Afternoon Update – Dec. 6

Meg is continuing to improve. Today I was listening in during her speech therapy. She was telling them lists she had memorized for them during their initial evaluation when she arrived. She was making up stories from pictures like a champ, and she even read a little. She is responding faster to everything too. The therapists were very happy with her progress noting just how far she has come. She still has trouble seeing at times, but one of the tasks they did with her was related to the issue that she is having with her vision, and she is much improved even there.

Tomorrow Megan will be evaluated by someone from the school for the blind. It isn’t to say she is blind or anything, but to see the exact nature of her vision issue and to make recommendations on what she can do to improve her vision as her brain continues to heal. Basically she needs to train her brain just like she is training her muscles during therapy. The evaluation tomorrow should result in exercises she can do and maybe some assistive equipment to help her.

The other big thing happening right now is the wound from her amputation. Most of it is healed and closed up, but at the bottom of the stump there is an open wound that is still healing. The wound nurse and plastics team made some recommendations to how the wound was being treated and that has resulted in some great progress. Basically there was a massive scab (eschar) that needed to be removed so her wound could continue to heal. They had us start treating it with an enzyme that breaks down collagen, which scabs are made of. Unfortunately skin is also made of it, so we have to be super careful to keep her skin safe and the new skin under the scab. The scab is mostly melted away now and lots of new skin is being exposed, but we need to protect that new tissue, so we are covering it with this super slimy gauze. Recently the wound care nurse wanted me to start packing part of the wound that has been exposed now that the scab is melted.

There is a pocket that needs to close up, but it is very important it closes from the inside out. Otherwise it will make a void that will likely abscess and cause nothing but trouble.

So I have to “pack” it with the slimy gauze. Unfortunately this is triggering intense pain for an hour or two after. Meg got codeine or oxy last night before as an attempt to try and dull the pain. It really didn’t touch it. At one point I was coming back to the room after I went to let her nurse know she was ready for her antibiotic a bit early and I could hear Megan sobbing from down the hall. It broke my heart.

Today they want to change what we are packing this with. The new stuff is an antibiotic foam and is supposed to help this heal more quickly, but I have a feeling it will be much more painful. I talked to the doctors this morning about changing her pain medication for this and we’ll be having child life involved with the wound care to try and help her manage the pain, but I’m still very nervous about hurting her.

Prayer needs:

• Gut/stomach recovery
• Wound recovery
• General recovery

Talitha cumi, get well soon.