Is it the post-op worries?! Tell me you have been there

[Amped]

Hi guys,

so I am one full week after my HT and looking good, no swelling, redness has gone but still very uncomfortable with those staples. Monday they will be out and I will be feeling so much better.

 

So naturally, all I do is go through the board searching the standard questions realting to graft survival/ post-op instruction but somehow my research has taken a turn and I have been narrowing my search to unpleasant experience and/or dissatisfied outcomes, thus stressing myself , Mahair being the one that really painted a bleak picture. I wish him the best and hopefully he can remedy his situation.

 

Am I part of the very few who is asking the "What have I done ?" question and imagining all worst possible scenarios.

 

One day till the weekend! Have a good day guys.

[rws]

Amped, I COMPLETELY sympathise with you - I'm now 10 days post-op, and every one of those negative posts gives me the shivers... Finding the post-op process can be fraught with anxieties and paranoia, although I'm getting better at taking things with a pinch of salt!

 

That said, there have been some brilliant, encouraging, helpful posts as well - have gained so much info from this site, so to all you helpful posters - a huge thank you.

[Tao]

Getting an HT was a bizarre experience (both times in my case). You get your head cut up (or poked like hell), you're woozy for a few days from the drugs and then you have Frankenstein staples in your head and bloody clots all over your head (if you had strip) and sleeping is a pain and you're worried as hell someone is gonna see you in this crazy state. Of course you're gonna have anxiety and second thoughts in the days and weeks right after. Getting the damn staples out is like heaven and then as the weeks SLOWLY pass, things get better and better until....nothing ... for awhile. And then worries that it's all been for naught and you spent all that money and went through all that for what? Then you settle in and just live your life as you start getting back to looking your normal pre-HT self again. And then the fun starts as as all of sudden, things start happening. Anywhere from 4 mos to 8 mos, you start taking off. And it usually only gets better and better. So after this initial rough period, only good things are heading your way. Extreme patience and knowing that improvement is coming is what you have to hang on to. On the upside is that the growth comes in slowly so people don't get so suspicious. They see you all the time and things are slowly changing and they just think you're working out or doing something good, but God knows what, cause you're looking better and better. I slowly went from just about completely bald on top to having a full head of hair in under two years and I think people forgot how really bald I was. Only people I haven't seen in a long time are really confused (and that's quite amusing to experience). When they ask, I usually reply that I'm using some crazy ointment made up of Yak spit or I'm on an all-okra diet proven to grow hair or something equally dumb. Since most don't know squat about modern hair transplants, they usually just buy it! And I smile to myself. Course, for my balding friends, I always tell them about my HT and what their own options are.

 

Good luck guys. Happy days are coming.

[Amped]

Amped, I COMPLETELY sympathise with you - I'm now 10 days post-op, and every one of those negative posts gives me the shivers... Finding the post-op process can be fraught with anxieties and paranoia, although I'm getting better at taking things with a pinch of salt!

 

That said, there have been some brilliant, encouraging, helpful posts as well - have gained so much info from this site, so to all you helpful posters - a huge thank you.

 

Well said, I surfed this board like no other. Now I can relate and happy to contribute as a sense of gratitude for the choice it helped me make.

 

It seems stuck at home as part of the down-time is harder than imagined, going over and over if you made the right decision as opposed to just bitting the bullet and shaving. Just as Tao sais, 4-8 months from now we will be elated with the results and regretting we didn't take the step sooner.

[Amped]

Maybe also be a sense of guilt, as I don't consider myself vain or obsessed with looks; I just wanna keep my freakin hair!

Edited February 17, 2011 by Amped

[conundrum29]

It has been just over two months for me and I am starting to have the same concerns. I have some tiny growth by my sides and temples which were receded bad, but where I had hair in the front I am getting bad shock loss and shedding. This is where I am concerned about the most and especially the possibility of permanent shock loss. As far as this goes I have heard doctors on here say this is very unlikely but it is hard to follow up and get statistics because many people that think they have this issue do not always follow up with posts later on down the road. I know this factors into a lot of variables such as type of surgery, doctor, and a person's general health but can anyone provide some kind of statistics even if it is just from members on this board as to shock loss and when regrowth in all areas has started? I have heard everything from 3 months to 8 months or possibly never if it was a bothced job.

[Amped]

Conundrum29,

I has been mentioned before but it has to be said, the worst part of an HT is the actual wait. This is simply a result of all the free time and continuous search of negative experiences. You chose an experienced surgeon, you followed all post-op instruction to the tee so now we have to do the hardest, focus on getting on with life and re-visit at the 6 month mark.

 

I had a bit of shedding, but in the few hairs here and there, nothing more. If you are experiencing more than you contact your doc just for an ease of mind.

[hairthere]

Amped, the best advice I can give you is to just get on with life and maybe even give the forum a rest for a bit. It's very easy to get consumed here and fill yourself with doubt and negativity. If you must log on try to focus on positive posts and results. You picked a great surgeon, now should be an exciting/positive time for you! Good growing!

[ziggy00]

Yeah, just stay positive and avoid the negative posts if you can. Like rws said, there are tons of encouraging posts on here, too. It's going to be a long wait and you can't spend the next 12-18 months worrying about it.