Imminent Surgery

Hi everyone! I have not updated in a bit as I have been rather busy maintaining my health (both emotionally and physically speaking). The picture in which you are viewing is not exactly the most pleasing to the eye, however it is a picture of the growths in which I am going to have operated on soon by Dr. Alomari from Children's Hospital Boston. These growths, despite how minuscule they may look, are prominent in a rather unpleasant place (further explained in my previous post "Underneath Your Clothes") Due to their location, I have an extremely hard time wearing underwear. Not to mention, they are located in an area that is incredibly sensitive in terms of nerves and sitting is rather uncomfortable... I am in a constant amount of steady pain. No matter what location I position my body in, they tend to hurt a great deal. I am not on any pain medicine to alleviate the ache as this is a chronic issue. On a daily basis, I take an NSAID called Meloxicam which has helped momentously in terms of being able to walk on my leg. Prior to discovering that medication, walking in general was an arduous task so difficult I thought I would be wheel-chair bound for the remainder of my life. However, this medication does nothing to alleviate the vast discomfort of these growths. Located beneath the surface of these particular growths is a lymphatic malformation (which, of course, stems from the Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome), so we are not quite sure how they will respond to the injections in which I will receive during the imminent surgery (I do not yet have a specific date, but it should be happening prior to this month's end). I have been informed that this surgery will likely be the first in a series to help alleviate the discomfort in this area. 

In addition to these growths, I also have a slew of others that are larger in nature that are scattered on my right butt-cheek and a couple of other various sensitive places. These particular growths will be removed using c02 laser, which I have found to be an extremely successful method in eliminating growths of these sorts in the past. Recovering from c02 laser can be a bit of a hassle, but I have found that it is worth the end result. My biggest concern, in terms of the c02 laser, is acquiring a cellulitis infection. Sometimes, my body skips the cellulitic route and heads straight to sepsis despite me seeking immediate attention upon symptoms of an infection first occurring. To be rather honest, I am haunted by the memory of the multitude of times I have awoken from a night of slumber with a 105 temperature and massive infection. Despite rushing to the hospital immediately, I would find out I had a massive cellulitis infection or was septic. It is not uncommon for me to have dreams in which I relive past experiences concerning serious infections and what not; in fact, these memories slip into my dreams more often than not. I will update again shortly, and appreciate all of the positive feedback I receive in terms of these posts immensely. To have the support system I have is indeed a blessing, and one in which I do not ever want to take for granted. Below is a picture I took last week summarizing some of my feelings in regards to conditions of this sort. I will have more of these to come featuring a dear friend of mine (who also has a vascular anomaly) in an upcoming post.

May you be well,

Arianna