Scars upon scars upon scars

[Aggie85]

Haven't taken pics yet, but am curious what this new one will look like on top of the previous 3. This is my fourth OHS. Cross fingers, last too! At first I thought Dr. Pettersson had cut out the old scar and I'd end up with a smaller scar than I've had all my life. But now that swelling is going down, I'm seeing the new very thin scar on top of the wide, obvious stitched ones from my childhood. I'm waiting to take pic when things are more distinguishable. I will say with all the new and old chest tube scars, I'm starting to look like my top half was stitched onto my lower half.

An amusing antidote about my scars as a child. Apparently the summer after my third surgery, I would've been 6, I was being teased at the pool about my scar. I apparently put all the kids in their place, by letting them know I was very proud of my scar because if it wasn't there I wouldn't be alive!

Keep those scars in perspective and don't dwell on the negative, if not for that scar, you wouldn't be here today!
BEST WISHES to all of in the Mended Hearts club!

 

[Guyswell]

Linda,

My second incision was also made through the middle of the old scar tissue. It healed nicely and didn't make the existing scar any worse.

 

[tom in MO]

As one of our members once said "Don't look at my scars and feel sorry for me, feel happy at all I've accomplished."

 

[pellicle]

An amusing antidote about my scars as a child. Apparently the summer after my third surgery, I would've been 6, I was being teased at the pool about my scar. I apparently put all the kids in their place, by letting them know I was very proud of my scar because if it wasn't there I wouldn't be alive!

That's the spirit!

You're one op up on me, lets keep it at that score I say!

 

[Aggie85]

Boy howdy Pellicle! I've had enough! That's one reason I went with the mechanical valve. They can't replace valves on me via the Femoral Vein (like they are starting to do with the new Melody Valves) because mine is interrupted somewhere past my kidneys (doesn't go directly to heart). I just couldn't justify yet another surgery 5-10 years down the road.

I seem to be taking forever recovering from this. 4 weeks out and can still barely tolerate a sedate trip to the movies with family for Fathers Day. Don't get me started about riding in my hubby's Prius! I mentioned to my daughter I was feeling like a whimp and she said that's never how she'd see me. I am pretty strong willed and have high pain tolerance so am baffled by this slow recovery. But figure even though there was 40 years difference between the first three surgeries and this last one, there is still LOTS of scar tissue in the sternal area and it's slower to heal this go round. 51 and not 6 probably has a lot to do with it too.

Luckily I don't work outside the home and have a very supportive family. I premade a lot of glass products for the gallery I show in, anticipating being out of the glass creating studio for a while. This is the time I most anticipated having problems with, well enough to feel antsy, but not well enough to actually DO anything.

Still very grateful to be on this side of the table and know in time, if slower than I want, I will be well and this too shall pass!

Let's take care of ourselves and stay out of the surgeon's office! Thanks for all your support and advice on all the threads I got going!

Linda