Scared - Necrosis is seperating

I am 4 1/2 weeks out from a Lower Body Lift.  I have necrosis on my back right above my butt.  I had another section over close to my hip and the Dr was able to open that up and re sew it.  We have been waiting and watching this other spot which is alot bigger and there is no extra skin to pull it together to sew up.  So.......When it starts to separate we are hoping he can close some of it but the rest we are going to have to let heal as an open wound......(I hate this thought).

Well last night as my husband was putting the silverdine on it he said, well....Its separating.  I am now freaking out.  I talked to my doctor last night and he said its ok, its what we have been waiting for this.  I had just hoped the swelling would have gone down more so he could close it up.  He has surgery tomorrow morning but he wants me to come in at 2:00.

I swear I would rather go through my whole recovery again then have to have an open wound.  I am just so scared of the unknown.

 I understand your distress, but unfortunately the LBL is a touch procedure to recover from - gravity and pressure from sleeping etc. all take their toll.  I had two areas on my suture line that took a long time to heal.......and I ended up having a packed wound from a seroma that came up and got infected overnight........there is so much tissue disruption with the LBL - it's amazing we heal as well as we do.    Lots of people experience wound separation and do fine......and your doctor is on top of it - is available to you (see why I always cringe when people do plastics far away!!!!) -and you have help!  I went through all my plastics alone.......friends picked me up from the hospital etc. but I was feeding my parrots and getting my dogs out immediately post op with all three procedures......you do what you have to do and you will be fine.  We're the lucky ones......we were able to have plastics.......there are so many people on OH who want to look good and want to be healthy and they can't cover the bariatric procedures and most can't think of doing plastics because of the expense.......I'm big on gratitude for how lucky I am.....and it helps me cope when I get afraid.   You will be fine!      Susan

Thanks Susan and your right.  The complications could be alot worse and we are very lucky to be able be where we are.  I do have alot of support with me as well as my doctor.  I emailed him at 11 and it was so great that he called me.  I didn't want to call him that late for something that I knew was going to happen but it made me feel alot better once he called me back.

Thanks again and your right gratitude will help me get through.

This stuff isn't dangerous - just a nuisance and uncomfortable.  They eventually heal and then you get a small revision done later in the year and everything works out.  I didn't have  this problem with my LBL but I had a small wound separation on my brachioplasty and I had it revised 9 months later and everything healed beautifully.  It took about 8 weeks for the separation to close and heal initially - seemed like a lifetime - I know what you're going through.

Good luck.

Thanks!!  Were you scared for the revision to have the same problem?  Since we have been watching it so much we are hoping that the swelling has gone down enough that he can try and sew some of it up.  I don't think he has enough play for all of it, but hopefully some of it.

Did having the open wound slow you down at all?  Hurt etc?

Thanks

My wound problem was on my right arm near the armpit and I'm right handed so it was a bit of a problem because I had to be careful about reaching and lifting.  The big problem was no upper body lifting at home or the gym for weeks.  And I didn't like the constant wound care.  The revision was not a big concern because the skin had loosened up considerably since the original surgery and there was no swelling - the swelling is what adds to the risk of the wound separations.  The revision was nothing pain wise or healing wise - it was healed in a week.  Good luck.

I am sending you my good thoughts for contunued healing.  Keeping in touch with your DR is a great idea right now.

keep us updated, 
thinking of you! ((((((((((Kristie)))))))))))))))

Oh, Kristi.

Sweetie. I just now saw this post. I just finished replying to your post o me, then I posted an update on the board and now I saw this post from you. Honey my heart is breaking for you.

I totally know how you feel about the open wound fear. That was my biggest fear as well. Before surgery abd after, the thought of an open wound scared the living hell out of me.

When I ever got one, I thought I was going to freak out. And I did freak out. I cried, I called the doctor every day, I regretted having this stupid surgery (my feelings at that time) and just couldnt believe I was battling this.

Open wounds scared me so much. I ke[t asking "WHY ME????" I had quit smoking, I prepared myself as best I could, etc.....It took awhile to realize that these happen to SO MANY people, and really there is nothing to do to prevent them 100%. Sure, we can help do our best to avoid getting them. Like in may case, quitting smoking was the best thing I could have done for myself...I still had open wounds but I know it would have been worse if I smoked still.

Anyway, I post this reply without much advice, I post it to express my empathy, as a friend and as someone who went thourgh this terrible ordeal. I understandhow you feel sweetheart. Cry and you will feel better....but then dry your tears (easier said then done, trust me! I still cry!) and TRY to reamin positive.

I was not a huge believer in the power of positive thinking but my thery on that has changed....

We need to put our hands in your surgeons, do everything they say, and wait for our bodies to heal. It sucks but that is what we have to do. Time heals all wounds. Funny how that expression is so literal in this case, isn't it? But it is so true, Kristi.

Only time is going to make this better.

Continue doing what your doctor says...you will see that each day you will slowly get better.

You know what I did? Seriously....every day, I took a picture of my tummy wound. That ugly, weeping, hideous wound that scared the hell out of me. I took pics daily. And I saw on my camera that sure as anything it was getting btter....before I knew it, it was no longer open. It was no longer seeping. It was dry and started to scab over.....it had healed interally first and then scabbed......

Today it is hardly noticible. It is unreal. I did have a slight glitch when after a shower, I couldnt leave teh damn thing alone and picked at the scab.....under it 50% was healed, 50% was not and once again,l I had a damn hole!!!!! GRRRRR. I was so pissed at myself...I [posted about this in my update on the board.

Anyway, Honey, you are a doll and you wil get better. The emotional part of this was what did me in...it was almost too much to handle. That is when you may need to talk to your doctor, or come and post and vent here....but if you feel dperession settling in, as I did, you may need some temporary help from your doctor. And that is okay.

I dont know alot about the  process of necrosis....I never had to deal with that. What is this exactly? I am thinking it is dead skin? I almost had to have a procedure done in the office when they removed dead tissue but my surgeon felt it was a borderline case and he wanted to hold off. Turns out it was the right decision; the ointment he gave me worked well....the dead tissue sort of fell away and didnt cause spreading or more issues. Is this what necrosis is? I dont recall him giving it a term.

Kristi, I am here for you sweetie...you are always so sweet and worried about everyone else. I remember your posts always asking about me and you touched me so much....you are thoughtful and sweet and deserve every good thing. I know it seems awful now and it is awful, I know....but you WILL get better. You WILL! It will take time and that sucks, but I promise you, hon, you will heal.....you will.

Gentle hugs, my friend. Hang in there and please let me know if you ever want to talk.

Hugs,
Denise

Hello,
I am wishing you all the many blessings. You will heal just will take some time. I just had the lbl and I have a spot on my back that will have to heal from the inside out. It is the size of a pencil, but it is not infected. Its always scary when you dont do what you think you should when you would like for your body to do it. You will be fine. Again, I am very happy to have had it done and remember it is a lot for the lbl, especially how we use our body mechanics with this.because of our backs and its a major part of body movement.
 
Take care

Kimmee