Observations, a little over 14 months on
There's this odd little round spot of scar tissue, almost like the mark on my back where they took that biopsy, where my vertical transplant scar meets my horizontal catheter-removal scar. This one spot gets even drier than my normal skin, and sometimes kind of scaly.
Also sometimes when I twist just right I get kind of an odd sensation from the scars affecting the movement of my flesh; not quite pain, but a noticeable feeling. Then I get a very brief flashback to having my abdominal catheter and having a certain portion of my awareness always focused on keeping it from being pulled or pinched or jostled or interfered with in any way because that thing was responsible for my continued survival, and having it harmed could render it inoperable, or lead to an infection that could irreparably scar my peritoneum or destroy my health.
And I still sometimes can't believe that thing that was sticking out of me for six years is gone. No more having to tape it down to keep it out of the way, or worrying about it leaking or being visible under my clothing. No more having to sit down and do my exchange three times a day (it was supposed to be four, but I spent most of those six years doing three a day and hoping the nurses never figured it out).
Most of the time I don't even think about it, but when I do I have to adjust all over again.
Also sometimes when I twist just right I get kind of an odd sensation from the scars affecting the movement of my flesh; not quite pain, but a noticeable feeling. Then I get a very brief flashback to having my abdominal catheter and having a certain portion of my awareness always focused on keeping it from being pulled or pinched or jostled or interfered with in any way because that thing was responsible for my continued survival, and having it harmed could render it inoperable, or lead to an infection that could irreparably scar my peritoneum or destroy my health.
And I still sometimes can't believe that thing that was sticking out of me for six years is gone. No more having to tape it down to keep it out of the way, or worrying about it leaking or being visible under my clothing. No more having to sit down and do my exchange three times a day (it was supposed to be four, but I spent most of those six years doing three a day and hoping the nurses never figured it out).
Most of the time I don't even think about it, but when I do I have to adjust all over again.