Tl:dr
I have a 4cm hole underneath my wound, does anyone have experience? How long does it take to heal and how long before it stops discharging gunk?
Quite a week
I had the staples out on the Monday, the nurse commented the large one looked rather red. True to form early Tuesday morning it started leaking red/brown gunk. GP couldn’t see me so after 111 I found myself at A&E. 12 extremely uncomfortable hours later sat on a waiting room chair, they found the right doctor who opened, cleaned out and packed my wound. This smarts a bit.
it’s a 4cm hole underneath a 13cm wound. I’m now on antibiotic, daily repacking and daily dressing changes. None of this is overly pleasant, but it apparently helps if I remember to take my pain killers an hour before. Last night was the first time I didn’t wake with a trickling sensation down my side, but the dressing looks rather puffed up. I’ll see what’s under it later today.
The good news!
On Thursday I got my histology back, TP2b, clear cell RCC, >10cm but contained within the kidney, no nodes or spread. The bits the chopped of my caecum were benign. I think this is as good as I could possibly have hoped for and fingers crossed they’ve got it!
However I am at intermediate risk of reoccurrence- reading the criteria, so are most people. I also may be eligible for a trial. Once I know the possible side effects, I’ll need to think more. But the increased monitoring is a definite positive even if I get saline, or the trial fails.
This was all fantastic but tempered by my larger wound becoming infected. This will heal in time, then I can get on with things.
I just want to add my admiration for the A&E team. When I left at half past midnight, the waiting room was still as crammed as when I arrived. There were people in there I started with. The staff are run of their feet. At one point I watched an A&E doctor see a patient, then clean the cubicle before the next one, relentless . A real team player and an undermanned department.
