Da' further adventures of da' trusty billy-goat wagon!

[GS66]

Thank you for the update. I hope things continue to improve at a rapid pace.

[Jimbo]

Thank you for taking the time to update all of us. I hope you heal and feel better everyday.
Your Trusty Wagon is waiting for many more adventures.

[elagache]

Dear Loren, Dan, Kevin, Chuck, Jim, Jim, and mid-60s Buick caregivers who occasionally in the caregiving receiving category,

Thanks for your prayers and good wishes.  Some quick updates.  On Tuesday the stitches from the first surgery finally came out.  I don't fully understand the purpose, but the skin graph for the new nose had to be secured to my cheek and lip.  Getting those stitches out was unexpectedly painful and the left side of my mouth is still partially numb.  The whole region is finally healing and that is something of a strange experience.  As the doctor described, there is a blob of flesh secured to what was remained of the right side of my nose.  There is an abrupt transition from the graphed skin to what looks like a normal nose.  The new graph is not surprisingly swollen so there isn't much air flow on the left side.  So I'm vulnerable to congestion.  To avoid that, I "try" to sleep almost sitting up.  However, that isn't exactly the most restful position!

I hadn't shaved in over a week.  Finally the itching was too much and I timidly removed the "jungle" of beard in stages.  You don't realize how pleasant it is to be clean shaven until you can't do it for a while!

The next surgery is scheduled for Thursday, February 17th.  In that operation, the reconstructive surgeon will insert some cartilage to turn the blob of flesh into a normal nose.  He will also "thin" the flesh of the nose to a more normal thickness.  I'm not sure I want to know how he is going to do that!

In the meantime trying to get back more to a normal life.  I still don't have very clear vision, so computer time is limited.

Thanks again everyone!

Edouard 

[GS66]

Thanks for the update, hope the worst is behind you now.

[option B9]

 Thanks for the update, sending prayers your way for a speedy recovery.

           Tony

[red65gs]

So glad to hear the worst is over. Still hoping for a complete recovery. Continued best wishes to you!

[gssizzler]

Prayers and best wishes on a speedy recovery!

[cwmcobra]

Edouard,

Prayers for comfort as you endure this first procedure and deal with the natural anxiety of what's to come. 

As I read your descriptions of the procedures required, I see parallels in this process to that of car restoration.  Liken your nose to a rusty fender that must be repaired.  The rusty area has been removed and you're now in the process of having the patch panel welded in and reshaped to match the contour of the body, smoothing the repaired area with grinding, body filler, etc.  Then finishing by sanding, priming and painting.  When you have completed the process, you will have a special bond with Biquette, having both successfully gone through similar repairs.

Now I know that Biquette doesn't have feelings and didn't endure the pain that you are, but if she did, she'd be highly sympathetic to what you're going through right now.

Sorry to get off on a tangent and I hope you don't consider it silly.  Medical science has always seemed to me very similar to mechanical engineering, considering the subsystems involved, the diagnostics used to analyze problems and the procedures used to correct them. 

Heal well!

Chuck

[Jimbo65]

God Speed on a speedy recovery and getting back to the things you enjoy!

[Jim]

Sounds  like Chuck has it  down .grandson has some nuts and bolts . And a skin graft a couple of weeks ago .Jim

[elagache]

Dear Jim, Tony, Don, Jon, Chuck, Jim, and mid-60s Buick caregivers who need from time to time to be on the receiving end of some care!

Thanks again for the prayers and encouragement!

As I read your descriptions of the procedures required, I see parallels in this process to that of car restoration.
. . . . .

Yes, I think you are absolutely on the mark and it is unusual for procedures on human beings.  The damage on my nose was beyond it healing on its own.  So it was like replacing a rusted out part with a new one.  Unfortunately, you cannot find new panels like you can for a car!  On the other hand, it would be a lot easier to restore a car if some parts would grow back!

Now I know that Biquette doesn't have feelings and didn't endure the pain that you are, but if she did, she'd be highly sympathetic to what you're going through right now.

Sorry to get off on a tangent and I hope you don't consider it silly.

Honestly, I find myself a in very odd spiritual space at the moment, and while cars have no consciousness like humans do, I think they have a belonging to our world and do have a kind of silent suffering.  I spend a lot of time pondering what the world of the Second Coming will be like.  There is a curious mix of sophisticated philosophy and what I suppose has to be called revelation that leads me to think it will be a lot like our world - freed of all the burdens and miseries.  Cars are very useful things in our world and they bring us great satisfaction.  Is it such a stretch to imagine that there is a kind of salvation for things that have so loyally served us?

Indeed the worst has passed but the next surgery on the 17th is heavy duty.  It is still a tough road until the skin graph fully takes hold and my body finally gets back to normal.

Thanks again,

Edouard

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick caregivers who occasionally stroll down memory lane,

I still cannot drive, so instead of taking my trusty wagon out for a spin during the Superbowl and I dug into another box of old slides.  Eventually, I came across this photo that brought back memories:



During the summer of 1993, one of my cousins was visiting from France and I decided to pull out my trusty campground guidebook and make a tour of the Sierra foothills with my cousin and a few friends.  Since Biquette was my car, she had the transportation duties.  I soon learned that what the guidebook didn't mention was more important than what it did mention!  The first campground was too close to the freeway and the noise kept us awake all night.  This photo was taken at the second campground.  My tent is in front of Biquette and obviously wasn't much insulation from the noise.  In that case there was a steady stream of heavy logging trucks.  One would pass every time you were nodding off to sleep!  The caption on the side of the box of slides was: "The camping trip from hell!"  Yes an exaggeration, but it was indeed one lousy expedition into the wilderness!

This is just one of the reasons why my motto has come when it comes to camping trips . . . . . .

Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick and an Airstream travel trailer!!

Cheers, Edouard 

P.S. The trip was notable for another reason.  Biquette's odometer rolled over for a second time on the way.  She has been driven over 270,000 miles!

[Jimbo]

Nice story...and lesson about camping. Location, location, location.
Biquettes mileage is impressive, you have done a fantastic job keeping her road worthy.

[elagache]

Dear 65GS.com community,

I have been conspicuously absent around here, but there is a rather amazing tale to explain it.  Surgery #2 was a week ago Tuesday (22nd.)  The main objective was to restore the cartilage supporting my nose that was lost when the cancer was removed on January 26th.  In order to do this, they needed to remove the stitches and gently lift up the skin graph from my forehead to get access to the structures beneath.  Alas in that process, they must have twisted or kinked the veins that drained the graph; constricting circulation.  After the surgery, the skin graph started to fill up with blood and effectively die.

The skin graph is a small part of me but just about impossible to replace at this point - drastic and unorthodox measures were in order.  From the surgery I went immediately to this hospital's ICU unit were I was treated with (believe it or not) leeches! 

At first, every 2 hours and then tapering off, a leech was allowed to drain off the excess blood and congestion from my skin graph.  That removed the backlog of blood and allowed for circulation to gradually be restored.  As the veins recovered from the distress of having been disturbed, the leeches became more like vacuum cleaners removing debris that was congesting the circulation in the nose.  From Tuesday night until Friday morning the procedures were continued until the skin graph that is my nose started to look more like normal.  I spent an additional day and a half in the hospital under observation before finally being discharged Saturday afternoon.  It is a curious procedure but apparently increasingly accepted.  Here is a quick web article about the use of leeches:

https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-leech-therapy

I had my first follow-up visit with the surgeon he was pleased and relieved.  As he put it: my nose was finally back here it should have been at the end of the surgery!

It has been quite a learning experience.  These skin graphs are very fragile and these sorts of restorations are more an art form than science.  The nurses had some really amazing stories were leeches had once more been the difference between success and failure.

I'm back home and trying to get back to normal.  Last week was tough and it is definitely good to get back my usual habits!

Thanks for your support!

Cheers, Edouard

[cwmcobra]

Edouard,

It's great what the medical community can do these days, even with old school techniques.  Just knowing when and how to use them is so important and amazing.

Prayers continue for total success at the end of this journey!

Chuck