Mar. 9--Macon Councilwoman Filomena Mullis is at home after being temporarily
discharged from an Augusta burn center.

She said she will have to return to the out-of-town hospital Monday to find out
if her injuries require skin graft treatment.

"If I do need a skin graft, I will be readmitted for surgery that day," she said.

A skin graft involves surgically removing a portion of skin from one area of the
body and transplanting it to another one. The length of recovery can depend on
the location of the graft and the amount of skin used. The councilwoman said she
has never had a serious burn injury before, so she is not sure what to expect
from the recovery process. But she expects healing will come slowly.

Mullis, 77, was burned on her left leg late last week after she apparently fell
on a heated floor in a bathroom at her house, officials have said. Mullis
declined to discuss the circumstances that led to her injury.

Mullis, who represents the city's Ward V, was first taken to The Medical Center
of Central Georgia in Macon before being transferred to the Augusta hospital.
She said she hopes to return to her council seat soon, once doctors give her
clearance. In the meantime, she said, she will continue to keep up with what the
political body is doing.

"As soon as I can get myself back to council, I will," she said.

One of Mullis' colleagues on council, Charles Jones, suffered his own severe
burn two years ago. The healing process is no cakewalk, he said. Jones burned
his heel on an electric blanket so severely that, had it not been for an
aggressive skin graft, he said doctors were considering amputating part of his
foot. The burn left him in a wheelchair for eight months. "That skin graft and
that stuff, ain't nothing to play with," Jones said. "But I got through it. I
got through it."

 Title: Mullis: Skin grafting may be needed for burn
Authors: Barnwell, Matt
Source: Macon Telegraph, The (GA); 03/09/2007