Big Words

Friday, February 26th – Can you say epithelialization?

Let’s try it in syllables. Ep-i-thee-lee-ul-i-zay-shun.
And what in the world might this tongue-twister mean?

Epithelial tissue is the membranous tissue that covers many body organs and lines many body cavities. When you’re talking about a wound, epithelial tissue is what forms across the top of the wound when it’s almost healed. The next and final step in wound healing is the formation of epidermal tissue, or the epidermis — or just plain skin.

So epithelialization is the formation of epithelial tissue across the surface of a wound. And that, dear readers, whoever and wherever you may be, is what is happening to me — after almost a year of dealing with varying degrees of Wound Agony and Horror.

Yup, it’s getting smaller, all right, and it’s moving right along. What was once the size of a closed cell phone is now about as long as the short side of a credit card, and about as wide — at the widest part – as a dime. It’s shaped weirdly like the State of California, except that the outlines are not ruler-straight, but kind of jagged.

And all but the very bottom of the Shape of California is now covered by epithelial tissue! Yes, epithelialization is indeed taking place. Maybe my goal of having it fully closed by the Vernal Equinox – that’d be March 21st – is not unrealistic after all! (If it isn’t completely epithelialized by then, I’ll shoot for the Summer Solstice – June 21st.)

Now you know what my Word of the Week is. Please feel free to use it at will… but I hope you don’t have to apply it to a personal condition.

Thanks for reading — Betsy