Surgery Week!

 Hello!

Just posting a quick update! Unfortunately, this process took longer than normal because of COVID-19 and office closures. Then the hospitals were way busy with more life threatening illnesses due to the holidays and flu season, and this pandemic that has caused the world to pause. WAY bigger issues than what I'm going through. Thankful that I'm healthy, my friends and family are healthy and that I get to work from home. 

Anyway, I was able to get my insurance to approve my surgery with Stanford's Plastics Department. 

My surgery/keloid removal is scheduled for this Friday (Jan 22)! 

I'm nervous, excited, scared...these scars are unpredictable man. 

I had my pre-op appointment today with the P.A. and doctor, and they laid out all the risk factors. It's scary to hear all the risks all at once, but they do have to go over them with me:

-It could come back bigger

-Open wound = possibility of infection

-Steroid injections immediately following the surgery = possibility of the scar not healing correctly

But there are also possible amazing factors:

-It heals correctly

-My scars will appear flatter

-The itch and pain will be maintained

With any surgery, comes risk factors. Keloid surgery...scary risky. But I have tried everything except for radiation therapy *which is still on the table* but we want to give this a try first. Radiation is more of a last resort move. 

Prepping for Surgery:

-No food the night before surgery (not even water, gum or coffee)

-Wash my entire body with a special soap and sponge provided by the hospital (see picture)

-I will need to take a COVID-19 test prior to surgery (scheduled for Wednesday afternoon)

-Had to speak with a anestesia specialist to make sure we were not mixing medications (last week)

Praying for better results this time around (If you read a little further back, I had my first keloid removal surgery back in 2011 at Kaiser). The scar came back. Bigger. And I've been maintaining the itch and pain with keloid injections, steroid tape and silicon tape for the past 10 years.

I will be extremely diligent and follow my doctor's plan to the t! No heavy lifting, clean dressings, and scar therapy.

They've also asked me to order a scar therapy treatment tape called "embrace" (NOT A PAID PROMOTION)

It's this scar tape that stretches and shrinks when you place it on your skin to keep your skin from stretching. I've been told it works wonders for keloid scars. I ordered a 60 day supply for about $75, and will order more if it works for me.

I'm nervous guys. But I'm also...feeling hopeful and excited that I'm trying something different with a new care team. 

Wish me luck! I will post an update after my surgery and more pics of the scar as it heals.