Tortoise on bed rest.

I've been out of the ICU, in a "Step Down" room for several days now. Today, I moved from “Step Down” to a regular room. Without getting too graphic, they’ve removed a dozen or so sensors and tubes off or out of me of me and are starting to think I can start thinking about leaving, granted, I’m still on bed rest.

The part of the process I’m going through now is slowly transitioning from a narc’ed out, buck naked, state of limbo hospital patient to one who has a robe on, a schedule, a job, real hair, real fingernails, and a pain management plan that involves getting prescriptions from Kerr Drug instead of Nino Brown. Although it takes a little trial and error which is a bit painful at times, I really do feel like I’m getting back on my feet (metaphorically of course) and closer to leaving and tackling this recovery best more on my own. It really has taken me a week for the initial mental and psychological recovery and rehabilitation to take place.

I’ve started some small, passive therapy movements in my fingers, primarily to keep the finger joints from locking up. Real hand and finger therapy won’t begin, until the flap/graft has significantly healed after a few months.

What the Hell Did They Do to You Clarifications:

Flap...the muscle, fat, tissue, and blood vessels removed from my back, leaving a 16 inch scar according too Clark’s estimations. The flap was attached to my forearm including connecting a major vein and artery (that had been removed during the first surgery.) This tissue is purley cosmetic. The muscle won't be used for movement.

Remaining forearm muscles...There were enough muscles there, being that the remaining few were small or partial. Strength and movement show be possible and possible to improve.

Graft…patch of skin that looks like light colored thick netting (after running a piece through something resembling a pasta maker) to cover the flap and other open areas. The graft was stapled into place. There was a lot taken and much used. This area is one of the messiest, more painful part of the process.

Tendon transfer…moving some lesser used tendons to different areas where tendons had been removed during the first surgery to return fairly normal movement, aside from flashing gang signs, in the fingers and hand.

J P…a plastic bulb attached to a tube sticking out of my back that sucks juice out of my back. It’s totally the opposite process of marinating a steak.


So I’m here, in bed, feeling pretty good, taking a ton of naps and a few visitors, trying to get home slow and steady. My mind is focused on my recovery and not my reoccurrence. That part is just a pile of medical waste somewhere (except for the samples they collected for several ongoing and future soft tissue tumor research projects).

Surgery flashbacks and photos still to come.

PS Tomorrow, I'll turn in the bulky, heavy splint for a lighter, more streamlined model. This will be intrumental in my mobility limitations becoming a thing of the past.