Vertical incision

I had the vertical incision, belly button>pubic bone and I'm now 10 mths out from surgery. I hardly even think about the scar now - it's still noticeable of course, but it has very much faded and the "butt" look and sagginess has definitely gone now! It is mostly flesh coloured too now, but parts of it still go a bit pink at times.

I read somewhere on the forums in my early recovery days that massaging the scar was good - with oil, lotion, whatever. This person said that it wasn't what you rubbed into it that was going it good, it was the massaging itself. Encouraged blood flow and healing. Obviously wouldn't want to do it until the wound has fully healed though

It may sound strange, but I'm actually quite proud of my scar! It took a huge leap of faith to get the surgery - I've never been so scared in my life - but it's now a reminder of how much has changed in those 10 months and how wonderful it is to have my life back

jlcain:
I don't know if you wanted any info from us further out..but I will add my 2cents. I am 4 mo. out and still have what looks like a butt...Mine goes from my belly button down to the pubic bone. I am just now getting some of my core strength back.. was able to lift patio blocks this past weekend for a backyard project. I had bruising on both sides of my incision and down by my pubic area was really bruised... I think it has to do with where the clamps are.
I still suffer from swelly belly esp. if I am on my feet all day. My scar is still bright red and very tender at the bottom. I think all abdominal surgeries end up with the belly roll although mine seems higher than the bikini cut girls I know. My doctor actually told me that I would probably have it for life and I hope I can prove him wrong. I may be a bit older than most of you ( I am 54) but I still think that when they cut these muscles , we never get back all of our core strength and that adds to the sagging. Best of luck to you and I hope this adds some insight.

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That's hysterical! That's exactly what y belly looks like...I just didn't make the connection! I did have staples (27) and my incisional pain is more than I expected but your text made me laugh (which I haven't done much of lately)

I'm glad you got a laugh out of my "butt" look (it seems like others have the same look), I only hope you didn' laugh too hard. It seems like sneezing and laughing hurt the most for me! Especially the belly laugh - ouch!

Thank you so much to all of you who have posted! PattyO, YES! I am so interested in the experience of those of you who are further out; there is so much for me to learn. And maybe I can be some help to those newer than myself. Ireland2007, probably 40andblessed is right and we're just slower. Are you still on the pain meds? A lot of my pain was gas and constipation and those decreased a lot when I stopped taking anything but the megaibuprofen (and walked, drank tons of water and ate a lot of fruit).

Mikat, I hadn't thought of the "butt" thing either, but you're right. I pretty much ignored what it looked like from "up here", and was just freaking out about what it looked like in the mirror.

I know that when it gets to look like a scar instead of a slice down my belly I'll feel a little better about it. I've never minded scars much -- I have one on my elbow I'm kind of fond of, and I have a bikini cut Csection scar. Maybe it's just that it was so far down that it was hard to see at all, but I was never bothered by that one. Honestly, I don't know why I'm bothered by this -- at 49 I was hardly going to have a lucrative bikini modelling career -- I don't know if my ambivalence about whether I should have had the surgery makes me hate the scar, or if it's the other way around!

It's weird to compare our recovery with bikini cut TAHs. My Dr didn't tell me this would be a longer recovery, but she's said 8 weeks for a couple of things where others were told 6 weeks. I felt better than most other people my first two weeks, it seemed, but now I'm lagging behind. My mom thinks a lot of my pain is from my bladder repair, but the belly tenderness and twinges seem worse at 5 weeks than they did at 2. I know that's probably not true, b/c I'm doing lots more now, but the progress seems to have slowed down so much.

I also wonder about what others describe as "swelly belly"; I don't know if I have it with the vertical incision or not. I'm about 40 lbs overwt anyway, so I'm not sure if I have a swelly belly or if we're just talking fat here!

Anyway, thank you all for your input. I look forward to your responses every time I come to the computer!

jlc

TAH 4/23/08 w/vertical incision w/bladder "burch" but kept ovaries for fibroids, adenomyosis and 18 wk pregnancy uterus (doc said "think of a Nerf football"!)

I had a vertical incision from just below belly button to pelvic ... total of 18 staples.

I was in 'awe' of it while the staples were in and looked at it everytime I could AND I showed it to every person that came into my room at hospital and everyone who came over for a visit at my home! lol

Caring heart, I wish I were as brave as you are! I wouldn't even show my husband (and we are CLOSE) for a couple of weeks. Then the Dr. told me that the bottom hadn't closed up entirely (about the size of a pencil eraser) and that I "had to keep an eye on it"!~ Well, I couldn't even SEE down there! So I had to share. And my DH is the sweetest most amazing man, who would never show any disgust -- so it kind of didn't help! I still keep thinking I'm ugly and smell bad and.... you name it.
No one else has seen my scar at all, but one of my students (I teach in the Jr college here) says I'm supposed to take a picture of it "while it's still fresh and *****en". Ahh, the perspective of youth!

jlc

jlc:
I did exactly that... the insurance was denying my 4 day hosp. stay, so I had DH take a picture of me, staples and all, bruised and major swelling, just in case I had to prove my point. It took about 3 weeks of calling to get it straightend out... Every once in a while I will look at those pics to remind myself of how far I have come.
As far as the twinges go, mine had pretty much stopped, but last month I was at work and actually gasped, it hurt so bad... think labor pain, but didn't last too long... That went on for about a week and then subsided again... I think those are nerves that are still coming back to life after having been disturbed.

I am so glad I found this thread about vertical incisions. I have one too that runs from just above my belly button to the pelvic bone. I now have a "jelly belly" because I lost 17 lbs. in a week and a half. 10 from worry and anxiety and 7 from the 6.8lbs cyst and my parts that were removed.

I've been cleared to drive for short distances and to walk all I can and not lift anything over 10-20 lbs. I am feeling pretty good and have to remind myself to take it easy. Do you all have stricter restrictions? Mine seem so lax compared to others.

My DH has seen everything. I wasn't afraid to show him and he wasn't afraid to look.

i was told i could drive as soon as i was off the pain meds, so i've been driving for about a week now, still not lifting anything over 10 lbs, not cuz i can't, but cuz i don't want to. i want to get better, and i want it NOW, lol, so i'm doing every single little thing they tell me.......

I also had a vertical incision (TAH/BSO). The doctor told me this is the hardest incision to recover from. I had a mass the size of an oversized softball on an ovary. They thought it was cancer, but the lab reports (during surgery) showed both the oncologist and my GYN it was benign. Anyway, they felt they needed to make this cut in case it was cancer so they could clean up with easy access. It has been 5 weeks and mine is pinkish-red and a bit serpentine as opposed to straight. I think it gives it character. My sister told me I need to learn a belly dance to make it move like a snake ) I look at my scar all the time and embrace it. To me it is a reminder of how lucky I am to be healthy now. Outer beauty fades, but inner beauty only gets better. No more bikinis for me, but I did go shopping and found a real youthful tankini (46 years young)

It will take time to heal, but at least we were given that option.

I was thinking of buying a temporary tattoo to decorate it...what do you think?

Hang in there. Life only gets better.