Probable forehead flap in a week’s time, how to prepare?

Day 24.  Only 3 more whole days with the pedicle.  But after desperately counting down the days, I am beginning to dread the upcoming operation.

Honestly, there’s no pleasing some people

Get back to counting the days, Lucklylass.  It is a major step coming up and a good one. Huge progress to back to normality - that tugging tightness gone from your pedicle, the bridge of your nose back for your glasses and you lose the scare factor for others.  It’s not plain sailing but it’s better.  Every day better.  Believe x

Thanks for the encouragement Lizch.  Yes, 4 days from now, surgery will be behind me, no more pedicle, glasses on, and proper recovery begins, yay!

It's amazing lucky lass. For us following you it's gone really quickly. Obviously not for you though. 

You've done amazingly well and anyone facing a forehead flap would be greatly encouraged by your account.

Thanks Puckettyboo, I hope that this account will be useful and that the end result will be very encouraging to others.  

To try to summarise how it has felt:  I n the first week the sheer reality of the procedure was upsetting. I felt quite violated by this monstrosity that had taken over my face, and probably rather fragile from the anaesthetic.  I think I cried on most days, over little things not necessarily about me.  I did have a day of almost euphoria.  I recall having similar in early days of at least one of my hip surgeries, so note to self, enjoy if it recurs!  The constant dribble of blood from the incisions was uncomfortabley tickling and also so messy, And it was hard to sleep.  I had gradual improvements in how it felt, but by the 7th day it was looking worse than ever because of all the crusted black blood.

The stitches were removed in two stages, after one week and two weeks.  Each time made some improvement in both appearance and how I felt.   I have been taking a daily photo and it really is hard to see any change from Day 14 to today, Day 26.  

It is also hard to identify improvements in the physical feelings, but I think things have eased.  I can sleep on either side now.  I have had more games evenings out and each one has definitely been easier and less tiring. I can be more active than I was for the first 10 days or so in terms of housework and doggy care, but have scaled back what I do in the last 10 days or so because I seemed to be getting worse and thought I may have been overdoing it.  I have got more used to my appearance - we had a second trip to the vet, nothing serious with our little dog, and I just went in with head up unlike the first time.  But I still haven’t been out much.  There seems no point in braving the shops etc.  One other change I have made is that I stopped applying the antibiotic ointment, because it seemed to be irritating the surrounding skin.  I am using Vaseline on the two donor sites t keep them protected. I stopped  taking Codeine after I woke up two hours after taking one with a really bad headache.  No point in risking the side effects if they don’t even work.  I have plateaued at 5 paracetamol a day.

The second two weeks have been more of a mental struggle.  Progress is slow and life is boring.  It is hard to judge the level of discomfort, though it probably has eased.  The sheer unrelenting sensation is wearing me down.  Which  part of my face is most annoying moves around.  For the last couple of days I have had hours of aching, and at separate times hours of maddening itch, round the area where the pedicle joins my forehead.  It is as if someone pulled all the loose skin at the inside corner of my right eyebrow, twisted it round and put a clothes peg on it.  Other times that area isn’t too noticeable, but my forehead either side of the seam is bugging me.  Sometimes the area under grafted skin where my nostril used to be is as sore as if it was cut yesterday.

My worries also flit around.  Looking at the forehead skin now covering my nostril ( and beginning to show a fine crop of hair, grr), I can see the little bumps and pores all moved to their new home, and a horrible thought occurred to me.  What if I had a BCC waiting to emerge in that area, and it grows in the new location.  But I tell myself, with any luck, that area has been less exposed to the sun than my nose and it is not going to happen.

Yesterday I noticed that the dark blood which still oozes very slowly around the perimeter of the grafted patch was actually yellowish, and I thought, what if it’s infected and the whole graft fails.  I honestly feel I would rather die than have to start all over again   But I say that, if faced with it , we decide to live with it don’t we?  Anyway, that is not going to happen.  No other symptoms of infection.  It’s probably the iodine ointment in the dressing working its way out, and with less bleeding, it is more obvious.  I have read the medical papers and forehead flaps have a very high success rate, better than ordinary grafts.

Anyway, I am nearly through this first stage.  My husband is supportive and the puppy is getting used to mummy being less fun than usual.  Lots of happy times wait just a little way in the future.  The spring bulbs are blooming and the birds are nesting and all is well in our little corner of the world.  Soon I will be posting from the other side of operation separation.

Thar is an absolutely brilliant write up. It will certainly help others faced with the same problem.  You hve been so very brave.  x

Excellent and realistic account of your experience.

Wishing you all the best for your flap removal.

Incidently, I was also very nervous of possible flap surgery because of the thought of a possible bcc being in the flap.

Thanks Lizch. We'll I am sitting here in the hospital at 7.41,hoping for an earlier op than last time.  Feeling optimistic and upbeat.  And ready to embrace the nerve pains as proof of healing.

I did see my copatient from the Mohs.  She looked great, by comparison with me.  I had to look for her flap, knowing where to look I spotted it but it was so much less noticeable.  She got away with a cheek flap.  I guess not surprising as she only needed one go of MOHS. I asked how she had felt and she said not too bad at all.  Sigh, if only mine had been caught earlier.... Still, it could have been later. I'd probably still be waiting for an appointment with NHS

Morning Luckylass.  Thinking of you and hope it will be all over soon.  Hope to hear from you later.  Got everythinbg crossed for you that all goes well and you will be happy with the result.  Hugs and Get well wishes xx