31 December 2020
This morning on the last day of the year, I changed the canister on the Wound VAC and moved the lily pad to a more secure spot on the dressing. The pump had been racing all night to keep up the pressure.
When there's an audible hiss around the lily pad, air is leaking into the dressing from outside. But there's no obvious gap in the drape. You have to feel around the area to see what spot plugs the hole.
Oddly enough, the lily pad has a wide flange that makes a good seal on the dressing. But the elbow of the lily pad itself that connects the tubing has a smaller flange attached to the big one where the hissing seems to come from.
Taping that with drape sometimes helps. But not today. I had to replace the lily pad.
I think this has to do with the shape of the wound itself. There aren't many flat spots. They look flat when the pump is off but when the wound is suctioned, you see every hill and valley in there.
If the lily pad crosses a valley, the pump seems to have to work harder. And we get no sleep when that happens.
℘
JOYCE HAS TALKED to Dr. Tong since the last report. And Dr. Tong wants to do the surgery to fill in the wound with tissue in January if possible.
Kaiser in Northern California has put a hold on elective surgery until Jan. 4. It's further out in Southern California. Covid wards are full and staff is over-extended throughout the state.
The way things are going, though, we expect both the lockdown and the elective surgery delay to be extended.
So the target is a moving one. But it's still a target.
℘
SALWA THE LVN told us yesterday that Tyler the RN has left the company. Laura the RN will be replacing him, .
He won't see this but we wish him well. He got the ball rolling on Joyce's in-home care and was always there when we needed him.
And so the year ends.
℘
WELL, NOT QUITE so fast.
Joyce heard from Dr. Tong again. She's scheduled the surgery for Feb. 4. And this Monday, Joyce has an appointment with her at the plastic surgery clinic, apparently to discuss the procedure and have her dressing changed.
It's been that kind of year, hasn't it?