14/10/2024
My own scar journey
*these photos include photos of infections*
As some of you know, I had an elective c-section to deliver my daughter back at the end of April. (ended up being a Category 2 as I had gone into labour before my elective date!)
Being a scar therapist, it must mean I've had the easiest journey with my scar? Oh, it couldn't be further from the truth! 😅
Firstly I recovered super well, to then see a minute hole open up in my scar about 3 weeks pp and immediately requesting some antibiotics to be on the safe side as I knew it meant something was going on underneath and although it didn't 'look' infected. I knew how quickly things could change.
Less than 24hrs after starting my antibiotics, I was rushed to hospital with sepsis and stayed the week for IV antibiotics and monitoring. I had an abscess in my scar layers and the scar on the site of my womb was infected. The first photo is while I was in hospital and the abscess was causing a large swelling and overhang. I went on to have another 2 infections in my scar before I FINALLY saw light at the end of the tunnel. Leaving me with a raised, red, hypertrophic scar. NOT what I had planned at all!
The first 3 months were simply gentle recovery, steroid and antibiotic cream and tablets. Once it was fully healed, I wore silicone sheeting for 23hrs a day for around 5 weeks to combat the hypertrophic aspect of my scar.
Twice daily application of NAQI Scar repair oil and Alhydran Scar moisturiser. And daily scar massage.
I now have no overhang or deep adhesions and slowly my scar is fading, with two little hypertrophic patches where the subsequent infections were. I have no numbness in my stomach or around my scar and full sensation everywhere and the most important thing - no pain!
Just a little reminder that scars will go through peaks and troughs of recovery. It will never be linear and sometimes you may take many steps backwards before coming forwards. Your scar will change for up to 2 YEARS post partum or post trauma. But it's never too late to start looking after it.
If you've got a scar and you're not sure how to help it, please dm me SCAR and we can talk about it 🤍
