Senior Member EmuSteve Posted November 30, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted November 30, 2007 Just got back to the hotel room after surgery with Dr Ron Shapiro. While I don't want to make judgments on the outcome of the surgery, since its about 12 months too early for that, I do want to mention a few things. First, Dr Shapiro and his entire staff are amazing. Dr Shapiro showed up early (7 AM) to go over everything with me. The donor scar removal scared the living !@#$ out of me, and through the anesthetic, all I did was shake uncontrollably. I am usually a pretty tough guy, but after seeing pictures and videos of donor strip removals, and hearing stories about the awful tearing sound as its pulled out, I was just not able to stop shaking. Dr Shapiro gave me Valium, and then some more, and then some more, and they kept waiting for me to stop shaking but after a while I think we all just understood that it wasn't going to happen. I have to say that Janna is one of the most amazing human beings I have ever met, because she held my hand through the entire thing (and let me cut off circulation to her fingers in the process). Dr Shapiro told me what was happening every step of the way... he told me when he was injecting, when he was cutting, when he was removing the strip (while I had a death grip on Janna... lol). Once that was done, we moved on to the rest of the procedure. Everyone was great... the injections sucked, and I guess I was one of the unlucky ones because they injections seemed to wear off REALLY fast on me... they had to keep going back and re-numbing different areas. Once everything was done, Janna ran out and got me a special pain killer (because I am allergic to Codine, which, according to Doc Shapiro, is a cousin of Vicodin, which is what he normally prescribes). And get this... she brought be a blanket too, because I am a retarded Florida guy who didnt bring a coat to Minneapolis where its 8 below wind chill. She let me take it back to my hotel room with me, and told me I could return it to her tomorrow for my post op wash (which, by the way, they opened specially on Saturday for me). As I was writing this post, Dr Shapiro called my hotel room just to make sure I got back safe and that everything was okay. If anyone ever doubts that SMG takes care of you, let me attest to the fact that they go above and beyond. I also want to thank Jason (Bspot) and Robert (NervousNelly) for calling SMG just to check up on me. Holy cow guys, that was very thoughtful. I talked to Jason briefly, but I dont think I'll be calling anyone tonight because I am not feeling so hot. Speaking of that... and now that I have talked up SMG to th max... my donor scar is hurting pretty bad. Took some of the pain killer Janna ran out and got me, and Im waiting for it to set in now. Dr Shapiro (when he just called) said that now is th worst that it will hurt because its still fresh. Im hoping the pain killers will take care of some of it so I can sleep (seeing as how I got a whopping 3 hours last night because I was so nervous). Anyway, I brought my camera so I could document everything, but it broke in my luggage. No worries though, Dr Shapiro took lots of pics, so as soon as he gets those to me Ill be sharing. Still pretty nervous, but its not a scared !@#$less kind of nervous...its the kind that lasts 4-6 months. =) As always encouragement is always appreciated. Due to circumstances, I had to come up here alone, so its gonna be rough till I can get back home to the family tomorrow. Hope this post helped. If anyone has any questions, fire away! =) -Steve I don't work for a doctor. Got 2700 fu from Ron Shapiro, 11-30-7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member EmuSteve Posted November 30, 2007 Author Senior Member Share Posted November 30, 2007 By the way, we went for 3000 grafts, but ended up getting 2700. 26 cm strip by 1.4cm. Got about 75fu/sqcm. -Steve I don't work for a doctor. Got 2700 fu from Ron Shapiro, 11-30-7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member NervousNelly Posted November 30, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted November 30, 2007 Steve, Didn't we tell you that you would be in good hands? Glad all went well for you. Prepare yourself for a couple of days of pain from the donor area as it sounds to me like you have a little lower pain tolerance than some. (Polite way of calling you a wimp --kidding ofcourse) Obviously we are all different but judging from the fact that you needed more and more injections would tell me that you feel more pain than most. Hopefully the pain pills will limit this somewhat. If not, well--it'll only be a couple of days. Sounds to me like things went well as Janna sent me a PM to fill me in on the fact that things were good. She certainly is very caring. Bummer about the camera. I've seen photos that Dr. Ron took. I hope you meant Matt? LOL. Get some sleep and take care of yourself. I'm glad for you. You will be fine. Just remember that in about 6 months you'll have a great start to more hair. This has been hard for you and you overcame a major obstacle in your life. Be proud of what you have accomplished. P.S.--It likely was 3000 but it was hard not to transect a few with all the shaking. NN Dr.Cole,1989. ??graftcount Dr. Ron Shapiro. Aug., 2007 Total graft count 2862 Total hairs 5495 1hairs--916 2hairs--1349 3hairs--507 4hairs--90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TheHairLossCure Posted November 30, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted November 30, 2007 Emu, You made it through! Good for you. Happy healin' Notice: I am an employee of Dr. Paul Rose who is recommended on this community. I am not a doctor. My opinions are not necessarily those of Dr. Rose. My advice is not medical advice. Dr. Rose is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member max1010 Posted November 30, 2007 Regular Member Share Posted November 30, 2007 Steve, Good luck! You're on your way.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member nobuzz4me Posted November 30, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted November 30, 2007 Steve, Congrats, glad you are through the tough part. Glad you had good friends to help you in BSpot and Nervous Nelly. You made a wise choice in going with Dr. Shapiro. Yeah, the donor removal is frightening (seeing those pics are horrible) but I kept my ipod going and my eyes closed through that part of it. Did you bring an ipod?? Anyway, heal well and lets see some pics when you are up to it. NoBuzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest josh - b Posted November 30, 2007 Share Posted November 30, 2007 steve, Congratulations and i hope the shakes have stopped.lol Was it your hairline that was worked on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member the B spot Posted December 1, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 Hey Buddy! Glad your doing OK--- Told you Dr. Shapiro and Janna were awesome didn't I? Anyway, It was great to talk to you during your surgery and I am glad that everything is going as planned. Don't worry, everything your going through is pretty normal (I chickened out my first surgery date!!!) and your going to be fine--- take the pain pills and go off the dreamy land! Try to relax yourself and simply rest---please don't hesitate to call me any time you want. Congrats my man!!!!!! Jason Go Cubs! 6721 transplanted grafts 13,906 hairs Performed by Dr. Ron Shapiro Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Paul Shapiro are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member thanatopsis_awry Posted December 1, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 I take partial responsibility for your case of the strip-shakes. Butttt, not full -- re: the warning.... In all seriousness, congrats on completing the most vital step in your hair-restoration journey; working with an elite surgeon should know doubt make you giddy for the soon to be results! ----------- *A Follicles Dying Wish To Clinics* 1 top-down, 1 portrait, 1 side-shot, 1 hairline....4 photos. No flash. Follicles have asked for centuries, in ten languages, as many times so as to confuse a mathematician. Enough is enough! Give me documentation or give me death! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 Steve, I don't think you were really nervous and think you just really wanted to hold Janna's hand . Seriously though... Congratulations brother! I'm glad to hear that everything went extremely well and look forward to seeing your documented progress. Hopefully you, B Spot, Janna, etc will be able to post some photos so we can see the immediately post op. I encourage you also to create a hair loss weblog to share your journey with us. Rest now...sleep well - and do a lot of relaxing! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member EmuSteve Posted December 1, 2007 Author Senior Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 lol @ NN for the "pain tolerance" comment. =) All joking aside though, I have pretty high pain tolerance (I am on a paintball team... hoo ah!). I think that anyone who thinks surgery is a walk in he park is sorely (get it?) mistaken. It is surgery after all, and they are cutting a portion of your scalp out. I planned ahead and brought a gel ice pack (which airport security confiscated), but Doc supplied me with some and I am icing right now. Hopefully that'll help a bit. Thanks for the comments all. And Bill, I will def set up a weblog asap, and I was thinking about even setting up a Joetronic style website (being a web designer and stuff). Ill keep you posted. -Steve I don't work for a doctor. Got 2700 fu from Ron Shapiro, 11-30-7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 Steve, What are you doing awake this time of night? Shouldn't you be sleeping and getting well deserved rest after a long day of surgery? I do look forward to seeing your pictures. If you need anything, feel free to send me a PM or call me. I think you still have my number? Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member MrJobi Posted December 1, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 Glad you are OK Emu You can let your mind get the best of you prior to surgery.. These days the doctors are so good the risks are small. Sounds like another great experience with Dr. Shapiro and Janna. I'd like to meet them sometime along with some of the other pro's Good luck and now BE patient JOBI 1417 FUT - Dr. True 1476 FUT - Dr. True 2124 FUT - Dr. True 604 FUE - Dr. True My views are based on my personal experiences, research and objective observations. I am not a doctor. Total - 5621 FU's uncut! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member WeAreCured Posted December 1, 2007 Regular Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 Yeah, the donor strip part is definitely the weirdest. I never felt discomfort per say, but it felt like when you tear that protective strip from the bottom of a milk top on a gallon of milk. You know the peeling and everything. Weird sensation. I used to do a lot of drugs and have had a couple of serious surgeries so I just go with the flow during procedures and don't even ask what they're doing or have them tell me what they're doing. It helps me not get nervous, and I developed a serious trust with Dr. Cooley. After all, he's the doc. I had mine the 29th so it looks like you and I will have the same time table for recovery and that anticipated regrowth. Cheers to us both and our new confidence. My Hair Loss WebLog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wanthairs Posted December 1, 2007 Share Posted December 1, 2007 congratulations Emu.... After a year of investigation and intrepidation you finally walked the path of us follicularly challeneged Jedi-transplant knights....Now your Jedi Eyesight is going to be able to miraculously notice tiny attention to detail, in the mirror, every 2 or 3 minutes for the next 7 months...... Just try and accept the inevitable downtime you shall now be facing and focus on other things, knowing that it is all coming to fruition on its own time all by itself...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member EmuSteve Posted December 1, 2007 Author Senior Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 Thanks guys. =) During the surgery, Dr Shapiro asked if Id like to see the donor strip after it was taken out. I said "No thanks." Then he asked if I wanted to watch as they cut it into FU's. I said "No thanks." Then he was like "Dont you even want o see what a single FU looks like?" And he had to talk me into it. lol. The reason for all that is that after a year of researching everything I possibly could get my hands on, I was convinced that I had learned enough to make an educated decision, and then went beyond that to learning enough to scare the pee out of myself. Does that even sense? The poor tech at the end was trying to get me post op instructions, and I was rattling off everything before she could because of all I've learned on the boards. At this point, I am just glad its over. Bill, I was trying to sleep upright, and that wasn't working so well, so I finally took 2 more Tramadol (the stuff the subbed for Vicodin) and just slept on the back of my head. Now comes that hardest part... sigh. =) -Steve I don't work for a doctor. Got 2700 fu from Ron Shapiro, 11-30-7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member jfo Posted December 1, 2007 Regular Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 Congrats Emu my surgery with SMG is Jan 30 I will be flying out of Cleveland Ohio. Glad everything went well I am shooting for 3000 grafts as well, I was just wondering if you met with SMG before your surgery date? In my case I cant meet with Ron S. until the day of surgery which kind of bums me out, but I know all my questions will be answered the morning of surgery. I know I have made a a solid choice going with SMG. Good luck healing, Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member jfo Posted December 1, 2007 Regular Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 Hey Steve by the way do you have any before pic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member PLEASE GROW PLEASE Posted December 1, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 Your funny man .Im glad you didnt back out. Youll be happy you didnt in 6 months .Take it easy and keep using that graftcyte every hour. Grow well. Yes Janna is a sweetheart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member KamCal Posted December 1, 2007 Regular Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 Steve, Congratulations on your HT with Dr. Shapiro. The first 10 days are the hardest because of the damn staples, esp. at night. After that you will be just fine. Try to relax these days. I, too, look forward to seeing some before and immediately after photos. Again congrats. KamCal 3664 Grafts with Dr. Hasson - Oct. 5th, 2007 My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member balody Posted December 1, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 hi emu, sorry i missed wishing you luck before you went,i had my ht last thurs so hadnt been on here much.i saw your nervous post on the morning of your surgery,felt for you mate.luckily enough i dont seem to get nervous over much,but ill agree them first injections oowwwww!!! unfortunatly i didnt have jannas hand to hold(btw is she a babe?i heard someone say she is hot)anyway enough of that,congratulations and cant wait to see some pics. 2381 fut Dr Bessam Farjo 2201 fut Dr Bessam Farjo 2000+ fut Dr Bessam Farjo My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Bessam Farjo challenge the unchallenged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member richie48 Posted December 1, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 emu and balody ,well done guys on your recent hair surgery ,it's easy and will probebly be the best thing you'll ever do good luck lads richie 2100 crown grafts Dr Feller nov 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member balody Posted December 1, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 cheers richie,this is my 2nd ht so i know what to expect.saw your buzzed down pic a couple of days ago and went for it tonight,shit you can see my stitches and everything still i think i look better this short. 2381 fut Dr Bessam Farjo 2201 fut Dr Bessam Farjo 2000+ fut Dr Bessam Farjo My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Bessam Farjo challenge the unchallenged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member richie48 Posted December 1, 2007 Senior Member Share Posted December 1, 2007 shit man perhaps in hind-sight you should have waited a few more days hahahahaha ,still it grows back quick so i'm sure you'll be fine. I checked out your pics and i like the crown swirl plus i don't know if this will work for you but my girl found the shaven GI look a right turn on hahahahahahahaha take it easy bud richie 2100 crown grafts Dr Feller nov 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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