Infection

Warning--some of the details below may be a little graphic for some.

Yesterday I mentioned that the surgeon who checked on her yesterday was very concerned with her incision and the fact that it wasn't healing properly.  This afternoon, Shirley underwent surgery to deal with this this issue.  They had to reopen her incision and discovered that there was a deep infection that went all the way to the muscle tissue.

They cleaned out the wound, treated it with antibiotics and then dressed it with a special sponge that sits over the entire length of the incision. The entire area is then sealed with a special tape that provides an air-tight barrier.  A tube is inserted in to the sponge and hooked to a small vacuum that then pulls fluids away from the wound.

This special dressing will need to be changed each day.  Because of the size of the wound - her incision runs the entire wide of her body - and we were told that it has to be done under general anesthesia in the operating room. We were also told that Shirley is likely in the hospital for at least a week.

She is now resting in relative comfort.

Thanks for all of your continued thoughts and prayers.