Scars and healing at (almost) 6 months

Life has done that thing that it does when we’re not looking.. it has moved on and passed by before we even noticed!

I’m almost at 6 months since my surgery and am doing really well. I’m still struggling with my image of myself as in my head.. I see myself looking as I did previously and often do a double take in a mirror as it isn’t what I’m expecting to see in my head.

Healing is going really well, with my boobs healing at a much faster rate than the tummy. My boobs now feel natural and normal – the tissue has settled to the position I think things will stay at and there is a nice softness again (after the reduction the boob tissue gets very hard and swollen!).

I’m still wearing the compression garment on my tummy. ARGH! I’m so very ready to see the end of this thing.. I think I need to do something momentous when I can finally stop wearing it! My tummy is doing well, but is slower in healing and settling. I still have swelling there, and I easily swell all over the tummy area given certain circumstances – salty food, menstruation and really hot weather. So when considering all of those things, I’m fluctuating between different stages of swelling most of the time really.

The lower abdominal muscles are still incredibly tight and I need to be careful not to stretch that area too much. That lower abdominal area is also where I have most of the swelling so I’m taking a stab in the dark here but would hazard a guess that there is a connection between the two (who would have known?! :P)

Onto the progress pics.. my scars are going really well with the boobs lightening much faster than the tummy, but they are all doing well.

 

 

Below the tape

Currently I have micropore (paper tape) over all of my incisions. This serves a couple of purposes – it protects the incisions areas, and also  helps to keep the scarring very thin and assist in keeping it flush with skin (not forming raised scars).

We changed the tape about a week ago.. which filled me with excitement, but also fear! I hadn’t properly seen my incisions at all, and having the tape there left me in a pleasant state of ignorance as I could pretend that the incisions under the tape were non existent. Interestingly though, at the same time I also worried that under the tape I may have some open wounds or infection.. or worse – necrosis! So, it was both with trepidation and excitement that I approached the official unveiling!

Left breast – there is still bruising and pen markings!

Right breast – less bruising and pen marks

Right hip – excuse the pubic region!

I can’t tell you the relief I felt after seeing these lines! For the scars to look like this at only 6 weeks after surgery is brilliant, and means they will fade to very small, clean, silver/white lines.