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

Thanks Pucketyboo and Harlyn.  The bookstore was in Ramsgate, but the article mentioned that there were similar stories in Harrogate and Hampshire.  
I am definitely on the whiny side of stoic, but mostly I feel better when I post about the positives.  Though a good venting helps too.

At the moment the horror show aspect isn’t bothering me, though I might feel differently when I do eventually leave the house/garden.  In the daytime, the problem is mostly frustration at not being able to do much, and at night it is about being too uncomfortable to sleep.  And every now and then the discomfort overwhelms me.  I have a permanent neurotically low tolerance of anything itchy or uncomfortable.  Eg, I cut all the labels out of clothes, I rip my bra off the moment I get home ( unexpected callers just have to wait for me to adjust  my dress or avert their eyes), and if I get caught by a sniffle without my hankie I feel like I am going to explode.   I am not good with pain either, but prefer quite a lot of pain to any itching. The sensation of the flap has moved focus: firstly it was an aching forehead, then the trickling of blood was annoying, then the sensation of wearing heavy glasses.  Currently it’s the tightness from scalp to nose.  And I am beginning to get some itching, grrr.

These are pretty trivial things really.  Princess and pea, that’s me!

Have you tried touching your nose and feeling it on your forehead?  Sort of cool  The itchiness is awful but the upside is that I found that itching my scalp stimulated hair growth…  

It gets better.  Next milestone is stitches out and a clean up.  Can’t be long now x

Ooh yes, I do get that feeling- touch nose, feel it on forehead.  I can’t say I like the sensation but I guess it’s good, shows that the flap is alive despite its rather grey appearance.  The itching has begun to kick in seriously and I have taken a Benadryl, hoping it helps soon.  My ear also continues to be sore.  Not by the area of visible damage, but behind it, weirdly.

In 42 hours I will be back at the private hospital for an appointment with “nurses” ( according to the appointment note).  Am I being over-optimistic to hope that this may offer any relief?  Is it likely to hurt, and would it be advisable to pre-load with some painkillers?

I’m beginning to feel quite claustrophobic.  Like being a nose/face with a tiny helpless humanoid strapped on for the ride.  … Just breathe

I don’t remember the follow up being painful, just that it was a relief because I lost the forehead dressing, was cleaned up and reassured all was well.  

BTW it is perfectly possible to position a large dressing across your nose if it would make you more comfortable going out.  

Having the stitches out of the first one was not painful at all but they were straight forward.  The ones from the skin graft at the top of my nose was a little uncomfortable as the dressing and scourer were all stitched to the wound and the stitches were the same colour. The Nurse kept asking me if I wanted her to stop and I said no just get on with it and get it over.  She just kept wetting it with sterile water.  The ones at the side of my ear were no problem at all, didnt even feel her do anything there.  You mention tightness. I still feel tightness in my cheek and under my eye but I suppose it is to be expected. I did mention it to the Consultant and he said it is the nerves and blood vessels all being in a different place and they are settling.  If I am cold, hot or stressed it feels worse and the scars are more visible.

Day 6 of the flap recovery.  More noticeably, today is the eighth day of not washing my hair.  I got an extra short haircut in anticipation of this.  Now I am not blaming the hairdresser, but on me the style looks like Young-Mia-Farrow meets Mr Potato Head.  However it is practical and has held up reasonably well till now.  I am hoping that at tomorrow’s appointment I will get the OK to wash it.

I got about 6 hours of broken sleep last night with the assistance of a Benadryl and two Paracetamol, and feel considerably better today.  I think perhaps I was going a little crazy from sleep deprivation.

I am also encouraged to get the confirmation today that my next surgery, presumably for separation of flap, is scheduled for 23 March.  Four weeks from the first stage of reconstruction, 22 nights to get through from now.  I was expecting this date, a tiny bit hoping that it might be earlier, but mostly very relieved it isn’t later.

I very much hope that they won’t want to run the full set of tests again - ecg and swabs are fine but my slippery veins are fed up of needles.  I will contact them well ahead of time so they don’t repeat the debacle of the first stage.

Oh and look, friends sent me flowers.  I am so touched.

I was straight into the bath to wash my hair. Employ your husband as hairdresser

Day 7.  Yay, just about a whole week done!  Updating this in the morning ahead of my clinic appointment.

Last night I repeated the experiment of dosing with Benadryl and paracetamol.  I got a fair bit of sleep, but felt very groggy in the morning.  I’ll consider what to do in future.  I think sleeping would be easier anyway, because I have begun to be able to lie on my right side.   I am naturally a side sleeper.  The BCC was on left nostril, still can’t lie comfortably on that side.  Also, I can breathe better through my nose.  The right nostril was sniffly but has cleared.  The left is still almost blocked by dried blood.  I can push air out on that side, but can’t draw air in.

The mobility of my left upper lip has improved too.  At first it was difficult to brush my teeth, but that is now back to normal.  The lip still doesn’t curl back: if I try to bare my teeth the effect is lopsided, a bit like Elvis, though rather less sexy.