The elder child, who happened by the computer a few moments ago and saw the pic on the screen, said, "Whooooooaaaaah," and then made a face I can't describe. After a bit she added, "That must be really annoying."
Honestly it looks better than I expected, though I suppose if it was my own neck I'd be less inclined to think so. Heal up, and think of all the great stories and one-liners you can make up about it! ("Man, when they say they have to make some cuts at work...", etc.)
You can tell her it's not that annoying, except when I try to sleep. It's hard to find a comfy position! And getting up from bed is interesting -- so much connects to your neck, did you know? And all of it says "ow!" when you try to move.
Sadly, I do know. Though it's the back of my neck, not the front, that's my problem. Try rolling to your side and then either sit up sideways or lean forward and kinda roll out of bed -- it takes a lot of the strain off, IME.
I tried that, but the front kind of compresses when you roll to your side, and compressing = bad. If I sit straight up and try to focus on using my lower back and butt muscles, that seems to be the best. Opposite solutions for literally opposite problems!
Mom had complained about the whole getting out of bed thing when she had her shoulder replaced and I sympathised at the time but didn't really get it. I get it now, definitely!
I have one of these scars, too (I got half a thyroidectomy.) When I got out of the hospital, it was kept closed with tape running across. It looked like that kind of tape with strings running through. I thought it looked like I had tried to slit my own throat and then changed my mind and slapped on the nearest packing tape. I felt like I must look like either Frankendeb or one of those people who wears black and is depressed all the time. I like the Pez dispenser analogy much more (though I don't suppose that would have worked with the packing tape look).
You already have no tape or stitches or anything. Way cool. And it already looks as good as mine did when the tape came off.
I've been told the scar disappears into your natural neck wrinkle, and it does, unless you know where to look. One of my less tactful friends kept commenting on how much better it looked. Week after week after week!
Since my surgery, I started noticing other people with the scar. It's sort of like after you buy an unusual car, you feel like you're in a club with all the other owners of the same car. You can't help giving them a knowing nod, at least internally. So, welcome to the Human Pez club!
Yeah, it's some kind of surgical glue. I can shower with it and everything. It's pretty neat. It's pretty swollen below it right now, so it looks like I have a goiter (ah, the irony).
So you have half a thyroid too, huh? Do you have to take meds? How long has it been since yours?
Glue. I like glue. Plus, somehow it doesn't look like you tried to glue your head back on the way it looked like I tried to tape my head back on.
I got my surgery in 2001, so I guess it's been a while now. I remember thinking that medicine had really come a long way (no stitches! very little pain!), and it's come even further since then.
Hey, since my surgery was in 2001, that means I had my scar when I visited you and Patrick. That means you have seen it!
I'm lucky and my other half of a thyroid gland is doing just fine all by itself. It's making just the right amount of hormone and has not (yet) learned how to make a large fluid-filled cyst like my other half had.
However, hypothyroidism runs in my family, so it might just be a matter of time. At least they have meds now, and even if you're overweight, more doctors will actually recognize it instead of just telling you to "just" lose some weight so you won't be so tired. (When if you weren't so tired, it might be easier to lose some weight.) But meanwhile, I get to be healthy for cheap!
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2008-11-23 04:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-23 05:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-23 05:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-23 05:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-23 06:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-24 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-23 06:47 pm (UTC)Honestly it looks better than I expected, though I suppose if it was my own neck I'd be less inclined to think so. Heal up, and think of all the great stories and one-liners you can make up about it! ("Man, when they say they have to make some cuts at work...", etc.)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-24 09:05 pm (UTC)I feel pretty good already, honestly.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-24 09:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-25 02:16 am (UTC)Mom had complained about the whole getting out of bed thing when she had her shoulder replaced and I sympathised at the time but didn't really get it. I get it now, definitely!
no subject
Date: 2008-11-23 06:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-24 09:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-24 05:49 am (UTC)PEZ!
Honestly though, glad you're OK. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-24 09:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-25 01:39 am (UTC)I have one of these scars, too (I got half a thyroidectomy.) When I got out of the hospital, it was kept closed with tape running across. It looked like that kind of tape with strings running through. I thought it looked like I had tried to slit my own throat and then changed my mind and slapped on the nearest packing tape. I felt like I must look like either Frankendeb or one of those people who wears black and is depressed all the time. I like the Pez dispenser analogy much more (though I don't suppose that would have worked with the packing tape look).
You already have no tape or stitches or anything. Way cool. And it already looks as good as mine did when the tape came off.
I've been told the scar disappears into your natural neck wrinkle, and it does, unless you know where to look. One of my less tactful friends kept commenting on how much better it looked. Week after week after week!
Since my surgery, I started noticing other people with the scar. It's sort of like after you buy an unusual car, you feel like you're in a club with all the other owners of the same car. You can't help giving them a knowing nod, at least internally. So, welcome to the Human Pez club!
no subject
Date: 2008-11-25 02:13 am (UTC)So you have half a thyroid too, huh? Do you have to take meds? How long has it been since yours?
no subject
Date: 2008-11-30 04:09 am (UTC)I got my surgery in 2001, so I guess it's been a while now. I remember thinking that medicine had really come a long way (no stitches! very little pain!), and it's come even further since then.
Hey, since my surgery was in 2001, that means I had my scar when I visited you and Patrick. That means you have seen it!
I'm lucky and my other half of a thyroid gland is doing just fine all by itself. It's making just the right amount of hormone and has not (yet) learned how to make a large fluid-filled cyst like my other half had.
However, hypothyroidism runs in my family, so it might just be a matter of time. At least they have meds now, and even if you're overweight, more doctors will actually recognize it instead of just telling you to "just" lose some weight so you won't be so tired. (When if you weren't so tired, it might be easier to lose some weight.) But meanwhile, I get to be healthy for cheap!
no subject
Date: 2008-11-24 02:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-24 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-11-25 01:40 am (UTC)