The patient returning to the clinic for a follow-up visit 3 weeks after abdominal surgery is concerned because she can feel small, uneven lumps under the suture line of the incision. What is the nurses best response?

"What you are feeling is growth of new tissue proceeding at different rates in the incision."
"Keep the incision covered for as long as those lumps can be felt."
"Avoid touching those areas because you may dislodge the blood clots that keep your incision from bleeding."
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"Those are the deep stitches the surgeon placed, and they will eventually be absorbed and disappear."