I saw Dr. Freidrich at Harborview Burn Center today.

For the uncertain ty of the ongoing treatment on my left leg, it had been driven me nuts for 5 weeks.......

This morning I finally saw Dr. Freidrich and his assistant Dr. Jordan and wound nurse Kathy, after 99% of my wounds healed up and two months after the accident........They were all praising on how wonderful it is that my skin graft was done by Dr. Neumann in South Africa and the speedy healing that the wound nurse Rhonda in Federal Way had done and myself to keep up with the wound care.

They were all in agreement that I do not need further surgeries right now, even for the worst spots on the outside of my left heel. But they want to see me in a month to make sure that my condition of continue healing will be at the same speed as it has been up till now. If so, I should be able to do all activities as I wish and to wear any shoes or boots as I need to.

This is my prescription: "Continue your own wound care, there's no need to see a wound nurse from here and on. Go home and try to get into your best fitted shoes and walk in it, half an hour a day and increase the time of wearing it every day as the new skin on heel gets stronger. Those small wounds on the heel will be healed up and out of concern in a couple of weeks. No need to see any therapiest. Just keep on walking till we see you again next month."

So from here and on, I will have to nurse the wounds myself and to walk my injuried heel and leg out right STRONG!!! They also want to see me a year after, to see if the skin grafts need to be adjusted by trimming it tighter in any way to make it more action effective, etc.....

Sorry for it sounded so negative, but it was the fact. Cheng 9/22/2011

The moon festival dinner.......

Last three weeks I have not seen much of my friends except once a week or so, visiting wound nurse Ms. Rhonda Clayville and her assistant Shannon. Rhonda works with Dr. Gerber.

Rhonda is wonderful not only her skill on caring my wound, she shown and taught me how to wash my wound with water and soap and insisted that I take shower from that day and on, plus walk if possible not with crutches. She led my hand to to wash, apply medicine over it all than massage it, after wound dried I dressed it up and cover it with compression tube mostly by myself......

It was not pretty on my hand, in my head and my heart at all that first day, but I walked out of her office, with the feeling of "I DID IT and I CAN DO IT." Valentin and Didi took me to Rhonda's office that day, they treated me out for lunch before took me back to Bob's home.....only about an hour quiet by myself at home, my inside was bobbling up for no reason....times after nausea and vomitting repeated, I call the nurse's office and ask to see her again. Rhonda took me right in, once Bob got home from work........

Rhonda told me that there was nothing wrong of what I ate, it was only what I saw and touched earlier the day that I thought I have already knew and seen my wound from day one of accident and on......she continue to preach me to accept my wound in my head and my heart wholly and in peace.......she assured me that I was doing great from lots of others who would had passed out when they first seen or touched their wound in real.......whao.......so I am good, still.......

Believe or not, by Rhonda's talk, her assitant Shannon did her part on praise me on my strong spirit of taking care of myself and following Rhond's instruction closely. Therefore, in these three weeks I have gained 7 pounds, walk without crutches and faster everyday......I need to prepare more energy for the seeing Dr. Freidrich in week and a half.......

Last night was the first time I went out to see friends at Valentin and Didi's home for the Chinese Moon Festival - dishes everyone brought, moon cakes, fruits......old friends and new friends........interesting conversations........I was just realized how much I have missed all these good times for the Seattle weekends......the out door activities to jointing with all these guests.....to the mountains and the waters those are so close by from all around the city of Seattle.........

I've better enjoy all when my left leg is ready to joint them, before my village days to come again soon .........Cheng 9/12/2011

Three weeks back to Seattle.....

The last day (August 18th, there was a rainbow on the sky) I saw my South African Doctors - Dr. Neumann (most gental, possitive and sweetest famel skin graft doctor) Peace Corps Doctor - Dr. Erfan, who took me to most office visits, the wound nurse Ms. Rene and the therapiest Ms. Shannon, I just remembered to take a picture of theirs before I left their offices......at one point, Dr. Erfan took one for me too....

August 20th when I arrived at Sea-Tac Airport, John carried my backpack, Lucy chacing all to take pictures and their daughters carried my crutches and foot brace and medical supplies, while I was on the wheel chair and Bob was taking his car from the garage to take me to his home.....

Now three weeks in Seattle, I can still remember all that urging and inpatient for not able to have an appointment to see any reconstruction plastic surgeon earlier than October 26th at Virginia Mason Hospital in the fisrt week; end of the second week Dr. Freidrich of Harborview Burn Center finally granted me an appointment on September 22nd; I was excited and wanting to contact with Peace Corps officers for the insurance paper works prior to the date, but it followed by the Labor Day long weekend, than I couldn't contact with any officers in Washington DC for the whole week......Well, I will try my best to have all inusrnace paper work prepared for my seeing Dr. Freidrich.......

Well, in the distruction with all I was in, not once I have thought of to close this blog of mine for the unkown date of surgery(s) and therapies would take to see when would be the date of my return to Africa.......I will hold another week and a half to see how to continue this blog, or not.......Thinking possative and patience! Right? These, I had and needed to remind myself from time to time lately........

Well, hope you all having great time for the late coming of summer hot weather here or some told me Spring is coming to South Africa already.......You all enjoy the weather no matter here or there....until later....Cheng 9/12/2011