The day did not start out well.  I overslept.  But I recovered, and had all four kids walking out the door at 8:55am, in plenty of time for my 9:30am appointment, when I heard, "Uh-oh," and Tammy puked on the stairs.
 
Then, when I got to the doctor's office, I was informed that my appointment was down for 9:30am on Monday, not today.  They sorted that out and decided that the computer bumped it and the receptionist making the appointment didn't notice at the time.  But now I was stuck in the waiting room with four kids while they worked me in.
 
Charles' first remark on removing the dressing was that the Collagenase does not appear to be working very well.  Then he added that the odor, after decreasing on Tuesday, was now stronger again.  He says that the odor is the smell of dead tissue, not infection or healing.  He probed the dead area with a swab, and found a tunnel heading back into my right side, under the skin.  At this, he almost appeared to panic.  He seemed to think I needed to head into surgery pretty promptly, but with Dr. Livingston out of town he wasn't sure what to do.  So he brought in Dr. Lannigan.
 
Dr. Lannigan probed the area with another swab, and broke through into several fluid pockets.  Yellow-red stuff the consistency of amniotic fluid started pouring out and soaked half a dozen pads before slowing down.  When it was finished, they probed some more, and finally ascertained that there were two sinus tracts, or tunnels, both extending several inches under the skin across the right side of my belly.  Dr. Lannigan didn't feel the need to head into surgery right now.  However, I got the impression from the two of them that a second surgery is now inevitable.
 
In the meantime, while we wait for Dr. Livingston, I can no longer pack my own hole, because I won't be able to get stuff into those little tunnels.  So I now have to visit the wound clinic every morning to have my dressings professionally changed.  On Monday, I'll see the PA again, and of course I still have my Friday appointment with Dr. Livingston scheduled.
 
Now my stomach feels slimy inside.  That seems to be the most accurate word I can think of to convey this feeling.  Every time I move, I can feel my insides burbling and sliding around.  It's uncomfortable, it's painful, and frankly, it's nauseating.  I'm taking the Tylenol 3 constantly now, every 4 hours, just to hold it at bay.  I DON'T LIKE BEING DRUGGED ALL THE TIME!!!  But I don't even want to move, because when I do move, I slosh.
 
I haven't had a chance for anybody to thoroughly explain what this second surgery will be like, so I'm having to imagine.  I'm trying to think positive, and this is what I think.  They'll open the horizontal incision, not the whole thing from hip to hip, but maybe a bit wider than for a c-section, say from the front of each hip.  They'll pull the skin flap back up, not all the way up to my ribs again, but just a few inches, far enough to include the dying areas.  Then they'll be able to get to all that dead tissue, excise it, put a new drain or two in, replace the skin flap, and completely close the lower incision.
 
At least, that's what I hope.  Then I'll be closed up again, at last, and just dealing with another surgical recovery.