Scar update

Thought it was about time to share how my scars are! 

Overall they are really good!

My stomach one is the best. 

You can barely see it now! Only problem is, I am almost certain I am going to end up with a new incision there, to sort out the battery movement issues. Shame really!!

My chest one is still irritating. It's looking slightly better but still very obvious compared to the rest, and the other half of it. 

It is still really itchy and sensitive when clothes or hair touch it. I am constantly itching it but it hurts to itch on it, so I am always trying to scratch around it. I am sti using rose hip oil on it, but really it just soothes it temporarily as I don't think it is making it look any better anymore.

My head scar is very fine and barely seen but it's the excess wire loop that is noticeable.

I do wear my hair up for the gym and that is manageable but I have worn my hair up for work a couple of times and by the end of the working day my head is tight and achy, so I can't keep it up any longer.

Scars and wires

Thought I'd update on how my scars are doing, as feel like I haven't for a while!

I have been on holiday recently and wasn't bothered by my stomach scar at all! In fact you can barely see it now I'm tanned!! Am pleased with it, especially considering how upset I was with it initially.

It will be ultra annoying if I do need another operation to anchor or move the battery, as I'll be back to square one. But presumably my stomach seems to heal well! 

My head scar isn't bad, as I've said all along, it's just the loop of wires that bugs me and is far more obvious than the scar itself.

You see the round circle of excess wore and its this area that protrudes and therefore itches and annoys me, as I feel it when I put my hair up etc.

My chest scar is still just as bad, in my opinion. The flat half is barely noticeable but the raised half is pink and taught, meaning it itches, is sensitive to clothes touching it and is obvious even through clothes with mesh or lace at the top. I really want something to be done about this scar. 

Forget the ugliness, it's more abut the over sensitivity that I am annoyed by more. This is constant and isn't getting any easier!!

As I have mentioned before, I have had an issue with the battery and wires moving since February. The wires are still noticeably lose and the excess loop can still be seen. I am sure it has moved slightly to move over my ribs than the space underneath. 

This proves to me that the battery has moved upwards.

Update on scars

Apart from still suffering from the battery flipping and the wires stabbing, most of the scars are looking really good.

My abdomen scar is fantastic, especially remembering how unhappy I was originally. It is barely noticeable now and really flat.

I guess the rosehip oil is doing a great job here!

My chest scar is still the same. The raised keloid part is still just as raised. It still itches and hurts a lot. It is often really itchy but due to it being so raised, it hurts to itch it. The other half though looks really flat and barely noticeable. How annoying!

My head scar is great and has always been very thin but the loop of wire is getting more obvious and sticks out more. It too is often itchy and sore. 

It really difficult to get an accurate photo but you can see here that the loop of wire is obvious and it goes directly under either side of the original scar.

So, I'm not sure what the future holds with all these issues.

I still haven't heard back from my consultant, although the St Jude's rep called a week ago as he had been told there was an issue with the battery. I explained the problem with it tilting forwards and he of course said I would need to see Mr Patel, but that he felt from experience I may need to have the battery replaced slightly. I really don't want another operation!!!!!!! But I can't put up with this happening for much longer. The other day I bent over to put something away on a drawer and it flipped 90 degrees forward and got stuck. I had to push it back in! Utterly hideous feeling and it happens more and more when I bend over or put my right leg up. So unfair!!!!!

Update: 14th April 2015

I have had a letter through with a date for a neurosurgery follow up appointment, but I have no idea if that is to see Mile from St Jude's to reprogram the stimulator or to actually see Mr Patel about the battery and wire issues. I guess I'll just see when I go. It's not until 13th May, so I've got a little while to wait now. That's annoying but at least I'll be back to full time work by then, so will have truly tested it all out properly! 

Rosehip oil trial

Whilst randomly reading information about scarring, I read that rose hip oil is a great treatment for scar tissue. 

I first tried Palmers skin oil with rosehip extract but found it a bit oily to use, as it went all over my bra and when my hair went over my chest it ended up oily, as well as the neck scar just coating my hair in oil.

So, being as my mum is a complimentary therapist, I used her about it. She says that they use it at her work a lot and she has heard good things about it being used for scars and skin. So she got me a sample and I have been using it for about a week and a half, twice daily.

I have to say that as it is a dry oil, it doesn't make my hair or clothing oily, which is great!! It feels nice to be treating the scars with something and it is very gentle to use on them.

 I feel that the scars have lightened in colour and don't look so purpley/red along the incision, as before using the rose hip oil. 

My head scar is barely noticeable and now doesn't have the lump where the staples were holding it together so much. Although it means that the loop made with the lead protrudes more and is still very itchy. This is mostly under the hair line so can't be seen in this photo.

My chest scar still has the lumpy thick part to it and I am really hoping to see a change in that at some point. 

I am definitely going to continue using the oil, if little else, to moisturise and lightly massage the scar tissue regularly but hopefully to see more rapid improvement.