incision and lotion and hard areas

Hi, Got my staples out yesterday, Yeah!!!! Will not miss those 29 pieces of metal.
Where the staples came out it is scabbed over and no drainage, but the nurse said I could put any kind of lotion that I wanted to on. Was just wondering is that really good with the scabs still there??
I have a vertical incision and my stomache looks kind of funky too. It kind of dips in areas and makes my stomache look distorted. Feels like there is a hard lump under the one area like a bunch of scar tissue or something? Doesn't hurt any worse there, just looks weird. Anyone else notice this? I wonder if massaging that area will help.
I measured around my belly and was pleased to see it is actually no bigger than before surgery! Just looks funny! I really think the abdominal binder that I have worn since recovery room has helped dramatically with the swelling. Wonder if it will hurt to wear a bit longer. The nurse said oh you don't have to wear that anymore. But it feels good!!!! She said go ahead then. Don't want to compromise getting my muscles stronger though.
Any suggestions for my lengthy questions would be appreciated. All of you have been so so helpful! Tiffany

Hi!

Hooray for staple removal! I noticed that the date of your surgery was May 20. Those 29 pieces of metal were in for a very long time! Did you have any problems with the area around the staples becoming infected or sore? I wouldn't put anything on your incision area just yet. My doctor said soap and water, then gently pat dry. I did that until my scabby sections had healed...just a few days after staple removal...and then started using Mederma cream near, but not on, the incision area. It seemd to me that light massage had great restorative power. The feeling around the incision site returned completely in about three months. I also had that hard lumpy area, but that disappeared in time, too. It took several months, but the skin is as smooth now as it was pre-surgery. I wore the surgical binder with my doctor's blessing. It must've helped with the swelling, because I never really got the major belly! As a teacher I spend most of the day on my feet, and that binder was a true Godsend! I stopped wearing it about eight weeks out. That might seem ridiculous to many women, but it worked for me. If you do continue to use yours, make sure you have something soft covering the incision so the rough binder fabric doesn't become abrasive.

Good luck with the rest of your recovery! Check in to let everyone know how you're doing.

Thanks so much for your reply! I didn't think it was a good idea to put lotion on it when it was still scabby. It WAS a long time to have those staples in, my skin got a bit red, but no infection or seeping much. I have read that most don't leave staples inthat long.
Glad to hear I am not the only one that likes the binder this far along, it is in the wash right now, and I can really feel a difference with pulling a such. Mine has a soft area that goes against the incision, so it doesn't really bother it.
Thanks so much for your helpful hints! Tiffany

Whatever you do don't use antibiotic ointment on it for to long. The box says no longer than 10 days. Well i used it for longer than that because it felt so good to rub it on my itchy incision. But after about the 14th day of using it i broke out in a terrible rash. I think i must have killed off all the good bacteria on my skin. Kind of like if you take an antibiotic to long and get a yeast infection. Rash is almost gone. Dr told me to rub hydrocortisone cream on it and it's starting to get better. I think i'm going to get some vitamin E cream now. My mother used that on here incision, after her broken hip, and it looks really good, she said it helped with the itching too.

My doctor suggested Mederma creme which I have been using twice a day but the keloid didn't seem to be any different so now I have a prescription for a streoid creme which I will pick up today.