kaberett: Trans symbol with Swiss Army knife tools at other positions around the central circle. (Default)
kaberett ([personal profile] kaberett) wrote2018-06-14 10:01 pm

[healthwork] Surgical recovery log

Initial dressings removed at 2w1d, replaced by micropore tape over the long scars and small wound dressings over the grafts. Following this I Enthusiastically Stopped sleeping propped up on my back or binding, and resumed power-assisted wheelchair use at 2w 2d with no problems. Gave up on micropore due to skin irritation at 2w3d or thereabouts, subsequent to which daily to twice-daily massage of scars with E45 (i.e. I rub it in); removed small wound dressings from grafts at 3w. Almost all scabbing cleared (... with only minor encouragement).

I had not quite expected the weird bulgey bits on my sides at the ends of the incisions where lymphatic fluids aren't draining/moving freely, despite being warned about them. Sleeping on my left side gets very sore around that bulge; sleeping on my right side is fine. (???more tissue was removed from my left side???)

I had also not quite expected that removing the dressings would not... fundamentally alter my sensory landscape. I'd been assuming that the weird numb skin-tugging not-quite-feeling-like-it's-moving-or-me was the dressings, but nooooooooope, it's the (raised! I'm not used to raised areolae! the EDS meant I had really quite large and really quite sort of gradual-transition-to ones!) nipple grafts. Occasional weird tugging sensations with arms at full extension, and occasional weird nerve misfires, but I appear to be Basically Recovered.

Bonus thyroid notes: staying on the current dosage despite the subclinical hyperthyroidism, rechecking bloods in ~2 months. (Which, conveniently, is the number of pills I've been given.)
alexseanchai: Katsuki Yuuri wearing a blue jacket and his glasses and holding a poodle, in front of the asexual pride flag with a rainbow heart inset. (Default)

[personal profile] alexseanchai 2018-06-14 09:11 pm (UTC)(link)
♥!
sfred: Fred wearing a hat in front of a trans flag (Default)

[personal profile] sfred 2018-06-14 10:05 pm (UTC)(link)
For me, some of the weird sensation was also swelling that wasn't enough to be particularly visible but took several weeks to go away..? YMMV.
wolby: Medieval illustration of a canine holding a duck by the neck; the duck says "queck." (Default)

[personal profile] wolby 2018-06-15 02:57 pm (UTC)(link)
The swelling didn't completely go away for months for me, even after I thought it was gone. Nerves are the weirdest thing.
nanila: me (Default)

[personal profile] nanila 2018-06-15 11:54 am (UTC)(link)
Wahey, recovery! :)
divulge: (Default)

[personal profile] divulge 2018-06-21 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Glad you are recovering well <3