Update on Carrie (CMP) 6/24 Surgery

[leapyrtwins]

Carrie -

glad to hear your son is doing well at camp; I know that was one of your concerns going into surgery.

Have fun at the mall    Enjoy the Musak 

Jan

[lori67]

Pick up a few nice things for yourself while you're at the mall!  Lots of sales going on, you know!   

Glad your son is doing okay.  I guess camp food isn't so great, huh?  Must not be a camp for future chefs?

I'm also glad your Mom made it to her appointment.  I know how you feel - before my parents moved into the Veteran's Home, I had to make sure they had rides everywhere.  I'm one of 4 daughters, the only one who lives out of state, and for some reason, I wound up with that job.  Go figure.  I also had to follow up with the doctors to make sure of what was said.  It was like that telephone game - where what you hear from them isn't even close to what the doctor said.  I finally convinced my sister who lives near my parents to go with them to appointments so she can write down what the doctor says so she can report it back to the rest of us. 

Anyway, glad you're feeling well and are up on your feet!

Lori

[leapyrtwins]

I'm one of 4 daughters, the only one who lives out of state, and for some reason, I wound up with that job.

Funny how that works out.

My dad is one of fourteen (yes, fourteen) - but he was the only one that my grandparents ever called when they needed something.  He isn't even the oldest, but for some reason he was the chosen "one".

Jan

PS Carrie - did you purchase anything fun at the mall?  Leave it to Lori to suggest that 

[lori67]

Well, I was going to suggest picking up a few nice things for ME, but I didn't want to seem too pushy!   

Lori

[cmp]

No, I didn't shop last night, just dropped at the end... 

My husband, however, spent the whole time I was power-schlepping in Williams-Sonoma, buying a mechanized rock salt mill to match the way cool gourmet pepper mill he'd picked up at a different location last week (you don't have to turn, twist, or crank it, you just turn it over and it grinds the peppercorns/rock salt into a fine, savory dust...) Something about my surgery seems to have created a craving in him for highly seasoned food, it seems...

OK, here (if I can figure out how to post them) are pictures of my incision. I feel especially stupid now, after checking out all the pics on JulieW's thread, because my incision really looks like a translab incision, but I distinctly remember having the following conversation in pre-op with Dr Martuza's chief resident:

Me: Can you remind me again what approach you'll be using?
Dr F: Retrosigmoid/suboccipital.
Me: So, even though you're sealing things up with belly fat, you're not doing the translab approach?
Dr F: (Nods head).

Maybe I misheard? Maybe his head was shaking horizontally vs nodding up and down and I was directionally challenged (or sedated?) at the time? Please tell me what this looks like (the first photo DH took of my incision Tuesday morning--day after the sutures came out--and the second I took myself this morning after my shower, blurry but still doesn't obscure the top of the incision as in photo #1).

I can't believe I've gone through this surgery a second time and am still confused about which approach was used. (I really am a proactive, well-informed patient, usually... 





Carrie

[Cheryl R]

I think each hospital and surgeon has their own routine of and where they do the incisions  and may make it hard to even identify what  type of incision it is.           The recent pics from House of mid fossa does not look like my 2 mid fossas.           Mine are both rectangle shape while theirs is a question mark look. 
    One of my daughters has had Lasik eye surgery today.       We have the grandkids here for overnight. (it is nap time)                  I do not think I could handle being awake and having that done!      Her husband said she did ok.
                                                        Cheryl R

[cmp]

That's good to know, Cheryl! I'm pretty sure I heard both my doc and his chief resident identify the original approach (which they'd be reusing) twice as retrosigmoid, but my incision looks SO different from the photos Jan (leapytwins) has posted of hers.

So glad to hear your daughter's Lasik surgery went welll!
Carrie

[jerseygirl]

Carrie,

Your approach looks like retrosigmoid. Many surgeons use belly fat even with retro to prevent muscle to dura adhesions. Your scar is very similar to mine from the first surgery but mine is much longer but straight just like yours. Many surgeons I visited suggested retro after the original partially because that is all they are trained in and partially because my tumor was more accessible using it vs. the translab. Your scar looks great: delicate, well done. Do you have any incisional pain now?
             Eve

[Debbi]

Carrie-

Wow - nice pictures!  You incision looks a lot like mine, and mine was translab.  But, I think Cheryl's right that each surgeon has his own favorite way to do the incision.  Mine is much closer to my ear and really follows the shape of my ear, so it is more curved than yours.  You should heal nicely though, and the incision will be hidden in your hair.  I just can’t believe this is your second time around!!

Meanwhile, the salt grinder sounds way cool
 

Debbi

[ppearl214]

Carrie,

tickled that you are doing well.. and we know you had a FAB team at MGH/MEEI..... pics look great and continuing to send wellness wishes to you for speedy recovery.

Next time you do a follow up in Boston, let me know... would love to do lunch... I'm live near the highway for ease of meet.

Hang in there!
Phyl

[sgerrard]

Looks retro to me.

The translab incisions, including Debbi's, are closer to the ear, or the hairline around the ear. This one is more to the back of the head.

Steve

[cmp]

Thanks, Eve and Steve, for the confirmation. Eve--no, I haven't had much incisional pain at all, other than a twinge of "tightness" in spots from time to time; the real problem has been my neck, which though still stiff is finally not interfering with sound sleep (before last night I had to break up lying in bed with at least a couple of hours upright in a recliner...).

Phyl--thanks for the good wishes! And I'd very much like to meet other area ANers--sounds great!

Carrie

[leapyrtwins]

Carrie -

obviously I'm no doctor, but for what it's worth your scar looks retro to me too.

I've seen other retro scars and they seem more rounded than mine - mine is kind of pointy and angular - but I think that was just my docs' preference.

Jan

[HeadCase2]

Carrie,
  Nice scar!  It looks like retro to me too.  For translab i believe they fold the ear forward to get it out of their way, and I don't think that would have been possible from where your incision was.
  If you ask for a copy of your surgery report it will give you more details.  Each surgery requires a report on what took place during the procedure.  You could ask your surgeon's office for a copy.  Or ask the hospital's records department for a copy of the surgical report.  Some of the terminology on these reports can be a bit technical, but it will give you more information on your particular case.
Regards,
  Rob

[cmp]

Thanks for the confirmation, Jan and Rob! And I will certainly follow up on your suggestion, Rob--especially considering the PIA that not being able to retrieve a single hard fact about my '89 surgery was, I have a very strong incentive to keep good records this time around...