Leah's daily dressing changes 9/15/26

A little explanation about dressing changes…Sometimes it’s easy to post without really explaining what’s happening. Our doctor friend that also works the burn unit reminded us that here dressing changes are considered procedures at Riley. They have to time her dressing changes around her medication. She receives Oxy beforehand, and then right as they begin, she receives Versed (to help her not remember) and fentanyl (because ouch, it hurts so bad). They begin by removing all the previous day's dressings, and then the OT does all her stretching. Her dressings are soaked in Bacitracin ointment and Santyl ointment. They cut all the pieces and get them soaked properly prior, and then try to apply the pieces as quickly as possible. Then her wounds are covered with gauze, and a final layer of Ace wrap is applied, covered with a protective sock. Leah’s cadaver wrap is currently applied with staples (30-40 in each arm) and during the change they have been removing just a few to make her more comfortable. Staples between the webs of her fingers and in her palm are the most "ouchy" for her. It’s no wonder that between the meds and pain, Leah normally sleeps a few hours after, and then her afternoons and evenings are so rough. 

Leah’s dressing change for today was at 11:45, meaning we have a decent morning, with some smiles, followed by a difficult afternoon.  

Ways to pray:

As a reminder, this is the one and only fundraiser to support Leah’s healing journey: 

However, we do have a Leah’s rehab Amazon page (if it’s empty, we occasionally add new items as recommended by the hospital staff, and diapers or wipes (because Leah was almost fully potty trained…sadness), and she is allergic to all major diaper brands at the hospital, so Mom and Dad are providing them.