Ewww, yuck.

 

In both Africa and South America, large army ants are used as surgical sutures. The wound is pulled together, and the ant grabs the edges of the wound with its mandible. Then, the body is cut off from the head of the ant. The head stays attached to the wound as a suture until the wound is healed. This gives me the shivers but look how nice that stitch is.

 

Okay, just saw this on Pinterest under History and was a little freaked out.  However, I cannot discount Mother Nature.  SO THANKFUL that I do not live in some rural village.

 

Just recently I had my last surgery, an optional one, but one I nevertheless chose to have done before the end of the year while insurance would cover.  In short, my "reconstructed" breast is half the size of my good side due to heavy skin loss.  That plus Mother Nature means that my good side is much larger (not that I had that much initially) and hangs MUCH lower, so a trip to the ER under the fancy work of my plastic surgeon has helped to bring about more symmetry.  

 

I also had my port (for venous access, more commonly called a Port-a-Cath) removed at the same time.  Therefore, I feel done, finished, capito!!

 

Why did I have the port removed when previously I declared that I would keep it in until I reached my 5-year mark?  Well, a week before surgery I happened to be in the cancer center getting a routine port flush when it dawned on me, duh, that starting January 1 I would be financially responsible for port maintenance for over three years, not to mention the cost to get the port removed.  I came home and dug out the medical records, took one look at that port insertion cost and decided my pocket had not enough pennies to keep in my much beloved port...yes, you heard right.  I have come to truly love that port, so easy to gain venous access, no need to fish around the arm for a vein.

 

But alas, I had my port accessed one last time in the OR to get me out and then the IV was changed to my arm.  Two hours later (felt like two seconds), I awoke in postop and soon thereafter went home. 

 

A few days later I got to take my first shower and was shocked by the gruesome picture, lots of bruising not to mention the cut lines.  Had to take a few deep breaths.  Even though the lines were drawn on preop, it was still a bit of a shock to see the handiwork in the mirror, so many suture lines.  Even my nipple had been removed and then stitched back in at a higher location.  I also had tissue removed, in other words a reduction.

 

have to admit that I do feel more balanced now.

 

When I returned the day before Thanksgiving to get my drain removed, I asked the surgeon how many stitches (thinking perhaps 50) and his answer was "a good hundred."