WARNING: If you scroll down, you'll see a photo taken today of the biopsy site. If medical photos make you queasy, don't look!
It's been four weeks since the biopsy, and I'm getting impatient; however, Callie does not seem to be concerned.
My biopsy site is slowly healing, but it's still very uncomfortable because clothing really irritates the area. Since going to work naked is not an option, I finally decided to do some internet research on some possibilities for protecting the area that do not involve bandaids or any kind of medical tape/adhesive (remember, I'm allergic).
I found a product called ScarAway that looks promising (I just bought a box at the local pharmacy this evening). It's a silicone-based product that is supposed to reduce the appearance of scars. My main goal was to just get some sort of protection for the area because it's so sensitive, so the scar reduction is an added bonus. I'll post my observations on its effectiveness.
I'm not being paid nor have I received any freebies, so you'll get real life feedback on it. As long as I'm not allergic, I'm pretty sure I'll give decent reviews because anything that helps reduce the irritation of clothes against the incision area gets big points in my book.
Here's what my biopsy site looks like today -- four weeks after surgery:
If you look at a blown-up version of the photo, you might be able to see that the skin below the incision is still a little raw (and peeling) from the adhesives I had to use to keep the gauze on. My skin was so damaged from the adhesives that it's still healing two weeks later! I have no idea what the little blister above the incision is from. It popped up more recently.
On an interesting note, I saw a mitochondrial disease specialist a week or so ago. It was uneventful, but potentially worth it. He contacted my neurologist and requested my muscle biopsy sample be sent to another lab for further mitochondrial disease testing. My muscle will be sent after the current lab is done doing their review. Of course, that means more waiting!
I also recently had a sleep study and daytime sleepiness study done. I will write about that experience in another post. I won't get any results for another two weeks. It seems that all I've been doing lately is waiting.
It's been four weeks since the biopsy, and I'm getting impatient; however, Callie does not seem to be concerned.
My biopsy site is slowly healing, but it's still very uncomfortable because clothing really irritates the area. Since going to work naked is not an option, I finally decided to do some internet research on some possibilities for protecting the area that do not involve bandaids or any kind of medical tape/adhesive (remember, I'm allergic).
I found a product called ScarAway that looks promising (I just bought a box at the local pharmacy this evening). It's a silicone-based product that is supposed to reduce the appearance of scars. My main goal was to just get some sort of protection for the area because it's so sensitive, so the scar reduction is an added bonus. I'll post my observations on its effectiveness.
I'm not being paid nor have I received any freebies, so you'll get real life feedback on it. As long as I'm not allergic, I'm pretty sure I'll give decent reviews because anything that helps reduce the irritation of clothes against the incision area gets big points in my book.
Here's what my biopsy site looks like today -- four weeks after surgery:
If you look at a blown-up version of the photo, you might be able to see that the skin below the incision is still a little raw (and peeling) from the adhesives I had to use to keep the gauze on. My skin was so damaged from the adhesives that it's still healing two weeks later! I have no idea what the little blister above the incision is from. It popped up more recently.
On an interesting note, I saw a mitochondrial disease specialist a week or so ago. It was uneventful, but potentially worth it. He contacted my neurologist and requested my muscle biopsy sample be sent to another lab for further mitochondrial disease testing. My muscle will be sent after the current lab is done doing their review. Of course, that means more waiting!
I also recently had a sleep study and daytime sleepiness study done. I will write about that experience in another post. I won't get any results for another two weeks. It seems that all I've been doing lately is waiting.
5 comments:
Waiting and waiting...yes I feel like I spend half my life waiting. I seems like the biopsy site is taking a long time to heal, or is that expected?
I hope you get some kind of new soon.
Hi upnorth -- I also think the biopsy site has been taking a long time to heal, but I have no idea what's normal. I'm supposed to get news this afternoon!
Alyson, how is your scar doing? I have about 30 inches of scars from two emergency compartment syndrome surgeries from a freak accident resulting from my CFIDS/ME/fibro - I woke up in the second week in December thinking it was November 27,wondering I was and things went downhill from there. The plastic surgeon gave me a silicone sheet to use but I immediately had an allergic reaction. Now I realize why gels have never agreed with me...it's the silicone in them. I have tried different balms, oils, but really, nothing is helping it heal any better than just leaving it on its own. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks. And I hope you are doing better these days!
My iPad always manages to make me sound more fibro-brained than I am even normally! Excuse the dropped words and letters, added words...this iPad *insists* it knows what I want to say better than I do!
Irene
Hi Irene! My scar is marginally better, though it's still very red and looks fresh. It switches between being itchy and feeling painful. I stopped using the silicone sheets because they got to be a hassle (have to wash them daily), though I've been thinking of taking them up again. I pretty much took your approach and leave the scar alone for the most part. I'll put lotion or moisturizer on if I think about it!
Post a Comment