Incredible Improvement Before It's Even Finished Healing - Dublin, Ireland

I was in a car accident as a child and needed emergency surgery, which left me with quite a big scar that only got worse as I grew up. It caused a huge indent across my stomach which I hated- I'd be paranoid that people could see it through my clothes and it caused a lot of relationship problems because I was so self-conscious about it. I started looking at scar revision when I was 17 and almost went for it a few times but I kept chickening out. When I turned 20, I decided to go for it and booked a surgery date.

The surgery went well. I didn't really start to experience any pain until after I got home when the painkillers they'd given me in the hospital began to wear off. Some Nurofen Plus sorted that right out. It was a very blunt, aching sort of pain. Not what I was expecting, given that the old scar was cut out. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be either- I had the surgery around midday on Thursday and I stopped taking the painkillers on Friday night/Saturday morning. The only times it really hurt over the weekend were when I had to get up, which caused a sore, strained feeling. I went back to work on Monday, I was alright but should have booked more time off. After a week it didn't really hurt anymore but I could tell it was there, though I did get a pain in my back from lying on it and putting pressure on it instead of my stomach muscles for so long.

It's been just about a month since the surgery and I think the healing process is going very well. I know the photos are a bit nasty looking (forgive the black bits, I'd just taken the tape off and they're residue from it) but it actually looks really good in real life. The line is tiny compared to what it was like before, and mostly flat. There are still a couple of lumps but I expect those to settle down. And the indent is gone! I mean, it's still kind of there but that's the way human bodies are shaped so it's nothing out of the ordinary anymore. Plus, I've put on a bit of weight since the surgery due to not being able to exercise so it'll probably be even flatter once I lose that again. I was more concerned about the indent than the scar itself so that alone makes it worth it for me. If the new scar flattens out and fades to a colour similar to the old one as it heals, that's all i would have hoped for. I have to go for a follow up appointment in two weeks, hopefully it'll be good news.

Overall I think it's going pretty well. I'll try to post updates as I remember to. The only thing I should have done differently is I should have booked more time off work. If anyone else is considering scar revision (or any surgery, really), I'd strongly recommend you overestimate the time you'll take to heal. Better to err on the side of caution.