...to take off the bandages.

...it has after all been more than two weeks since my surgery.

For those that wonder I had my first vein ablation surgery in my left leg.  It is considered a minor surgery.  I disagree.

Sure it is minor compared to open heart surgery and certainly less remarkable than having a bone reset.  But to me (and probably my family) my recovery has been no picnic.

I have decided that I just don't heal as fast as most people.  And as I start to get a little bit older I have decided that I probably just need to listen to my body and relax a little bit...and I also picked up a terrible cold.  The cold certainly hasn't helped my recovery rate.

In short, I am not breaking any records getting back into the swing of things.  I still haven't considered running (e.g., my leg is sore, I have a cough) but I am nearly there.  And taking off the bandages is a great step forward...

The pictures of my leg are a bit graphic so don't scroll down if bruising bothers you.  The doctor explained that my leg would look far worse before it begins to look better.  In fact, it is for this reason that he waits a full month before scheduling a follow up appointment with his patients.

In case you were wondering here is a before photo:

Day 3 post surgery (the first time I was allowed to take of the foot-to-hip wrap):

Day 7:  The bruising turned really ugly...although it was not really any more sore.

Day 12:  It is starting to look better.

Day 16:

After a bit of research I determined that I could carefully pull off my steri-strips.  They were beginning to bother me and the incisions are very small. 

I need a reprieve before I can begin to think of when I'll schedule my next procedure but it appears as if the procedure was a success.