January 13 with Dr. Rahal

[growmehair]

I am 1 day post op and the itching is killing me!

Well the surgery IS painful...everyone is different. I took the pain killers but find they don't have a strong affect on me. I did really feel like getting pinched all those times. I did however doze off through most of it which was the good part. But when i was awake...thats a whole other story. I also hit my head today which caused bleeding. I got very depressed after this incident and still am.

This was my fault and not the Dr.'s and from what i understand i have lost some grafts

The only issue now is to deal with the itching!

The day of the surgery afterwards i felt very uncomfortable and nauseaous and began to question things. But the next day there isn't any uncomfortableness except the itching and trying to resist...

So anyways these are my thoughts. Any tips for me? any thought?

[growmehair]

I am 1 day post op and the itching is killing me!

Well the surgery IS painful...everyone is different. I took the pain killers but find they don't have a strong affect on me. I did really feel like getting pinched all those times. I did however doze off through most of it which was the good part. But when i was awake...thats a whole other story. I also hit my head today which caused bleeding. I got very depressed after this incident and still am.

This was my fault and not the Dr.'s and from what i understand i have lost some grafts

The only issue now is to deal with the itching!

The day of the surgery afterwards i felt very uncomfortable and nauseaous and began to question things. But the next day there isn't any uncomfortableness except the itching and trying to resist...

So anyways these are my thoughts. Any tips for me? any thought?

[growmehair]

Hey Spex,

Thanks for the nice words i read through your tips and i am getting really anxious about the stitch removal (I have to double check of it is stitch or staple). I really don't want to feel pain in the area again...and i don't drink

Regarding security i traveled through a few airports the day after in the US and was asked again and again what was the cap for and what was under. One idiot even asked me to remove it and another asked me to put my hands on the cap and push it down

The prize winner was when a security guard came and made me do the toxicology test. So my advice to everyone who is considering it is PLEASE don't! unless you have 2 weeks off when the scabs fall off. If you wanna be embarassed like i was then go ahead. Also spex i had no idea it was going to be so sensitive/itchy! The funny thing is a cap will make it even more itchy so really i wish i took 2 weeks off and stayed at home

ahhh....I wish other people can learn from my mistake. I was really persistant in making it happen and didn't give myself enough time.

[Reverse the Curse]

BEFORE HT

 

1. Get a massage the night before. It's good for the mind & the back the will be sitting for hours & hours. You must remain very still for a very long period. This is my #1 tip.

2. Get a travel pillow for flight & sleeping; it's a must even if you don't travel. It will keep your head elevated from pillow while grafts are at a unsettled stage. Do a search on Google. Many airports sell them but try to get in advance.

3. Buy whatever you need before going for ht. You will not want to shop with a swollen face. The clerks may throw the milk & eggs at your 'bigface' in fear.

4. Take a sleeping pill the night before to get a good night's sleep. Your mind will not let you sleep & will be filled with many thoughts & anxieties.

5. If you can have a friend or loved one with you. It's an exhausting day & you will be better off with some to watch over you or run errands.

6. Bring a loose hat or bandana or 2 with you as spares. They could get bloody. Make sure they are new or washed you do not want to get infected.

7. See the doctor the day before surgery if possible to go over what will be done. It gives you time to think about suggestions & may save you from a hasty decision.

8. Have doctor's office wash your hair every day you are still in town. They do it best & will also see any problems that can be nipped in the bud.

9. Think of how you will be hiding ht or telling everyone about it. Have a plan for both ways as you may change your mind after procedure. I did.

10. Trim your nails before ht &/or wear socks over your hands to keep from scratching at night. i did this for about a week after surgery.

11. Make sure you get Lidocaine or something to numb for staple removal day before you leave doctors office. The only thing I could buy over the counter was very ineffective for pain.

12. Buy a soft toothbrush to keep area around staples clean. Gently get rid of any blood buildup, which will help with staple removal.

13. Do scalp exercises if you are sure you are getting HT. Start as early as possible even months in advance. Every minute you do them might mean more grafts & less tightness after surgery.

14. Keep a hat or bandana on doorknob. Nothing more embarrassing then answering the door naked headed & getting weird look from the UPS guy.

15. Get a buzzcut and/or start wearing a hat weeks before surgery. You will get all those stares & questions answered while not acting so nervous. After HT someone may pick up your body language real easy & know something is up

 

More tips to come as I think of them.

[canadian_buba]

Hey growmehair

 

I had mine done with Rahal on the 12th. Do you have and pictures? I am sure things will get better!

 

Cheers

[wantego]

Growmehair first I want to wish you great luck with your ht!!!!

 

Do not dwell on bumping your head. I have read of other people doing the same thing on these boards.

 

The toxicology test for a guy that just had surgery is shocking. I did not have anyone ask me to do anything like that.

 

Rest up. Heal up. In 12 days or so you will get your stitches out and then hopefully everything will be smooth sailing!!!

[Reverse the Curse]

what does a toxicology test reveal?

rtc

[growmehair]

Hey guys

This is what happened. an officer came with a forecep and swab and asked me to touch my cap and open my hands. Then he rubbed the swab and took it to a machine and put it in. In a few minutes the results came back in and he said i can go. But can you imagine the embarassement and the humiliation? Everybody was staring. I don't recommend anyone do this....fly out the next day and ESPECIALLY not in the US!

[growmehair]

Thanks for the tips reverse the curse.

Guys i wanna know when i will start to look normal ... like my pre op? I don't want to look all bruised an swollen

I can wait for a year or longer for the final result to kick in but in the meantime wanna look normal.

[Eman]

Growmehair-

 

Just step back for a second and take a deep breath. You will be fine. It sounds like you are having the equivalent to "buyer's remorse". That is normal. Loosing a couple of grafts in the grand scheme of things should not affect the final result. How many grafts did you receive?

 

Sorry to hear about the airport. I am really surprised people were not more understanding and sensitive to the fact that you just had surgery. But you cannot worry about it as you will never see any of those people ever again. Fortunately, my trip back to the US was a breeze--totally uneventful! My trip there I had a run in with Canadian customs which gave me a bad taste in my mouth. But again, I knew that I would never see any of these people again. Try not to let it bother you.

 

Looking normal again will depend on the size session you had and your physiology. At about one month, I was almost the same as pre-op, except with a little discoloration in the recipient. Mine still has a little pinkness to this day due to being dry all the time.

 

I would say relax, you went to a great doc, be gentle on those babies for another week to ten days and you will be well on your way to recovery.

 

Keep your chin up!

[growmehair]

Hey

I had 2971 grafts. Is it normal for it to be realy itchy? I am struggling to control it! Also anyone know of the wave like melting sensations in the head? Is it swelling or just the freezing wearing off?

[growmehair]

*correction I had 2791 grafts

[Eman]

I had some itchiness as well, but it wasn't that bad for me and it does go away when I showered and re-applied vitamin e oil.

 

Also, I had something of a weird feeling in the first week and attributed it to the grafts securing themselves in the scalp...seriously!

[wantego]

Originally posted by growmehair:

Thanks for the tips reverse the curse.

Guys i wanna know when i will start to look normal ... like my pre op? I don't want to look all bruised an swollen

I can wait for a year or longer for the final result to kick in but in the meantime wanna look normal.

 

Every patient is different in regards to time lines but you can get an idea by looking at some other peoples webblogs. The swelling lasted 3-4 days for me. Follow the docs directions and hopefully it will pass soon.