Wick (J Nicolson): Week 9, 20 October

It’s been a week with appointments and cancellations, though only one of each.  The appointment was for day case surgery to remove a small brown patch.  This had once been two tiny moles, but over the last ten years had changed to become one larger, paler spot with a different surface texture.  I’d seen a consultant a few years ago and was prescribed some cream to treat this and other patches, but this spot was not affected.  At the last appointment, the consultant prescribed a different cream, but that didn’t work either.  At the follow-up appointment, she recommended that the spot be removed.  This is what was removed last week.  It’s been sent for testing too.  I should hear shortly, but I’m not concerned.

Hospital Stairwell

I haven’t had surgery since my wisdom teeth were removed, so in a way this was a new experience.  Then, there had been a stay in hospital and general anaesthetic.  This time, I walked to the hospital, was shown to a ward, and knit socks while I waited for the surgeon, who bounced in a while later, preceded by murmurs of “he’s coming” along the corridor.  His first remark was not to ask after my health, but to say he admired my shoelaces!  (They are dyed the colours of the rainbow, bought to replace boring grey ones.)  He explained the procedure and left.

Infrared Landscape

Shortly thereafter, a young nurse escorted me along the winding corridors to the operating theatre.  The surgeon, a nurse, and someone I assumed was the anaesthetist were already there.  More shoelace admiration occurred as I got on the bed.  I was covered with a sheet, the lights blazed on, and I clamped my eyes shut.  Local anaesthetic hurts more if you see it being injected.  The young nurse sat by my side, and the operation began.  Her sole purpose seemed to be to chat, distract, and keep me calm.  I only felt from some pressure, and the op was soon over.  When I opened my eyes there was a huge dressing on my arm. 

Infrared Hawthorn

A few minutes later I felt well enough to sit up, and the nurse escorted me back to the ward.  Another nurse made me a cuppa while the discharge letter was prepared, and then I walked home.  As with the dentist, the anaesthetic seems to spread further after the filling is done; part of my hand went numb until ten hours later, when the numbness abated. The wound was not painful even then. A few days later, I took the dressing off.  There’s a large area of bruising surrounding an inch-long wound which has been closed with dissolvable stitches. 

In the gloaming

And the cancellation?  The Covid & flu jabs were moved forward to next month.

Having a large portion of my arm under a bandage has not impeded the knitting.  The division for front and back has been reached, and I’m zipping to and fro on the back.  It’s getting to the stage where it feels heavy and bulky on my lap, but at the same time the weather is cooler so it provides some extra warmth as the nights drawn in.