And your 10th surgery is free

I doubt Stanford has this policy, but it sure looks like I'll be approaching this number before I'm done.

My 3rd procedure with Dr Chang this Thursday was not part of the initial plan, but the top of my hip-thumb has died and has to be removed (along with some of the metal plate and bone).  Luckily there's more bone and skin than is required for a future toe-thumb procedure or to still have a function even without a toe being sacrificed.

Watching the dying of part of my last remaining hand (even if it was formerly groin tissue and hip bone) has not been without stress, but not much has been easy the last 7 weeks and hopefully I'll be out of the woods with less than an hour under the knife. 

Thank you Billy and Alanna for the long-distance consult; I don't think I would've made it through the long weekend without it.  It was strange how comforting it was to know that I was not being paranoid, but also that I'd make most likely make it until Tuesday without having to go to the ER.

For those of you wondering where the pictures of the current state of my hip-thumb are posted...
You don't really want to see them. 
Billy even offered to fly out Friday night after seeing some snapshots of it and he's a plastic surgeon.