Will my scar flatten out?

[MAlegant]

Not that I'm not proud of the darned thing, but the very bottom of it is raised, kind of like a gill, as weird as that sounds.  Is there something I can do to promote the best healing possible?  I will wear this scar and probably won't cover it since my hair is usually pretty short.  Any suggestions from the brain trust ( ) would be welcome.
Thanks,
Marci

[HeadCase2]

Hi Marci,
 Yes the scar will continue healing and looking beter.  You're just 9 days from surgery, try to be patient!     Have you  had you stitches out yet?  There are probably a few internal stitches for the various layers involved.  The internal stitches will reabsorb in time, helping the scar flatten out.
Regards,
 Rob

[MAlegant]

Hi Rob,
Yes, stitches are out, and I hear what you're saying about patience.  Does anyone notice a theme here? (write one hundred times on chalkboard, "you must be patient".
 

[lori67]

Marci -

My scars from both my translab and my BAHA were both raised and not so pretty for a little while post op.  Now they are both nice and flat and not even noticable.  I thought the very bottom of my translab scar would show when I put my hair in a pony-tail, but it doesn't.

So, keep that chalk going and maybe by the time you get to the end, your scar will flatten out and look pretty - like mine!   

Lori

[wendysig]

Hi Marci -
Thanks for  your message  and good wishes during my hospital stay.  I finally got home from the hospital late yesterday afternoon and am now trying to catch up with everything that's going on  here.  Glad to see you are feeling well enough to wonder about your belly scar I just came from seeing the doctor and this is something he brought up to me.  Yes, your belly scar will flaten out as it heals.  From what he told me, the fact that it is raised now is a good indication that the scar will heal really well and look good eventually.  Hope that you are feeling well and on the fast track to recovery.

Best wishes,

Wendy

[MAlegant]

Wendy!
You wonder woman, you.  Welcome home and to postie land.  I don't have a belly scar, it's the other I was asking about, but the same rules apply.  Take care of yourself, nap, heal, eat, laugh and let others take care of you.  You'll be cleaning the kitchen again before long.  I just loaded the dishwasher.  Doesn't it say somewhere that if you've had brain surgery, you never have to clean a kitchen again? 

Be well,
Marci

[leapyrtwins]

Marci -

just adding to what everyone else said.  My AN scar - and my belly scar - flattened out over time.  I had surgery at the end of May 2007 and by the time I had my BAHA implant in March 2008, my AN scar was practically invisible.

Jan

[MAlegant]

Thanks Jan and others.  I'll start visualizing a flat scar.  By the way, I just had my first real shower-without-a-shower-cap.  It was practically a religious experience.
 

[Syl]

Hi Marci,

I remember that first post-op shower. It was 5 days after surgery. Even though I washed up daily in the hospital, I felt I smelled pretty bad. That was the longest shower I ever remember having.

About the scar...only about an inch or so shows on my neck below the hairline. That bit is still bulky. The rest of the scar has flattened out already at almost 7 weeks post-op.

Syl

[leapyrtwins]

Showers post op are incredible - I think it's the whole "I can wash my hair now" thing 

Ah, yes, it's the little things in life . . . 

Jan

[lori67]

  Doesn't it say somewhere that if you've had brain surgery, you never have to clean a kitchen again? 

I thought I read that in the brain surgery contract too, but it must have been in the small print because my family clearly has not read it.   

Ah, the first shower.....nothing like it!  I got to take mine while still in the hospital - the nurse was supposed to stay in the bathroom with me just in case - I asked her to just get me a shower bench to sit on and go ahead and take care of other patients because I wasn't going to be getting out of the shower any time soon.  Good thing they have a big hot water heater at the hospital! 

Lori

[leapyrtwins]

  Doesn't it say somewhere that if you've had brain surgery, you never have to clean a kitchen again? 

I thought I read that in the brain surgery contract too

No, no, no.  You're both wrong!  The contract says you don't have to clean the entire house ever again!

So get those family members moving!  (Yea, don't I wish  )

Jan

[lori67]

If I could get the family member to move OUT of the house, I probably wouldn't have to clean it so much! 

I don't think they have boarding school for 2 year olds.

Lori

[MAlegant]

Lori,
I just can't stop laughing at the idea of boarding school for a two year-old.  I remember those days well, and my little one is 20 years old and a big ole six footer.  But he was once awfully cute and cuddly. Most important thing I ever did was to have him.  And as I reflect, things like scars seem so unimportant.  Thanks for that.
M

[Debbi]

Ah, the shower!  You know, I still enjoy the shower every day.  I remember laying in the hospital that first miserable day, all morphed up, thinking that I must smell bad ...  (I know, that is not what most folks worry about the day after brain surgery...)

Marci, I am seriously glad that you are enjoying the full showering experience now - nothing like it!

Keep healing, my friend!

Debbi