Regular Member Prospicience Posted January 5, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted January 5, 2006 Hey all, I had my 3,000 graft session with Dr. Cooley yesterday (actually ~3,200) and I can honestly say all the positive press he and his team have received is truly well deserved. It was a long day (7:00 AM ??“ 9:00 PM) and Dr. Cooley was true to his nature the entire time. The man is definitely talented, dedicated, professional and truly genuine. His staff is somewhat "younger" as mentioned by others but they are professional, confident and very well mentored/trained ??“ they work very efficiently as a team. The session started with some before photos (which I will post shortly) and Dr. Cooley even took the same shots with my personal camera as well. I started off with four 5mg Valium and a couple antibiotics. I was also given a shot in an arm vein that was basically a Valium but it acts quicker and lasts a shorter amount of time. It tides you over until the pills kick in. I then laid flat on my stomach with my face in a donut like shaped pillow to begin the harvesting procedure. I dozed off more then once during this process and throughout the day as well but I was awake during some of the actual removal. It felt strange ??“ like the back of my head was like Velcro and someone was pulling the two sections apart. No pain whatsoever, simply a "funny" feeling. Because my strip was large, I ended up with ~100 stitches. The section is not visible at all today and "raised up" only slightly. Not bad for an incision running nearly ear to ear. I have a picture of the area post removal and pre-stitching that I may share ??“ not for those with weak stomachs. Dr. Cooley then began the incisions for the graft placements. It was a long process and he was very patient throughout. As I have mentioned before, I have a high tolerance for discomfort and I am very patient. I took a lunch break and two bathroom breaks only during the 14 hours ??“ no other stops/breaks. I watched a variety of movies throughout the procedure ??“ dozing of every now and then. My goal was to make it as easy as possible for him and his staff. Both Dr. Cooley and his assistant Brandi (spelling?) placed the grafts. Overall, Dr. Cooley probably placed well over 70+% of them ??“ he also did the entire hairline and other critical areas himself. With the large number of grafts I was getting, there was no way he could have done them all on his own. At times, they were both placing them on opposite sides of my head at the same time. At other times, one or the other would take a quick break while the other continued to work. Brandi has been doing it for over four years and I must admit her technique mirrored Dr. Cooley's. I have absolutely no qualms about her assisting and placing some of the grafts. Dr. Cooley spent the last thirty minutes or so meticulously placing the last few "touch up" grafts in my new hairline and as general fill in where he deemed necessary. After 14 hours, he was still detailed, dedicated and polite. While he didn't take any post op pictures, he did take a few for me with my camera (again, will post soon). Today, I feel pretty darn good. No itching (yet) and basically just sore and a little "tight" in the donor area. No worries on my part ??“ everything went as expected/researched/planned. I do not hand out praise and endorsement lightly ??“ I'm an old school kind of guy as my word is my bound. That being said, I would not hesitate at all in recommending Dr. Cooley and his entire team to anyone seeking HT. As many others on this site have said before, he really is that good! Regards, Mike Edit 01/05/06 8:45 PM - I know it's very early on in the process and only time will tell the true expertise and results - but everything to date has been exemplary. 3,200 on 1/4/06 Dr. Cooley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Prospicience Posted January 5, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 5, 2006 Hey all, I had my 3,000 graft session with Dr. Cooley yesterday (actually ~3,200) and I can honestly say all the positive press he and his team have received is truly well deserved. It was a long day (7:00 AM ??“ 9:00 PM) and Dr. Cooley was true to his nature the entire time. The man is definitely talented, dedicated, professional and truly genuine. His staff is somewhat "younger" as mentioned by others but they are professional, confident and very well mentored/trained ??“ they work very efficiently as a team. The session started with some before photos (which I will post shortly) and Dr. Cooley even took the same shots with my personal camera as well. I started off with four 5mg Valium and a couple antibiotics. I was also given a shot in an arm vein that was basically a Valium but it acts quicker and lasts a shorter amount of time. It tides you over until the pills kick in. I then laid flat on my stomach with my face in a donut like shaped pillow to begin the harvesting procedure. I dozed off more then once during this process and throughout the day as well but I was awake during some of the actual removal. It felt strange ??“ like the back of my head was like Velcro and someone was pulling the two sections apart. No pain whatsoever, simply a "funny" feeling. Because my strip was large, I ended up with ~100 stitches. The section is not visible at all today and "raised up" only slightly. Not bad for an incision running nearly ear to ear. I have a picture of the area post removal and pre-stitching that I may share ??“ not for those with weak stomachs. Dr. Cooley then began the incisions for the graft placements. It was a long process and he was very patient throughout. As I have mentioned before, I have a high tolerance for discomfort and I am very patient. I took a lunch break and two bathroom breaks only during the 14 hours ??“ no other stops/breaks. I watched a variety of movies throughout the procedure ??“ dozing of every now and then. My goal was to make it as easy as possible for him and his staff. Both Dr. Cooley and his assistant Brandi (spelling?) placed the grafts. Overall, Dr. Cooley probably placed well over 70+% of them ??“ he also did the entire hairline and other critical areas himself. With the large number of grafts I was getting, there was no way he could have done them all on his own. At times, they were both placing them on opposite sides of my head at the same time. At other times, one or the other would take a quick break while the other continued to work. Brandi has been doing it for over four years and I must admit her technique mirrored Dr. Cooley's. I have absolutely no qualms about her assisting and placing some of the grafts. Dr. Cooley spent the last thirty minutes or so meticulously placing the last few "touch up" grafts in my new hairline and as general fill in where he deemed necessary. After 14 hours, he was still detailed, dedicated and polite. While he didn't take any post op pictures, he did take a few for me with my camera (again, will post soon). Today, I feel pretty darn good. No itching (yet) and basically just sore and a little "tight" in the donor area. No worries on my part ??“ everything went as expected/researched/planned. I do not hand out praise and endorsement lightly ??“ I'm an old school kind of guy as my word is my bound. That being said, I would not hesitate at all in recommending Dr. Cooley and his entire team to anyone seeking HT. As many others on this site have said before, he really is that good! Regards, Mike Edit 01/05/06 8:45 PM - I know it's very early on in the process and only time will tell the true expertise and results - but everything to date has been exemplary. 3,200 on 1/4/06 Dr. Cooley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Hair Apparent Posted January 6, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2006 Mike, Congratulations on your HT. I'm sorry, but the fact you were undergoing the procedure Wednesday completely slipped my mind. (Frankly, I probably couldn't have stopped by even if I had remembered; a water line in my main bathroom ruptured this week and I'm in the process of getting the wall knocked down so it can be patched.) As is no surprise, your experience mirrored that of everyone I have seen post their experience with Doctor Cooley's surgery. You provided some details that the rest of us omitted, which is a good thing. If someone wants to get a thorough idea of what undergoing an HT with Dr. Cooley is like, all he has to do is review your post, mine, Nashville Kat's, Robert's, and all of the other posts by Dr. Cooley's patients. While they all are closely similar, each of us has provided a few details not mentioned in the others--details which just happened to be omitted but were true in each patient's experience. While nothing in medicine carries a 100% guarantee, I would bet my pension that you will show excellent results from Cooley's handiwork. Being a Norwood VI like I was, obviously we both would have loved to end up with a full head of hair, but that's not going to happen. But it's a sure thing that Dr. Cooley has maximised your gain and you will get the best possible results from those 3K grafts. In case you missed my posting it in my own thread on Dr. Cooley, I am going in for my second HT with him on 18 January. I went with overall coverage the first time; this time I am going for the "front load", concentrating on the front and top. I'm probably more excited about this one than the first; since I've been through it once before, to most of the agonising questions I already know the answers. I'm pleased to see Dr. Cooley getting repeat business. All of the HT surgeons mentioned here are top-rate, and I would be hard-pressed to categorically state that so-and-so is better than so-and-so. But Dr. Cooley certainly stands in the top tier, but for some reason his name isn't bandied about as often as some of the others. Actually, the hard part for you begins now--in having the patience to let time work its magic. For the first three months or so, as I waited through the "dormant period", it was hard to avoid asking myself the question "What the hell did I spend all that money on?" But it does pay off when you start to see those hairs sprout and take off. Best of luck with your new hair, Mike! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ifloss Posted January 6, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted January 6, 2006 Mike, Glad to hear you had such a great experience. My procedure 2500 grafts is next Friday the 13th with Dr. Cooley. I'm really looking forward to it. I had scheduled with a surgeon in Raleigh for the same date, but cancelled it when I heard about Dr. Cooley on this website. Cant wait to see the pictures. Michael HT 1-13-06 Dr. Cooley 2600 grafts My Hair Loss Weblog My Photo Album Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Pat - Community Publisher Posted January 6, 2006 Administrators Share Posted January 6, 2006 Prospicience, Congratulations on your positive surgical experience with Dr. Cooley and his staff. They certainly have been getting well earned rave reviews online. Thanks for sharing your experience and for putting up your photo album. Judging from your immediate post op photos you should see a dramatic change in your appearance when your new hair grows in. I encourage you to document your progress over the coming months by creating your own Hair Loss Weblog. We built this program from the ground up to make it easy for patients to create and manage their journals on an ongoing basis. Best wishes for a bumper crop of hair in 2006. Pat Never Forget - It's what radiates from within, not from your skin, that really matters! My Hair Loss Blog Sharing is what keeps this community vital. Please join in. To learn how I restored my hair and started this community, click here. Follow our Community on Twitter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Prospicience Posted January 8, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 8, 2006 HA, ifloss and Pat, Thank you for your words of encouragement and responses to my posting. Fours days into it and the "itching" has begun but not excessive. It may be physiological but I think I can see less coverage/fall out already. No worries, I know it's to be expected and being a VI, I had very realistic hopes going in. There's a feeling I never forget - the first look in the mirror the next day with new hair on my head - hell ya, it's really cool. Yep, it will all fall out soon enough but the timing is good for a summer with new hair. I have my clean up scheduled for the 11th and suture removal on the 18th. I'll return to work on the 17th whether it's "cleared up" or not. Again no worries, the ego and expectations are both in check. Regards, Mike 3,200 on 1/4/06 Dr. Cooley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Hair Apparent Posted January 9, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted January 9, 2006 If you're going to be in Doctor Cooley's office for suture removal on 18 January, that's when I'll be there getting my second HT. Feel free to pop in and say "hi", if you've a mind to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Prospicience Posted January 9, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 9, 2006 H.A., Will do, scheduled for 8 AM - right about when the Valium should be kicking in for you - ha ha. See you then; thanks for the invite and best of luck! Regards, Mike 3,200 on 1/4/06 Dr. Cooley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ifloss Posted January 9, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted January 9, 2006 Mike, I'm wondering if you think I should have any problem driving home the next day - approx. 3 hours. Michael Michael HT 1-13-06 Dr. Cooley 2600 grafts My Hair Loss Weblog My Photo Album Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gorpy Posted January 9, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 9, 2006 I drove home the next day (2 hours). Not a problem. ____________ 2700 Total Grafts w/ Keene 9/28/05 663 one's = 663 1116 two's = 2232 721 three's = 2163 200 four's = 800 Hair Count = 5858 1000 Total Grafts w/Keene 2/08/07 Mostly combined FU's for 2600+ hairs My Photo Album See me at Dr. Keene's Gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member troy Posted January 10, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 10, 2006 I walked out the room put my hat on drove home stopped and got gas then gave my 2 boys(4,3) a bath and put my 3 kids to bed, with my hat on of coarse, lol. and the next night my daughter had a slumber party. I just toughed it out because I had to, I would of prefered to have a few days to just relax. I didnt take my second valium because I knew I would be driving. good luck My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Prospicience Posted January 10, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 10, 2006 Michael, Driving the next day should be fine; driving the same day would be an issue. I'm a fairly big guy; most meds don't affect me like other people. That being said, I ended up taking all of my Valium the day of the procedure as directed by Dr. Cooley. As noted in previous posts, I dozed off several times during the process and I wasn't clear headed enough to drive that night - a friend drove me to and from. In fact, I don't remember a few things I did when I got home that night - sort of like when you have one too many drinks. The next day I felt fine/normal and I have been feeling pretty good ever since. Regards, Mike 3,200 on 1/4/06 Dr. Cooley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member troy Posted January 10, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 10, 2006 I should also add, If i have another procedure I will take the second valium, it would of made that last 4 hours sitting in the chair much more comfortable, but I had to do what worked at that time. My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Prospicience Posted January 11, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 11, 2006 Troy, Nothing but respect for your decisions and actions; being a single parent (ex lives out of state as does all other family), I fully appreciate your influences and choices. Regards, Mike 3,200 on 1/4/06 Dr. Cooley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Robert_ Posted January 12, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 12, 2006 Originally posted by ifloss:Mike, Glad to hear you had such a great experience. My procedure 2500 grafts is next Friday the 13th with Dr. Cooley. I'm really looking forward to it. I had scheduled with a surgeon in Raleigh for the same date, but cancelled it when I heard about Dr. Cooley on this website. Cant wait to see the pictures. I don't know if you'll be checking the forums before your procedure tomorrow, ifloss, but I just wanted to wish you well on your procedure tomorrow! -Robert ------------------------------ Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Robert_ Posted January 12, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 12, 2006 Originally posted by ifloss:Mike, I'm wondering if you think I should have any problem driving home the next day - approx. 3 hours. Michael Like others, I would ahve to agree that driving the next day should not be a problem. Personally, I could not imagine doing it same-day, especially seeing as how I am a "little guy." Next day, no sweat though. -Robert ------------------------------ Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Prospicience Posted January 13, 2006 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 13, 2006 Just had my seven day clean up and all is well. I have been very fortunate itching wise and I have not had to use to use the spray in my "take away" bag. Just the spray bottle in the recipient area and antibiotic cream in the donor area. I don't believe I had any graft losses - no unusual pain, bleeding or "instantaneous" loss/fallout. Returning to work next Tuesday - thankfully, getting antsy sitting at home. Went out today several times with no hat - felt really good to do so. My 14 year old son has been taking my post op pictures and today he said "Dad - it looks a lot better/really good" before he snapped a few. You know kids; brutally honest so it felt good to hear that. Robert - I am still struggling to add my album to my posts automatically even after meticulously following your instructions - any insight/aid would be appreciated. Regards, Mike 3,200 on 1/4/06 Dr. Cooley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Robert_ Posted January 16, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted January 16, 2006 Originally posted by Prospicience: Robert - I am still struggling to add my album to my posts automatically even after meticulously following your instructions - any insight/aid would be appreciated. Regards, Mike Prospicience, I went ahead and added a link to your photo album to your "custom member title" above your avatar. -Robert ------------------------------ Check out the results of my surgical hair restoration performed by Dr. Jerry Cooley by visiting my Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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