Worse First, Better Later

Between surgery date and bandage removal date, Keziah enjoyed a week under the careful and watchful eye of Dr. Lincoln:

Keziah handled being "under wraps" quite well, but she was very thankful when Tuesday rolled around for her to go back to Dr. Zuker, get put out and have it all taken off.

 

So off we were by 5:45 am. It certainly isn't too often that you get to paint just after 7 in the morning!

By 8:00, the team was ready to go. And so was she. Off she went again, chose the same sleepy smell (orange) as before, and 15ish minutes later, all was done.

Now, this is very important for you to read: for a skin graft to look good, it needs to look terrible first. After seeing the pictures, you may very well think, "Well, doesn't that look worse than the birthmark?!" or "You can't even tell there's a difference so why bother put her through all that?!"

Well, you are right. At first. But when we think of her first skin graft a few years ago, we are confident in how her skin grafts will look in a few years. Let me remind you what her other skin graft looked like from 3 years ago:

 This is what the skin graft looked like 2 months later:

And this is what the first skin graft looks like today, almost 3 years later:

So, please keep this in mind for the following pictures :o)

As I was saying, about 15-20 minutes later, someone was waking up, with all smiles, eager for some freezies!

 

After another 20 minutes to spend in the playroom (with Opa!!) to make sure all the wobbliness had left, we were able to go home:

Let's do some Before and After pictures so we can see the differences this surgery made:

Here she is, before and then after of the skin graft placed around her eye last week:

Before and after of the skin grafts down the side of her eye, shortening the eyebrow:

 

Before and After of the excision done under her eye:

 

And the before and after of the scar revision done on her scalp:

 

The skin grafts came off her ear, and to keep that incision sealed, she goes to bed with a sweatband around her head, so her ear won't fold over as she sleeps and rolls around:

 

So even though the skin grafts all look a bit rough right now, we couldn't be any happier for her! Her eye shape looks great - not too droopy or pulled open. The excision under her eye is amazing!! Plus, Dr. Zuker is pleased.....which makes us pleased as well.

Her next appointment is a follow-up one, for May 7th. And you know what?! That could very well be the last one!!!!!

Now, I ask you: how in the world do you thank a man that has made such a difference in someone's life?! I have 3 weeks to think of something.....

It also gives 3 more weeks for this girl to heal up some more. We pray for continued healing - that nothing gets infected (the ear is starting to get pretty red and swollen with some pus), and that we can soon close the door of this removal journey. We praise our God for blessing this journey thus far!