Back from the Surgeon

[ellen_datlow]

He took off the dressing and I peeked (but not for long) and it's healing!!!Visibly. Much less like something took a chunk out of my leg. I had him take a photo (which I probably will NOT post--don't want to gross anyone out). Re-bandaged the leg, it hurt this time so I came home and just took two motrin. First time it's hurt this much but I suppose it's good....back to him on Tuesday.
Partying tonight at the Blaylock launch (no liquor of course).

Comments

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

Yay for healing!

I suppose the up side is that dead tissue can't hurt, but I hope it keeps doing more healing with less pain.

[ogre-san.livejournal.com]

Glad you're healing well!

[lingster1.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear it's healing, Ellen. I wish you a speedy (and painless!) recovery.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Thanks you'all :-) --I found out that the reason the bandage is pink is that it's got calamine in it. The doc told me why but I've completely forgotten. (duh)...but it gets on everything, which is why I have to bandage up over it.

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

Great news!

When you feel like it, post the pic. If people don't want to see it they don't have to look. I, for one, am interested in what the injury looks like, and not because I'm a weirdo (well . . . that's a matter of opinion . . .); but I'd like a visual regarding what you've been going through. You've had a rough time of it. Share the picture.

Look at it this way: you'll be helping out writers by providing them with a visual description. :P

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Oh ok. It won't be the first version remember as it's already healing. You all missed the first indication something was really screwed- as my skin started splitting showing a blood blister type thingie coming through. And then the huge blood blister itself and the first look after surgery (this past Monday) where it looked like something took a bite out of my leg....tsk tsk.

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

Yuck! Oh, do let us see your wound. We can imagine the early stages . . . ;)

Seriously, your injury was seriously bad. As bad as flesh eating bacteria gobbling up tissue, because, essentially, that's what it was.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Oh great! Thanks for telling me now ;-)

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

Your doc never told you this? Probably didn't want to freak you out. But had you gone a few more days with that wound untreated you might have put your entire leg in jeopardy. With so many mutant strains of bacteria around these days wounds need to be treated immediately.

A friend of mine died a few years ago from gangrene, which went to his heart in only a matter of days, killing him. The injury was to his arm, which was why the gangrene reached his heart so quickly. But once these super infections gain momentum they are quite life threatening.

So glad you're healing. I can't imagine this world without Ellen Datlow in it, and I mean this sincerely. (I'm reading Poe right now. Wow! LB's story is amazingly good, and very clever. The entire antho is wonderful. Great toc.)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I was totally aware that I should be very very scared if there was a red line and temperature (neither of which I ever had) so I figured it wasn't great but not life threatening. I think I mentioned that they found that it was staph in there.

Thank you --that's very sweet of you!

And I'm delighted you're enjoying the antho.

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

I'm relieved to hear there was no cellulitis (red lines) and temperature. Still, that was pretty serious stuff.

So post the pic, already . . .

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I was told it was cellulitis....
I'll be posting it on my flickr site--can't do it here without a url.

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

Well, if it was cellulitis it was on its way to becoming something much worse. You caught it in time.

Can't you embed the pic in your lj scrap book, and then post it in an entry? Not that I'm averse to Flickr or anything. I'll cruise on over and take a look.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I'm not a paying member of lj so no.

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

LJ must have changed its format, then, because when I first joined I wasn't a paying member either, but I still was able to imbed media/pics and load them into my posts.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I can embed photos but only as urls not as jpgs.

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

Can you copy a photo, paste it into your paint program in accessories in "My Computer", and then save the pic as a jpg? You can then save the jpg in your scrap book and also use it as an icon. This is what I've been doing, and it's worked for me. This way you don't need to post the photo link (url) but a copy of the pic itself.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

ewwww. I don't want it as my icon :-(

[sarcobatus.livejournal.com]

LOL!

I don't mean use your wound for an icon, but I sure got a laugh out of the idea. ;D

No, I meant any photo anywhere, in any format, can be converted to a jpg in paint then saved in your scrap book at lj.

Heh. You crack me up. ;)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Oh ;-) I can't have a scrapbook either unless I upgrade...

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

Odd. I've had cellulitis many times, and been hospitalized on IV antibiotics for it, and it never took a bite out of me. This must've been really nasty! I'm glad you're recovering.

[voidmonster.livejournal.com]

Hurray for healing!

With the only surgery I've ever had (yanno, that wasn't a tonsillectomy, where there's not much to see), I was decidedly ambivalent about the experience of seeing that I was, in fact, made of meat.

Weirdly though, I actually like to be able to see what's going on with medical procedures. Somehow, in my head, that's different from seeing the healing part.

Here's to minimal scarring and uncomplicated recovery!

[jonathanstrahan.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you're getting better. Yay!! Wish I could be at the Blaylock launch. He is the *greatest*.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Think of me limping along. Rick B's picking me up at 6:30 and we'll take a cab downtown.
No subways for me until it's totally healed. Buses--I can handle although I'm totally paranoid about being kicked or jostled on the shin.

[krisname.livejournal.com]

I poked my head into the signing -- I was hoping to say hi. I'm so glad you're doing better!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

What? I didn't see you? You didn't come into the backroom which is where we all were!

[charlesatan.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear it's healing.

Enjoy yourself at the party!

[kythiaranos.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it's doing better. *sends healing vibes*

[pgtremblay.livejournal.com]

Glad the visit went well!

[castellucci.livejournal.com]

sending you good vibes and yay for healing.

[maryrobinette.livejournal.com]

So glad to hear that you are healing!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

thanks all!

[steve-vernon.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you're feeling better.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

thanks! Although it hurts more now than it has from the very beginning (I mean not codeine or percocet pain--just two motrin pain :-)

[steve-vernon.livejournal.com]

I hear you. I've just found out I'm due for my third surgery in about four years. All minor shit - a broken jaw, a broken leg and a mild hernia - but the frequency is depressing the hell out of me.

In the words of All Bran - this shit will pass!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Jeez. Good luck.

[paulhaines.livejournal.com]

post it!

[drpaisley.livejournal.com]

I'll happily put the pics in the ConQuesT program book!

You can also post the pics to Flickr or other such site, then post the url here, so folks can look if they want.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

That's what I'll do :-)

[stephanieburgis.livejournal.com]

Hooray for healing! But I'm sorry to hear about the pain. I hope it starts feeling better soon.