Ten Days Until Surgery Day

Dang it all! During my annual physical exam, my primary care Doctor found a suspicious odd shaped mole on the base of my neck. She thought it would be prudent to remove the thing rather than wait until after my valve replacement surgery.

I'm extremely allergic to a lot if tape adhesives, but what I didn't know is that I was also allergic to the nylon suture material she used to close up the wound. Three days post removal of the nasty-looking little mole, I developed a blistering rash (looks like a poison ivy rash) beginning with the suture line and spreading out to about 5 x 10 inches.

Believe me, I want to get this allergic reaction cleared up before my valve replacement surgery. With all the tests and anxious waiting we've done, I would be very disappointed if the surgery had to be delayed.

At first, I thought that I probably should have waited until after my valve replacement surgery to have the mole removed, but then I thought, no this is terrific. Why terrific? Because, now I can inform my heart surgeon not to use nylon suture materials when he is closing up my chest.

In spite of the rash issue, my spirits are up today. Yesterday, I was in the pits most of the day. Waiting for me has been a roller coaster ride.