Someone had asked me a long time ago about my attempts for scar revisions through this whole process. My scar is about a 10 inches long, from above my belly button all the way down to my lady parts. After being cut open 3 times, lets just say my scar was less than beautiful. I had asked for stiches multiple times and everytime got staples except this last time.
If everything goes right, this past surgery, should be the last time that I get cut totally open. So this time, I had a “plastic surgery” closure. Which means they cut out most of the wide scar tissue, used stiches under the skin, glue on top of the skin, and then steri-strips to close it. I can still see all of the stupid little centipede feet marks from the staples all the way down..which is really annoying, but over all the scar does look better.
I learned that most often…surgeons don’t give a flying crap what your scar looks like. If you’re in the process of these surgeries…and you end up like me a laproscopic reject, talk to your surgeon about what the plan is for when you’re totally done. I had to push Remzi EVERYTIME I saw him about the kind of closure I would get, because it was not a priority for him. I had to fight for this for almost a year now…and finally I have a scar…I can at least deal with. Heres the weird thing…for any of you out there who have real scar like I do* do you find yourself just like touching the scar without even realizing it? Its like a weird thing that I do…I know. Its weird. Forget I said anything…
Anyway…The slide show below shows some of my scar photos…I guess I never took real clear ones. Also it doesn’t show the whole scar cause I didn’t wanna put my lady bits all over the interwebz…at least, not yet.
*Lapro scars are not real scars. I don’t care what you say…they aren’t.
[slideshow]
Amen! I am always touching my scar and Lizzie, almost subconsciously because it is now my new bff…and I just want to make sure she is behaving…
But yes, the scars are a very real reminder. Thank you for your insight. =)
Happy Easter!
Julie
Ok I also touch my stoma all the time….and I crunch stuff in my bag….these are really strange nervous ticks, or comfort mechanisms.
Hahaha not real scars? Between this and my appendix I now have nine separate lapro scars. I look like I took shrapnel.
False. You don’t even have to work to close a lapro scar. You dont have to worry about it busting open..or how the staples irritate it and how they tug at your skin. They also dont then have to get the damn staples removed. Lapro scars don’t need 2 packages of steri-strips to cover them.
I win.
Too funny about the lapro scar! I had my gallbladder out lapro style and thought it was so painful! WOw, really!? I am proud of my scars. They remind me how strong I am. I would MUCH rather have scars then this stoma!!! Oh well, it is what it is… I rocked out a bikini when I had my j-pouch! Loud and proud 😉
This last surgery the docs jacked my belly button!!! It is huge and looks so stupid! I wonder if I could have done a better job lining things up… I really want to know if they (the docs) really care at all about the final product or if their only concern is digging around and closing in your guts. I really want to have things fixed up to look nice but for one that would be cosmetic now and 2 I really don’t want anymore surgeries…5 is enough for me~ I might have this stoma shortened at some time so maybe then???? OR maybenot 🙂
Quoting some Papa Roach? Your scar is looking good. Very similar to mine. I also have the illeostomy take down scar going across on my right side. It is bizarre. It feels numb; just different than the other incision scar. You’ll see what I’m talking about. It is awesome. I have no plans to have my scars worked on; I earned them!
Thanks for posting this. My scar and subsequent deformation shows through thin material. Maternity baby bump photos? Fahgetaboutit.
However, since I recently had a nice, big double lumpectomy on my already tiny breasts, I’m really feeling the pinch to get my front side back to looking somewhat presentable.
I mean, seriously, I am a somewhat attractive 28 year-old and it just plain sucks to look like a hack-job underneath my clothes.
So anyhow…I’m def going to insist on scar revision at my next procedure one of these days.
Well first of all, if you want baby bump pictures, send them to me and I’ll photoshop out your scar….I can do that!
Woman I can relate…I had a reduction years back so I’ve got boobie scars too. Though as much as I’d love to be in a bikini after losing 50lbs, my steroid induced stretch marks have screwed me forever.
Even if I had my old ugly scar, I would done it. But now I look like I’ve had 20 kids who all were carried to term until they were 10. Its pretty horrible.
I’m 26 so I hear you. Its really hard to want to feel young and beautiful, when they only thing I have going for me is being young and even that is dwindling…
BUT PUSH for a scar revision if you want one. You have to tell them how important it is to you, hell lie. Tell em you’re a bikini model…whatever it takes to get them to understand that looking like frankenbelly isn’t an option.
Gel strips were recommended by my surgeon and so was the Dr Max Powers Scar Serum. Teh Strips did NOT work, but the Dr Max Serum did work. The scar does look better, and I could see a difference when I would remove the gel strip. Also, I would feel a faint stinging when it was on, which I felt meant it was doing its magic.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW – you should use the serum TWICE per day. I saw a big difference when i used the dr max serum TWICE per day, not once per day.