Question:
How Bad Is The Scar?
My only concern right now about surgery post-op is how bad the scar will be, I've seen some pretty horid ones. And what is this going to do to my relationship with my husband? I know there will be changes, but all for the better I hope. I love him very much and I don't want to lose him because of what I will be going through! — Sherry D S. (posted on September 26, 2002)
September 26, 2002
Sherry- My incision looks fabulous I think. I am really pleased. I had my
surgery a little over 8 weeks ago, and you can see a picture of my incision
at my website at
http://shawnielee.tripod.com. My incision is only 3 1/2 inches long from
top to bottom and very thin. My husband says it looks like I got a scratch
or something. And really, the incision (even a bigger one) is really not a
big deal. I think it looks a lot better than a whole bunch of fat
personally. Good Luck! (open RNY 7/23/02 -55lbs)
— Shawnie S.
September 26, 2002
Sherry, I had open RNY on June 6th, 2002. (down 80 pounds) My incision/scar
was looking awesome...much like the previous poster stated. At 8 weeks, my
scar looked like a scratch as well. Nonetheless, skin began to shrink and
shift this way and that...causing the scar to get wider and a bit longer.
My lower belly (or "panni") was large, and as it shrunk it pulled
the scar down with it. My "thin" incision was just that...a thin
incision. The skin that healed into a scar was twice the width and about an
inch longer than it started out. I put pure vitamin E on it every single
day and night, and although it is a decent looking scar as far as those are
concerned, don't expect it to stay as un-noticeable as it may first appear.
Just be prepared for some changes once the skin is finished healing and
your weight has stopped shifting. (Especially if you carry alot of weight
in your lower belly).
— Kelly C.
September 26, 2002
My scar from an open RNY is just a thin line. I personally will take the
scar any day over being obese...-30#'s 5week postop
— barbara A.
September 27, 2002
Get LAP surgerey, nearly no marks. Jen my wifes have disappeared, mine are
small red spots. This also saves you the 30% risk of hernia and a follow up
surgery to fix it. LAP incisional hernia risk near ZERO! He should be happy
your healthy. Really shallow to fixate on a scar.
— bob-haller
September 27, 2002
Get LAP surgerey, nearly no marks. Jen my wifes have disappeared, mine are
small red spots. This also saves you the 30% risk of hernia and a follow up
surgery to fix it. LAP incisional hernia risk near ZERO! He should be happy
your healthy. Really shallow to fixate on a scar.
— bob-haller
September 27, 2002
I wouldn't worry about the scar. Mine don't look fabulous (I had lap, even)
and are still visible, but they look a whole lot better than the fat that
was there. Not to mention I am no longer short of breath and my face will
actually let me smile now (the fat cheeks got in the way before :). If you
lose your husband over a surgery scar I would think it was not over the
surgery scar, if you know what I mean. If you are very worried about this,
you may need to start working on your body image NOW because let me warn
you it can be rough post op. I never expected to be a supermodel, or so I
thought. I was surprised at how much the deflated look bothered me when I
got close to goal. And I was pretty self-confident to start with! Now I am
used to it. But if you are that worried about this you should definitely
consider attending counseling or support groups to head this off! If you
don't address it (it's a legitimate concern!) you may have a very rough
time later on. Hope this helps!
— ctyst
September 27, 2002
My incision is from the breast bone until just above my navel. It's about
1/4" thick and light pink. It looks fine actually....I personally
don't mind it at all. I've heard it will fade even more over time. As far
as your relationship with your husband...I had the same concerns. I love my
husband very much and was afraid I'd get cocky and do something to screw up
our relationship....at 32 I'm now old enough and mature enough to handle
the compliments and flirts from the opposite sex without going gaga. My
husband has put up with alot from me over the five yrs I've known him and I
know that a lot of men would put up with it (mood swings, hair trigger
temper, major family problems..etc) from me the way I look now...but I
figure not too many would have put up with me before...he's earned his dues
(in more ways than one) and I love him very much (and he loves me lots
too!!)...our relationship has definately remained strong.
— KimBo36
September 27, 2002
Again, dont' worry about the scar. There are things you can do during
healing to minimize everything. You can put Neosporin on it while the
incision is healing, and then you can put Vitamin E oil on it afterwards.
That makes it a little less noticable. It is true that with lap you have
less scarring, but I have both because my lap was unsuccessful. I am not to
worried about it, however. My husband understands what I went through and
is going to be more excited about me being thinner that he won't even
probably notice my scar anymore. I guess I just sort of like to look at it
to remind me of what I have been through and to motovate me to keep going.
With the scar, I can't forget the person I used to be. Talk it over with
your hubby and explain your fears. He should be fine with it. It is not as
noticable as it seems most of the time. Check with people who have had
surgeries with your surgeon to see what theirs looks like. You can't really
compare ebcause everyone's is different, but you will be able to get an
idea. Hope this helps!
— sammygirlwpc
September 27, 2002
Between being MO and having 2 kids by C-section, my tummy looks like a map
of Rhode Island. Adding a major highway down the middle won't matter....my
map will be much smaller and all the side roads (stretch marks) will fade
away...then maybe I will comfy enough in an airplane seat to actually GO to
Rhode Isl... It will be worth it!!! Terri
— cherokey55
September 27, 2002
Not as bad as the weight.
— Lisa N M.
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