Meant to post a follow up to the original scar post ages ago. I forgot to take a photo after the second op, so this one includes both second and third op scars, as well as the one for my port (the little one just there above my bra). Once again modesty prevents me from showing you the entire extent of the scars, but the vertical one goes right down to the pubes and the side one is a big J-shape that extends just past where the side seam on a shirt would be. The two horizontal scars are kind of on top of each other, but the second one also continues past the centre line for about three inches (bit hard to see in this pic).
The area where the horizontal and vertical scars meet is still causing me problems. Apparently I still have a lot of inflammation there, as well as where the original join was made in the colon after the emergency resection (first op). So there you have it. I’m not really bothered about having scars. I just hope I won’t need to get any more…
- blue – first op
- orange – second op
- green – third op
- yellow – port
casa azahar 
I’m glad you’re still here to tell us about it Az.
Scars don’t affect who we are, but they don’t half itch sometimes.
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I quite agree.
I have a large one from my gall bladder operation. Since even the smallest scar develops a lot of scar-tissue, this one looks like a big worm across my abdomen (maybe I should photograph it, too). It is always great for quietening children…
“I have a big worm on my stomach…”. I gross them out and they forget all about having been upset a few minutes earlier. Works every time.
My back is covered in scars from having moles removed which never turn out to be cancerous but you can’t take the chance. My back looks like a lot of centipedes are sunbathing on it. Since I have a horror of centipedes I am very glad I can’t see them.
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I can vouch that even small scars stay sore, and itch, for a decade after the fact.
Worth more attention is the way your body tends to inhibit to protect them and throw off the biomechanics of your torso — here’s where Yoga is going to be worth every minute you put into it, down the road.
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yep, I too am gathering more and more scars as I get older and have more moles removed – living here in sunny Oz will no doubt hasten that process. My hands and legs are already pretty scarred due to various outdoors activity-type accidents. The only one which ever really itches, though, is the one on my eyebrow which is one of the oldest scars (I was 10 and fell head first from some climbing bars). Weird.
Nice underwear btw 🙂
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“I’m glad you’re still here to tell us about it Az.”
Yep, that is the most important thing, D1.
I don’t find the scars itchy, though they still hurt sometimes and the whole belly surface area is pretty much numb. After my hysterectomy 10 years ago (and no, I won’t be showing you that scar) I was surprised by this numbness and asked my doctor when I would get feeling back in that area and he said probably never. And it was years before I stopped having twinges there.
Yes, the yoga is indispensable, Sled. Though I still can’t do many lie-on-my-belly positions.
As you can see by my (rather shaky) coloured lines on the bottom photo, the area around and above the “intersection” has been sliced open three times now, so I guess that’s why it’s still causing me trouble. There must be tons of scar tissue under there, especially if they didn’t “clean up” very well before stapling me back up each time.
I’ve got a few of those centipede mole scars too, mudhooks, on my arm, my back and one on each breast (won’t be showing those scars either). I don’t really notice them, even the boob one from this past March.
“Nice underwear btw”
Ah, that’s one of the cotton sports bras I ordered from M&S just before Christmas, woo. Had to have them sent to my friend Lizzie in Bristol and then have her forward them to me here. Worth it though as they are very comfy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cotton bra in Spain.
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For about a year after I suffered some pretty rude intrusion — and that only the once — I used a big fat floor pillow under me when I wanted to stretch out on my stomach. It worked a treat. Only a limited amount of Yoga can be done that way, but it was a mighty relief for my spinal erectors. I still guard with my abdominal wall on the slightest provocation. My chiropractor friend used to yell “Dammit! Leggo!”
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That is an impressive scar collection, az.
So what I see here from my energy worker point of view is that one of your extremely major chakras, the one at your solar plexus, has been messed with in a huge way. If I was your massage therapist I would be working with that spot in your energy body to re-establish the flow of energy there. Not to mention that the belly chakra has also been disturbed at the same time. On more than one occasion when I have worked on the energy body in an area like that it really has helped the physical body in the healing process.
The other thing that you can do is start rubbing some nice oil like avocado or jojoba into your scars, and stretching them gently along the line that the muscles underneath work. You won’t get rid of the scar tissue that way, but it will organize itself a little more like normal tissue and less like felt (which is sort of how the collagen in scar tissue is organized), and help prevent adhesions under and around the scars.
And the yoga is good. Eventually you will be able to do the belly positions too if you are patient with yourself and your very abused belly.
It is a good thing you are here to display your scars! Hope there are NO MORE of them to come.
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Scars? I though you were just doing your own version of Corset Friday. Seriously, though, I’m glad you are still here to show us these scars.
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I’ll look around for some avocado or jojoba oil to put on the scars. Bought some rosehip oil last year, but I didn’t like how it smelled so I stopped using it.
The previous scar photo was better, SS, and almost Corset Friday material. But that was because I was wearing my pretty linen & lace kimono and showing much less BELLY.
Sometimes I can’t believe that I actually had three major abdominal surgeries in seven months. It would have only been two if the surgeon hadn’t mistaken scar tissue on my peritoneum for active tumours in September. If they’d done the liver op then I wouldn’t have needed a third op and would have probably gone on post-op chemo without question – and quite possibly wouldn’t have had this recurrence. But oh well, no going back, only forward …
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Hi Az 🙂
I was just reading this post to my dear Lorna and she reminded me of a friend of ours who had a series of major abdominal surgeries. Each time she had more, deep scar tissue to deal with.
Our friend found the following to help with both the itching and restoring flexibility to the scarred skin:
– Post-natal skin gel. Originally formulated for easing stretch marks it can have a beneficial effect on surface scarring.
– Body Butter, from the Body Shop (or local equivalent). She would massage this in gently everyday to restore and maintain flexibility on and around the scars.
As with all such things it is advisable to do a small patch test first to see if there is any reaction with the skin.
At one point she was convinced by a surgeon to have surgery to remove the build up of subcutaneous scar tissue. This worked for a few weeks but then the scarring from the scar removal operation hardened and left her in a worse state than before. So I would think twice before trying that.
Here’s hoping you can get through this.
Blessings,
Craig.
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Craig! What a lovely surprise. It’s been awhile. *hug*
Ufff, I can’t imagine undergoing more surgery just to try to get rid of scar tissue, so no worries there. Yeah, I haven’t been very careful about keeping the scars moist and massaged. I will have a look for some good creme mañana. The Body Shop one sounds like it will be the easiest for me to find.
We’ve got some catching up to do. Who’s going to write the first email?
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az, I’m glad you’re still here, too.
Funny thing about that photo, the fitst thing I thought was how feminine that picture was, *then* I saw the scars. Hugs, and hoping you won’t add any more to the collection.
I’ve got a couple of doozies, too, but they’re not something I think about much — unless they itch! 😉
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Message torpedo away Cap’n 😀
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Sounds like I’ve got a lot of itching to look forward to, SC. I wonder why mine haven’t itched so far. Still too new?
Message received, Craig. I was going to comment on your fab avatar – now I understand why you chose it. Ah, life eh?
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Yes, I’ve become very fond of that avatar, it really represents me at this time 😉
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You mean being a naughty boy? 😉
Have forwarded your email to Nog and we will both reply over the weekend. Though most of my news has already been posted here.
So, before going out in search of body butter today I had a niggling memory of seeing something similar in a lovely care package that my friend Lizzie sent me from Bristol awhile back. Found it stored under the bathroom sink and tried it out after my shower. It’s really nice! Made of “softening shea butter and aloe vera” it also smells quite pretty, so I’m going to start using it every day. I also discovered another very nice product that had come in the same care package – an olive, pistachio & olive body scrub, which I am going to take on holiday with me.
Am realising how much I’ve been neglecting the state of my hair, skin, feet – being all floppy on chemo makes everything such an effort that basic daily grooming is about all I can handle. And so while I’m in Málaga I’m going to take baths (something I never do in my tiny foetal-position bathtub here), scrub skin, moisturise, deep condition hair … I think it will be fun to really pamper myself for awhile. Also going to take daily walks on the beach to get some of the dry hard skin off my feet – walking barefoot in sand is really good for that – as part of a week-long pedicure session.
It feels good buttering my belly. 🙂
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Indeed, I am not the messiah, just a very naughty boy 😉
Pampering is good, especially when you deserve it.
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Your plans for your stay in Malaga sound just what the doctor ordered.
About the scrars — they’re really visible for the first year or two, but they’ll fade somewhat, and they won’t itch *all* along, just in spots — my itchy spots are the bumpy scar on my ankle and the seam between my boobs…just try scratching that one discretely! :laugh:
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