteria from hindering the body's natural operations. Openings not covered by the skin such as the nose are covered with mucus membranes that carry chemicals in the secretions that can destroy bacteria.  The human body is constantly restoring old cells with new cells that repair the damage that we create in and on the body. Our bones and muscles contain nerve fibers that grow and repair themselves. Even the liver can have as little as 25 percent of it remaining and can regenerate back into a full-size organ. 

Other updates:  The radiation effect of unpredictable vomiting has subsided dramatically over the last two days.  This is a cause of great celebration for me as I was terrified of leaving him alone because of the chocking and the bloody nose that would accompany the episodes.  Paul has actually eaten normal food today and yesterday.  Not a lot, but food nonetheless.  And it stayed down!!  His sudden onset of headaches has also diminished slightly.  It seems that the side effects of his chemo and radiation treatments are quieting down and slowly allowing him a more normal day to day life.

Paul had his Ultra Sound Endoscopy, Echo Stress Cardiogram, PET and CT Scan over the last two weeks.  We made three trips to Los Angeles and back and have one more trip coming up on June 6th, 2013.  This upcoming appointment is with the Thoracic Surgeon.  We will be discussing all the test results and date of surgery to remove the esophagus.  Paul and I are trying to write down all our questions so we can be prepared physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  

We want to thank you all for the cards, prayers, well wishes and generous support.  The out pouring of love and caring has been tremendous.

Jo and Paul

 You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body. ~C.S. Lewis