NOT FOR THE SQUIMISH!!!!!!

I just posted photos of my open RNY. One was taken a few days after surgery. Due to the tunneling, I still have an open wound, with a tunnel. I took three of the photos today.

Oh sweetie
I wont look,i am squimish and to think i wanted to be a nurse..
I was wondering about you and how you were doing.
Remember if i can do anything for you let me know,my dh comes thru your area daily.
Take care of yourself.........................

Your screen name fits you. You are a sweetheart. I am doing pretty good. This really doesn't hurt much. I couldn't look at it at first. Now I have to pack the tunnel and rebandage it. I guess I am getting over the squims LOL.

Teanonna

Wow hon - that looks so raw!  How's your pain level with that?  Do they know what caused it to do that?  (PS  Mom of son that had so many cuts and stitches I own the ER, so no longer squeamish...)

I am on pain meds for another problem so the pain is not to bad. It is open that is why it looks raw. I was told it was caused by an infection. I had two others (tunnels) and thought I was done. They took off the vac and 3 days later I developed a new one. Been packing it ever since.

Teanonna,

Not so squimish here. LOL! That might have something to do with me packing my own tunnel & wound twice a day for 16 months, huh? They tried closing mine up but the distension in my intestines ripped the stitches all open so now I have bigger openings than I did. Yours actually looks pretty good. How long have you been off the wound vac? Isn't that a humoungous pain in the butt?!?!?! Did you hang on to all of your extra tape (the sheets) from your wound vac changes? I did and have been using them to cover my open wounds (I have two of them...one that is tunnelled, the other is surface) when I take a shower. I just hope they can get me closed up so they can heal before I run out of the tape! LOL! I have been VERY miserly with it. I bet you are feeling WAY better now that you are 'free'. Isn't it great to sleep at night without that darn thing?!?! Shoot..isn't it great to do anything without that darn thing! When I had mine, it was on my belly...pretty much even with my left 'girl'. I had a huge hernia under the right 'girl'...so I was balanced!

I know. You think I'm nuts now that I can laugh & make jokes about it but you'll be able to a year from now too. May your wounds heal quickly and your tunnel closes well!

Sherri

I have been off the pump for a week today. I am glad to get rid of it, but wish the tunnel would close. If it doesn't and it heals on top, the RNY doctor said she would have to just go in (after I loose more weight) and clean me out. I don't want another surgery!!!  I am really praying hard that it closes. I did keep the drape tape. I break out with all other tapes. Not fun. I didn't think about taking pictures when this all first happened. The doctor opened me up the day she took out the staples. I went on the vac that day. I think it was like the 5th of December. So it was a real pain in the butr. I would forget I had it on and almost pull it off. I also kept hanging the tube on the chair arms everytime I went to the kitchen. It really doesn't bother me that much. It seeps through and gets on my clothes sometimes. I feel better to know that I am not the only one that has had tunnels. I posted on the main fourm and tried to find someone that had them or knew someone that did. I don't think I can laugh it I have this silly thing for 18 months.  How did they know that you needed your wound opened again?? I may have some questions, if you don't mind me asking you. Thanks for the reply.

Teanonna

Teanonna,

My situation is a litle different than yours. When they went in to close up the hernia they went in through the same opening that they had went into to get to my intestines (I had a total small bowel inchemia...all 17' of it was black)...which is also where the wound vac had been (11/07-2/08). So..in March of 08, they went in there, put mesh over the opening of the abdomon, and closed up the skin. No, the wall of the abdomon is not closed..still. That incision line never has closed up. Two openings developed and both kept getting deeper...exposing the mesh that was put over the hernia. That is why Dr. Gupta tried to close them up surgically. That lasted less than a week before the stiches were totally ripped out by my distending intestines. The one huge opening has closed up some to make two openings. One is ~2" around and down to the mesh. The other opening is about 1/2" around but about an inch deep. I think it's tunnelled right through the me****'s been like that since about August or so and I've been on desk duty at work. I can't do my regular lab work with  open wounds like that. There's just too much risk of a chemical getting splashed on it! I couldn't with the distension anyway. So...we are waiting for a solution to the distension....still.

Are you packing inside the tunnel? When I didn't, the surface would heal but within a few days, it would be full of gunk and it'd open right back up. At least by packing it (with saline solution on a gauze), it won't do that.

Isn't Dr. Cacucci terrific? She's the one who had opening me up with my intestines because Dr. Gupta was out of town. I truly owe her my life.

Sherri

Dr. Cacucci is good. I also like Dr. Diaz. he had to open up part of the incision at a different time. Well you are certainly in more trouble than I am with my opening. Thanks for replying. I had ask before about tunnels and nobody posted so that really worried me. Well you take care and I will remember you in my prayers.

Teanonna