February 2nd, 2026

Once again, fate seems determined to persevere with almost admirable consistency. Since my last surgical procedure on 5 January, an unexpected situation has arisen: out of five scars, approximately one centimetre of one of them stubbornly refused to heal.

Until recently, the approach had been cautious and conventional. During my follow-up appointments, the wound care specialist limited the treatment to careful cleaning and the application of a honey-based healing ointment. A gentle and patient method, unfortunately without any visible improvement.

Last Thursday, faced with this lack of progress, her frustration was palpable. She therefore decided to take things a step further. Armed with a magnifying glass, she carried out a meticulous examination of the scar. And there it was: a fragment of suture thread still present. A knot, firmly embedded in the tissue, impossible to remove with simple tweezers.

From that moment on, events unfolded rather briskly. Almost at a quick march, we headed to the office of Professor Krause, the surgeon who had operated on me. She asked him to intervene and remove the stubborn thread. The professor came without delay, apologised, and explained that the placement of sutures had not been his responsibility. With magnifying glasses in place, he quickly located the thread — but extracting it turned out to be a genuine ordeal. Painful, lengthy, and anything but elegant; one might call it a small “procedure within the procedure”.

Once the manoeuvre was completed, a cavity of approximately one centimetre remained. The wound care specialist then placed a honey-impregnated healing dressing into the wound, covered it with a bandage, and scheduled a new appointment for this morning.

The weekend was far from restful. Pain around the scar, accompanied by spasms in my foot, was particularly unpleasant. I therefore had to resort to painkillers. Fortunately, the medication was effective and allowed me to get through the days under acceptable conditions.

One thing is certain: this treatment journey continues to hold surprises. If nothing else, it is teaching me patience and a certain sense of humour when faced with the caprices of wound healing.

Before my appointment with Mrs Jucker, a nurse specialised in the management of complex wounds, I had to wait for a short while. This waiting time was put to unexpected use: Dr Zimmermann, the assistant surgeon to Dr Flückiger, who has operated on me several times already, came to see me.

We discussed the progress of my situation, and she informed me, not without a smile, that my case is regularly discussed during the surgeons’ meetings at Sonnenhof Hospital. I then mentioned, with mild regret, that she had not carried out my sutures herself: her reputation for “haute couture” suturing is well established.

Shortly afterwards, the dressing was removed and Mrs Jucker called in Dr Flückiger for a direct assessment. He decided to initiate a preventive course of antibiotics. The wound currently presents as a cavity, into which a copper-impregnated fabric has been inserted. This material has excellent properties for promoting healing and preventing infection. The other scars are slightly red, but not of concern at this stage. A new dressing change is scheduled for Thursday. In the meantime, I have also been advised to increase my protein intake, particularly through protein drinks (commonly used in fitness training), as proteins play an important role in the healing process.

To conclude, a few words about Deniz. On 23 January, he completed his first practical placement at Olten Hospital. He then spent a week under the supervision of examiners who assessed his work. Their final comment perfectly summarised his performance:“The results achieved by Mr Kaplan exceed the expectations for a first-year student.”The grade awarded was “excellent”.

Needless to say, he is extremely proud of this result, given his personal journey. As for me, I am equally pleased to see that he is clearly on the right path. Last Friday, he travelled to Dersim, in Turkish Kurdistan, to visit his family. He will return on the 14th and will then resume the theoretical part of his training.