It has been 6 days since my surgery. I put packing tape over the bandage this morning and took my second shower in so many days. It felt great to say the least. The good news is that when I removed the bandage the gauze was completely dry and clear! It appears to be healing to schedule and now can be exposed to air all the time and I can shower without covering it. The incision is about 2 inches long and the whole area is bruised and tender. The pain around the slice is reducing daily and my sciatica is gone. I'm feeling a little pain in the hip but it is different and I think will be addressed by my physical therapy and stretching, which I'm slow to get back into, I don't want to over stress the subcutaneous sutures.
Here is a self shot photo of my turtle shorts plus love handles, some moles and blemishes and of course my developing scar.