Appointment Results

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. It was a busy day, and I didn't have my laptop with me. Heather had her first appointment back up at the UofU Burn Unit since she was discharged from the Burn Unit ICU. They loaded her on a stretcher and put her in a van designed for transporting medical patients to get her up to the UofU. I rode in the back with her. We left the Utah Valley Specialty Hospital at about 11:30am and didn't get back until after 4:30pm, so it was a long day of traveling for Heather.

The Burn Unit at the UofU Hospital has an outpatient clinic in which we were seen. They took down all of Heather's wound dressings. They were very pleased with how everything is healing. They said the grafts look great, and that they no longer require the extensive dressings she has had thus far. They gave her a fancy pair of spandex-like pants that she will wear for the next several months (She will have multiple pairs so that she can change them daily.). These pants put pressure on the grafts to keep the scars soft, smooth, and flat. She may still require some wound dressings on a few isolated spots on her legs, but other than that they just recommended the pants and lotion. They said she is ready for full range of motion in her legs. They spent considerable time rubbing off scabs (mostly where two pieces of grafted skin come together). They got a lot off and said the skin under the scabs looks great and healthy. They also found 4 or 5 staples that were left from when the grafts were initially put on. Heather was thrilled to have those pulled out.

They said her back looks really good and shouldn't require much dressing other than lotion and a soft t-shirt. This turned out to be a bit premature. Heather wore just a t-shirt last night, and her back oozed and stuck to it. This meant that when we pulled it off this morning it ripped the skin off a bit and reopened sores. She is very frustrated with her back and the pain it causes her. They were redressing the sore spots on her back when I left her this morning. It is close to being healed, but not close enough for either of us.

They said that her abdominal wound seems to be healing very well. She will continue to wear the wound vac for a week or two yet. The wound should close up on its own. It is truly amazing to see a wound that was over a foot long, over four inches wide, and over three inches deep just close up. It is now about a foot long, one to two inches wide at its widest, and about 1/4 of an inch deep.

Heather was exhausted after all her adventures yesterday. Through all that process she stood up four times (She also stood up with physical therapy right before she left.), took several steps (with significant help), and had all of her wounds worked over. She was emotionally spent too, as you can imagine. I think she is most frustrated that her back continues to hurt her so much.

I am finding that having Heather here in Utah County is more of a difficult balancing act than when she was in Salt Lake. It is harder to keep perspective and sane when I am working, seeing Heather multiple times per day, trying to maintain a relationship with Hannah, etc. It was easier when I could focus on work and Hannah for half of the week and on the hospital and Heather for the other half of the week. I look forward to the day when Heather can go home with great anticipation. My family has been a fantastic support to me. My sister, Tiauna, continues to be the primary care-taker for Hannah. Hannah and I have spent many nights at my parents home in Orem. This works out well because I can visit Heather right after work, take Hannah to my parents' home at around 6:00, put her to bed at 7:30, and then return to the hospital to be with Heather until it is time to go to bed. Hannah and I randomly head home and spend nights there too, but it is nice to have the option of using my parents' home and to have the support of family to help take care of Hannah.