Double Trouble for the Bubble

Just when I had excepted the 'hole' situation and had it under control...the other shoe dropped...  One night Bruce and I noticed that the back of Zac's shirt was a little spotted...it wasn't blood but we lifted his shirt to make an assessment.  It looked like the scab on the incision line was a little wet.  Nevertheless, the incision was not red or irritated so we just let Dr. Bauer's office know.  In less than two days, the incision had opened up! In less than 24 hours after it opened, it was the size of the first hole (bigger than a quarter) and just 12 hours after that...you don't even want to know!

The size of the hole on Saturday night

The size of the hole by Monday

I sat on the bathroom floor just staring at the gigantic hole in my son's back wondering how on Earth I was going to get through this.  For the first time I can remember in all my rounds of expansion I was in a major panic. I was praying so hard that I wouldn't need to handle the tissue expander falling out on my own, I was worried that the 'good' skin around it would now be scarred and unusable, I was just without words. I contacted Dr. Bauer and he told us to pack our bags.

On Saturday night when most families were at Halloween parties - I was on-line trying to navigate plane fares and travel arrangements.  While Dr. B said Tuesday or Thursday would be best for surgery...there was no way financially to get there on Monday for a Tuesday surgery so we booked tickets to fly out on Wednesday, hoping for a Thursday surgery.  We didn't have a 'scheduled' surgery yet.  We were at the mercy of possible cancellations of other patients due to illness and the storm on the east coast but Dr. Bauer's office assured me there would be a surgery. I quickly packed our things...thank goodness I had never really had a chance to completely UNpack from Utah - we were going to need a lot of those warm clothes. All the things we typically have weeks to prepare for were all happening at once.

Wednesday morning I had a call from Dr. Bauer's office...they wouldn't be able to get him in to surgery until Friday but assured me that the skin would stay intact and that everything would be okay even if the expander fell out...this was going to be the scariest Halloween ever!  We boarded the plane - Zac was so crabby, not wanting to walk at all.  He kept telling me he wanted his bubbles out.  We arrived at the Milwaukee airport (which by the way is much more affordable than flying into Chicago and almost equal distance with a much nicer drive).  We got into our rental car and started the drive to the hotel when I noticed we just might make it to Dr. Bauer's office before they closed!!!  I called Mim and told her how close I was going to cut it and she told me to come on in.  I was SO relieved!!

All ready for Trick or Treating

We arrived at Dr. Bauer's office at 5:10 and Dr. Bauer and Mim were waiting for us.  Dr. Bauer had the expander out in just minutes causing Zac only a little discomfort and  giving me the greatest relief ever.  It really truly was just as easy as as they had all said.  Tissue expander pops out....clip the line to the port, dress the wound.  Amazing...and Amen!  Zac and I were able to celebrate a little bit of Halloween when we stopped at the local mall to eat dinner though the biggest 'treat' was having his bubble out. Zac was in better spirits but still not himself - where was my Captain Happy?

Thursday was a day of anticipation - waiting for surgery on Friday.  I promised Zac a train ride so we went to Gurnee Mills to ride their little train but nothing seemed to cheer this little guy up.  He even threw a couple of major fits which is totally unlike him.  Thursday couldn't come quick enough.  We spent the rest of the day cooped up in the hotel - Zac happily playing with his trains until we got the call for our surgery time and then it came...surgery at 1:30 be there at noon...no food after mid-night.  This was starting to become very familiar...

Captain Not-so-Happy riding the train.