Post-op update 2500FU Dr. Cooley 1-19-05

[Nashville Kat]

Sorry it's taken me so long to post an update but I've been slammed at work since I got back. I can say that my experience with Dr. Cooley was a very good one. I got to Charlotte on 1-18-05 in the afternoon and took a cab from the airport over to Dr. Cooley's office. Dr. Cooley met with me and talked about where I was and where I wanted to be and did some drawing on my head to make sure we were both on the same page. We were. Dr. Cooley's assistant drove me over to my hotel which they arranged for me and paid for. The next morning Dr. Cooley himself came by my hotel around 7:45am and picked me up and took me to his office with him. He drew on my head again where he would be working gave me some valium and started giving me the local on my head. This part probably hurt the worst although he did use some sort of massager beside where he put the shots and it really was not bad. He had me lay on my stomach and gave me a IV shot of something and I really don't remember much after that until he was just finishing stitching the donor area. Right away several assistants started disecting the folicals and Dr. Cooley started making the incisions in the recipent area with a small needle. When that was done they brought me a sandwich that I picked out that morning and I got to eat and take a quick smoke before starting with the grafts. Actually he gave me several quick bathroom and smoke breaks all day, though he did give me the stop smoking lecture but I guess that he figured that I was'nt going to quit that day. After the quick lunch he started placing the grafts and did not stop excpt for the breaks already noted for the rest of the day. Around 5-5:30 his wife started calling wanting to know when he would be done. She called a couple more times before 9:00pm when we got done.The last thing was the temple area which had been gone for so long I didn't even realize that I needed them back. He did not use the massager when he numbed the temples and that smarted a bit for a couple of minutes. They had saved the most fine single hairs they had harvested for this and I think he did a great job. Dr. Cooley NEVER sped up or rushed even though the little lady wanted him home. He absolutely took his time and did what I think is a great job. When we were through Dr. Cooley drove me back to my hotel and then came back the next morning to the hotel and brought me back to his office for a check up and cleaning. After that he gave me a kit of stuff to use on my head and $40 bucks to pay for the cab back to the airport. I have to say that I was planning on taking a cab back and forth to his office and was surprized when he picked me up and drove me back and forth. I was their only patient for the day and was made to feel that way.

Since getting home I was surprized that I have had little redness in the recipent area although some itching. A nurse friend of mine looked at the donor area and said she thought that his suture work was about as good as she has ever seen. I too am impressed with my scar. I am 5 weeks post-op and can hardly feel where its at. I had a head full of little hairs for about 2 weeks then about 85-90% shed. This part sucks!! What did not come out is growing and is 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. Hardly any of the temple hairs came out and are growing nicely. I was forced to go back to work 2 days after I got back and most people did not notice I had anything done except that I had a head full of little hairs. I am now in the stage of waiting. You guy's were right, this is the worst part but I got so up seeing where my hair will be and how much that it is definately worth the wait. Sorry this is so long but I wanted to give those that have not had a HT yet an idea of what my experience was like. I'll post pics as soon as Aileen sends them to me.

[Nashville Kat]

Sorry it's taken me so long to post an update but I've been slammed at work since I got back. I can say that my experience with Dr. Cooley was a very good one. I got to Charlotte on 1-18-05 in the afternoon and took a cab from the airport over to Dr. Cooley's office. Dr. Cooley met with me and talked about where I was and where I wanted to be and did some drawing on my head to make sure we were both on the same page. We were. Dr. Cooley's assistant drove me over to my hotel which they arranged for me and paid for. The next morning Dr. Cooley himself came by my hotel around 7:45am and picked me up and took me to his office with him. He drew on my head again where he would be working gave me some valium and started giving me the local on my head. This part probably hurt the worst although he did use some sort of massager beside where he put the shots and it really was not bad. He had me lay on my stomach and gave me a IV shot of something and I really don't remember much after that until he was just finishing stitching the donor area. Right away several assistants started disecting the folicals and Dr. Cooley started making the incisions in the recipent area with a small needle. When that was done they brought me a sandwich that I picked out that morning and I got to eat and take a quick smoke before starting with the grafts. Actually he gave me several quick bathroom and smoke breaks all day, though he did give me the stop smoking lecture but I guess that he figured that I was'nt going to quit that day. After the quick lunch he started placing the grafts and did not stop excpt for the breaks already noted for the rest of the day. Around 5-5:30 his wife started calling wanting to know when he would be done. She called a couple more times before 9:00pm when we got done.The last thing was the temple area which had been gone for so long I didn't even realize that I needed them back. He did not use the massager when he numbed the temples and that smarted a bit for a couple of minutes. They had saved the most fine single hairs they had harvested for this and I think he did a great job. Dr. Cooley NEVER sped up or rushed even though the little lady wanted him home. He absolutely took his time and did what I think is a great job. When we were through Dr. Cooley drove me back to my hotel and then came back the next morning to the hotel and brought me back to his office for a check up and cleaning. After that he gave me a kit of stuff to use on my head and $40 bucks to pay for the cab back to the airport. I have to say that I was planning on taking a cab back and forth to his office and was surprized when he picked me up and drove me back and forth. I was their only patient for the day and was made to feel that way.

Since getting home I was surprized that I have had little redness in the recipent area although some itching. A nurse friend of mine looked at the donor area and said she thought that his suture work was about as good as she has ever seen. I too am impressed with my scar. I am 5 weeks post-op and can hardly feel where its at. I had a head full of little hairs for about 2 weeks then about 85-90% shed. This part sucks!! What did not come out is growing and is 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. Hardly any of the temple hairs came out and are growing nicely. I was forced to go back to work 2 days after I got back and most people did not notice I had anything done except that I had a head full of little hairs. I am now in the stage of waiting. You guy's were right, this is the worst part but I got so up seeing where my hair will be and how much that it is definately worth the wait. Sorry this is so long but I wanted to give those that have not had a HT yet an idea of what my experience was like. I'll post pics as soon as Aileen sends them to me.

[Brando]

Nashville Kat,

Congratulations! Very good post. Your experience seems exactly like mine. I tell ya, Dr. Cooley is consistent. It seems as if every story is the same thing. I don't think I've heard one disatisfied patient of Dr. Cooley's since I've been a member of this network. My scar is pretty much 100% undetectable at this point and I'm sure yours will be, too.

You said in your post you arrived in Charlotte on 2-18-05, did you mean 1-18-05?

Keep us posted, Nash, and I look really forward to seeing your pics!

Good luck!

[pc]

a VERY nice read.

 

thanx

[HairHope]

Nasvhille,

 

Great summary of your HT surgery. I had mine in December and experienced much of the same post-op as you. I'm starting to see growth but would love for it to come out "like right now"...well patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait. Best wishes.

[Nashville Kat]

Brando, I'm sorry, your right it was January 19th 2005 when I had my surgery. I have to write the date so much in my work that I screwed that up. Your also right when you say Dr. Cooley is consistent. My experience pretty much mirrored the rest I've seen here. Thats why I ultimately picked him. Seems as if his patients had less complications after surgery. I've got to say that alot of pictures I've seen here of guy's after 1500 or more fu's look pretty gruesome. I had 2500 and my head was never really that red and I could not be more pleased with my scar in the donor area. Like I said I can't hardly find it just feeling. I don't think I could be more pleased with my experience. Thanks to the rest for the well wishes and if anyone has any specific questions I will be glad to answer them.

[Hair Apparent]

Nashville,

 

Glad to hear everything went so well--though it doesn't surprise me. As you pointed out, that seems to be the case with each of Doctor Cooley's patients. Your experience certainly echos mine and exceeds it in some ways.

 

Dr. Cooley really does seem to have a master's touch. My head was never that red, either, nor did I experience any swelling. And like Brando, my scar is virtually invisible. The only reason I can find it is because I know where it is, and even then, it usually takes me three or four efforts and a hard look to see it.

 

Good luck with your new hair! Now comes the hard part--the wait.

[Nashville Kat]

Thanks hair apparent. Your right, the waiting is absolutely the hardest part. I just got back from the barber and he say's he already sees some new sprouts coming through the skin. I started drinking whey protein after my HT at my barbers suggestion along with biotin,MSM and gelatin supplement every day. I don't know if this has anything to do with such quick growth but he thinks it does. If anyone else has any experience with this I would love to hear your comments.

Nashville Kat

[Guest]

Nashville Kat,

Im not calling you a lier, but why do I find this so hard to believe that only a month ago you had a mega session of 2500 grafts and you are already at the barber and can't find your donar scar????? I don't see how that is physicaly possible to do. You were just cut open and stitched up. Lets see some pics please

[NC30]

eric123,

I think she said that she couldn't find the scar by just feeling it, and the only comment from the barber was that he saw new hairs coming through.

[Nashville Kat]

Eric123,

 

I have been reading through your posts about your scar and it seems as if you are unhappy with the results that you are experiencing. I believe that you will find throughout this forum a great variety of results with different Doc's and also no matter which Doc did the work, all patients heal differently.Post-Op care can also make a difference.

I believe that if you will read back through what I have posted you will not find where I said that I can't find my donor scar or that it's invisable. What I did say, is that you can hardly feel where it's at and that it's hard to find just feeling. Since I know where it is I can find it, but it is at this point pretty much as smooth as the rest of my scalp.There is no raised ridge or bump. If you raise my hair where the scar is you can see it. It's not invisable. You can also see a slight line in my hair on the back where the scar is which I understand will go away when the hair grows back in. Also I personally don't have any numbness in my scar area although I understand it is quite normal to have some. As NC30 said, I did not make a comment that my barber could not find my scar.

I will e-mail Aileen again today and see if I can get her to e-mail me my before and after pictures so that I can post them and will try to get some updated photos as soon as there is something new there to show. I'm really sorry your not as happy about your scar as I am but I am really happy with mine. It exceeds what I actually expected. I do wish you luck with yours and hope it gets better.

p.s. I know you did't call me a liar but just for the record, I really try not to lie!!!

Nashville Kat

[Guest]

WOW, I have to admit Dr. Cooley does a wonderful job and it looks much better than mine. I can't believe how your head is hardly pink on top and your scar is far shorter than mine and I had 1500. Plus yours looks a lot better and I"m at exactly 2 months post op. My scar looks no where near as good as yours

[Nashville Kat]

Thanks Eric, Actually the scar goes from ear to ear in sort of a smiley face shape. I just could not hold my hair to where I could get a shot of the whole thing. I really hope yours gets better with time. Good luck!!!

Nashville Kat