My main abdominal scar - all 9 inches of it - has settled down well. Something they don't tell you beforehand is how this will look at first & how it will progress, although I was told the scar would fade to a silver line eventually.
Immediately post op there was an angry red ridge held by staples & my abdomen was uneven and lumpy. I felt a little disappointed at this. Tender & mucky with glue & blood. However, once the staples were removed after 12 days, the ridge soon relaxed flat with just a slight unevenness and continuing tenderness. Still rather lumpy abdomen on one side & various tubes in place on the other.
Having the stents until 7 weeks post op made for a very sore wound although otherwise I was fairly comfortable. Aches & twinges depending on activities. Now at 3 months, my abdomen has smoothed shape & the scar looks just pink and flat. The staple holes are still apparent - amazingly far apart now. My abdomen tends to swell as the day goes on & I still get aches which I take as a sign to slow down or rest for a bit.
It's quite hard to take on board what's been done inside, with so little to show now. I'm so lucky to have been able to have the neo instead of a stoma - I do wonder if I'd have been so glad to have surgery if this had been the only choice.
I also have two scars visible from the soft drain & the stents. Curiously the former, high up on my abdomen forms a T & the other, low down, forms an H - my initials!
