After undergoing my 4th expanding session on Friday 22 April, with another 50ml added, my tissue expander was now up to 190ml. My specialist advised that he would like approximately 400ml in total to allow enough skin to stretch over the titanium. Which means another 4-5 sessions if we continue at 50ml per session - which is all my skin and body can tolerate.
Following the session I faced another sleepless night with pain. In the early hours on Saturday morning I noticed a small bump, like a pimple, near my wound on the right hand side - which is where I had the most pain. I applied betadine and kept a close eye on it. The next day the spot was still there and I was starting to panic as I had already experienced an infection last year (post craniotomy), so this was my worst fear. I took a picture and sent it to my specialist. He advised to apply betadine twice daily, avoid water and keep it dry. Given it was a long weekend he wanted to see me Tuesday. I must admit there were many thoughts going through my head - “what if this is another infection”, “will they need to remove the expander and start again”….
When my specialist had a look he said that sometimes with the expanding process the skin can breakdown so to be on the safe side he removed 20ml from the expander and then checked the spot on my head. As a precaution he put me on antibiotics too. My mind was now at ease and the pain and tension was not as intense now. He advised that he will see me next week but may not do any expanding just to ensure my skin is ready for the next session.
What I have come to realise is that I am not in control of this situation and there is no set timeline - I just have to go with the flow and roll with the punches! I am lucky to have a specialist that is on top of everything and takes every precaution. With the 20ml removed this does cause a slight set back because I now need another 230ml, plus have to see how my skin reacts over the coming weeks.
Because I have been through an infection before I am more cautious about any slight change. I just knew that something was not right so I’m glad I checked with my specialist. Remember there are never any silly questions and if your concerned it’s best to check to be on the safe side and also put your mind at ease!