Surgery DONE!-got any "done''s" you want to share?

[justjulia]

Just to let anyone know who is interested, I survived the hour long ear piercing closing today! It was quite a production for this first little hole. First I laid down on the op table on my back and turned my head to one side. Then, the assisting nurse laid sterile cloth pieces all over the place until just the ear was showing (I could see with one eye my dh, who came along for moral support) (you''d have thought they were going to amputate with all the pomp and circ). Then, the nurse swabbed the ear in and out with betadine.

Then the doctor marked the hole to be closed with a purple dot. The nurse numbed the ear with a topical pain killer and then gave me one injection of novacaine at the front and then another shot with a smaller needle that went in deeper. Then, the doctor told all kinds of jokes while he carefully cut with a spoon shaped scalpel...I could HEAR it through my head. crunch crunch crunch-gross! Then, he sewed it up at the front and at the back and covered it with Neosporin. I have another appt in a week to have the stitches removed. Then I will make the next appt to work toward getting the other 3 done.
Now my ear is quite sore, and I''m not sure how it''s going to be sleeping...but still very glad to have done it.
I realized later today that I will not be wearing my solitaire studs for quite some time at this rate....but in the end it WILL be worth it, I just know it.

So, Ascherisme, I say "go for it." Sundial, soon my ears will look as pristine as yours! Can''t wait!

Don''t y''all think it''s nice to do something for yourself that makes you feel super? What is something you''ve done that made you feel like this? I''m in such a super mood tonight having taken the plunge. Anybody want to add something they''ve done that made you feel SUPER?

 

[Mara]

so what is an ear piercing closing surgery? and a spoon scalpel??! owie!

but congrats!

 

[robbie3982]

Hi JustJulia,

I haven''t actually done anything, but I was wondering, do you think they can do this hole closing for any piercing? I pierced my belly button when I was 18 and the darn thing just won''t close (I''ve had the barbell out for well over a year at this point) and I''m starting to get worried about what will happen to it when I have kids. I keep picturing it stretching out to quarter size or something

. Also, if you don''t mind me asking, was it very expensive?

 

[ephemery1]

Date: 7/31/2006 9:26:51 PM
Author: robbie3982
Hi JustJulia,

I haven''t actually done anything, but I was wondering, do you think they can do this hole closing for any piercing? I pierced my belly button when I was 18 and the darn thing just won''t close (I''ve had the barbell out for well over a year at this point) and I''m starting to get worried about what will happen to it when I have kids. I keep picturing it stretching out to quarter size or something

. Also, if you don''t mind me asking, was it very expensive?

ARGHHHHH!!!! I never pictured my bellybutton-ring hole even staying open, much less stretching with a pregnant belly... I can''t believe that never crossed my mind before!! Good grief... here I was congratulating myself for never getting a tattoo in a potential stretching place.

Haha... thanks for the heads up Robbie!

 

[justjulia]

Date: 7/31/2006 9:24:30 PM
Author: Mara
so what is an ear piercing closing surgery? and a spoon scalpel??! owie!

but congrats!

Oh Mara--it was something I had set out to do for myself for ages (AGES).. I was like 23 when I was out visiting a friend in Santa Monica. Now, you have to invision a very young school teacher who was on her own in the wilds of Venice Beach during the day while the "boyfriend" was at work during the day. I thought I was on another planet. So liberating! So, there I was gawking at all the sights and I stumbled into this ice cream parlor...there was the gorgeous woman with her ears pierced up to there, with little hoops. I thought, wow, that is so California. (lol). What did I do when I got home? I set out to have my ears pierced the same way I had seen, sans maybe a few sets. I had two sets done, inaddition to my original set. Then, later I had a fourth hole done on one side. Okay, flash forward 20 years and lots of fun with hoops and studs, I began to think differently about how these holes looked. By this time, I had gone back to grad school, had a couple of kids and was working hard to be in a profession that called for conservatism. I got tired of sleepin on the darn things, losing them, trying to color match and mix and generally they became a pita. So, when I got the solitaire earrings, that sealed the mental deal and I knew it was a catalyst for something. I googled to see if other people actually had normal healthy holes closed--not out to fix the gaping torn kind, just minimize or get rid of entirely the look of normal little holes.

So, I found out by googling how much it might cost, per hole for really badly damaged holes and thought surely it wouldn''t be that much for what I had. I had worked with the children of a plastic surgeon near where I lived, so I called his office. He and I had a consultation where he was realistic and honest and told me he really had no idea how it would heal exactly and he really didn''t see the need---but he obliged. He gave me a price break, since we knew each other (or I would have had to really think about this some more--or it would have taken a lot longer to get done).

My fourth hole closed on its own a long time ago, without a scar. The other 4 holes I had for years longer and remain very "holish." It''s really a self-image thing I guess. All I see when I look in the mirror are those holes and they remind me of being impetuous and not looking or thinking about the future. Yes, they are me and a part of my history, but I am rewriting history. Out damn spot, and all that.

I''ll keep the original holes and wear the solitaires.

So, I consider today a life-altering event. I finally acted on what I said I''d do. Yay me. Or rather, ouch me. Oh, and I don''t have a clue what a spoon scalpel it--he just narrated that is what he was using as he did it. My dh said it was a tiny scalpel.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 7/31/2006 9:26:51 PM
Author: robbie3982
Hi JustJulia,

I haven''t actually done anything, but I was wondering, do you think they can do this hole closing for any piercing? I pierced my belly button when I was 18 and the darn thing just won''t close (I''ve had the barbell out for well over a year at this point) and I''m starting to get worried about what will happen to it when I have kids. I keep picturing it stretching out to quarter size or something

. Also, if you don''t mind me asking, was it very expensive?

Hi robbie,
Hmmm, that is a good question about stretching. I dunno, but I would not hesitate to ask about it. Help me here, when they do a belly button piercing, do they pierce the skin near the navel or the navel? I know that during my pregnancies, your skin does amazing things and seems to be looking out for you--it becomes very pliant (stretchy). Now, what my skin looked like after each pregnancy was over, well, can you say "roadmap?" (It''s hereditary, so you may be luckier than me.) Since it''s just one hole, it shouldn''t be too expensive. I guess it''s reative to how much you want to spend. My dr told me it would cost me $400 per hole in Atlanta (nearest city to me), but he would only charge me $100 (I worked with his children earlier years for far less than private practice rate-speech therapy, so it was a win win for both of us). BUT, to get all 4 of my piercings closed it will cost me $400, so really you and I will spend the same.

I hope I answered your question. I tend to ramble.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 7/31/2006 9:34:26 PM
Author: ephemery1

Date: 7/31/2006 9:26:51 PM
Author: robbie3982
Hi JustJulia,

I haven''t actually done anything, but I was wondering, do you think they can do this hole closing for any piercing? I pierced my belly button when I was 18 and the darn thing just won''t close (I''ve had the barbell out for well over a year at this point) and I''m starting to get worried about what will happen to it when I have kids. I keep picturing it stretching out to quarter size or something

. Also, if you don''t mind me asking, was it very expensive?

ARGHHHHH!!!! I never pictured my bellybutton-ring hole even staying open, much less stretching with a pregnant belly... I can''t believe that never crossed my mind before!! Good grief... here I was congratulating myself for never getting a tattoo in a potential stretching place.

Haha... thanks for the heads up Robbie!

Yeah, I cannot imagine what a tatto on my belly would have morphed into!! Each of my children was 8.5 lbs and I was huge. I have no hips (heredity again), so all the bulge was directly out front.

 

[jcrow]

wow! congrats on the accomplishment!

i just can''t imagine why they cut it to stitch it up?

 

[justjulia]

Date: 7/31/2006 9:59:38 PM
Author: jcrow
wow! congrats on the accomplishment!

i just can''t imagine why they cut it to stitch it up?

Thanks- he said they had to "rough it up" so it would heal back together. Dh told me he cut deeply into the hole. That was just more info than I needed to know.

 

[justjulia]

I''ve just been reading all the stories of tatto removal and I think that is quite an accomplishment. Funny how some ideas sound good at the time. I enjoyed my piercings for some years, but I knew it was time to end the relationship.

 

[Kaleigh]

JJ,
Good for you!!! It will be worth it in the end.

 

[Sundial]

Oh Julia I am so proud of you for doing this!!! Now hearing that crunch crunch crunch sounds pretty bad, but hopefully that was the worst of it. Hope you sleep well. And yes it will be worth it all to show off those beautiful studs!

 

[katebar]

Hi Justjulia,
I responded to your orginal question on this and I''m so pleased you took the plunge its is so worth it, One year on I wear all manner of earrings from my Pearl studs I have today to chandeliers to my most fave off all my Whiteflash .8 carat studs. Whoo Hoo.
Your not planning on getting them repiercied are you? These werer just extra holes is that right? If you are please wait as long as possible I waited nearly 6 months but I wished I waited a few months more so that there were no lumps in the lobe.
Jcrow the reason thaey haave to ''cut'' out the hole is that it is in fact scar tissue and the edges would never heal other wise. In fact the technical term for the procedure is "Revision of scar".

 

[Mara]

thanks for the explanation JJ...sounds like you did the right thing for yourself!!! how long will it take for everything to be done?

i remember being with a GF on venice beach years ago and she got a tattoo. impetuous youth!! hehe.

 

[robbie3982]

Date: 7/31/2006 9:51:53 PM
Author: justjulia

Date: 7/31/2006 9:26:51 PM
Author: robbie3982
Hi JustJulia,

I haven''t actually done anything, but I was wondering, do you think they can do this hole closing for any piercing? I pierced my belly button when I was 18 and the darn thing just won''t close (I''ve had the barbell out for well over a year at this point) and I''m starting to get worried about what will happen to it when I have kids. I keep picturing it stretching out to quarter size or something

. Also, if you don''t mind me asking, was it very expensive?

Hi robbie,
Hmmm, that is a good question about stretching. I dunno, but I would not hesitate to ask about it. Help me here, when they do a belly button piercing, do they pierce the skin near the navel or the navel? I know that during my pregnancies, your skin does amazing things and seems to be looking out for you--it becomes very pliant (stretchy). Now, what my skin looked like after each pregnancy was over, well, can you say ''roadmap?'' (It''s hereditary, so you may be luckier than me.) Since it''s just one hole, it shouldn''t be too expensive. I guess it''s reative to how much you want to spend. My dr told me it would cost me $400 per hole in Atlanta (nearest city to me), but he would only charge me $100 (I worked with his children earlier years for far less than private practice rate-speech therapy, so it was a win win for both of us). BUT, to get all 4 of my piercings closed it will cost me $400, so really you and I will spend the same.

I hope I answered your question. I tend to ramble.

With a belly button piercing one end of the piercing starts a bit above the belly button and the other end comes out in your belly button so that if you''re wearing a barbell there''s a little ball on top and one inside your belly button. I blame troll dolls for making me want to pierce my belly button. Some of them had the cutest jewels in there and it made me want one too

.

For $400 I''ll have to wait a while, but I guess it''s ok since I plan on waiting for a while to have kids anyway.

Here''s another question, does the skin on your lower back stretch during pregnancy? I have a tattoo on the lower left hand side...Man, I''m going to look like a mess when I have kids

 

[moremoremore]

Love the kitty justjulia! And I'm glad you had it done! Congrats!

I'm lucky enough not to have many operations...

#1 Foot surgery where I thought I'd walk in, put on my headphones, get a local and walk out. I was young. Ummm, I had a pin in my foot for 7 weeks.

#2 was a VERY traumatic experience. I felt a lump in my neck under my collar bone one day. It was biopsied twice and it was negative. It turned out to be just a benign mass that formed (probably as a result of an "injury" to the area- I had been in a bad car wreck 6 months prior and the seatbelt hurt my neck)... Anway, for some god aweful reason, a bitch of a nurse told me that I didn't need general anesthesia....Well, maybe it retrospect she was right b/c of recovery time and risks....BUT, I had the neck surgery awake and it was pure hell. I heard and felt all the tugging and splats and everything. The worst was the doctor hit a nerve in my neck...I nearly jumped off of the table. It was themost painful sensation of my life. Like a hot knife stabbing me. I just cried in fear of him doing it again for the rest of the procedure. My left neck and chest area was numb for months after... I don't even like to think of it....But the dr did such a great job...I have the thinnest little scar (about 4 inches) that is nearly invisible...you can really only see it if you are really looking!

 

[justjulia]

Date: 7/31/2006 10:36:44 PM
Author: Kaleigh
JJ,
Good for you!!! It will be worth it in the end.

So far, so good!

 

[justjulia]

Date: 7/31/2006 11:23:36 PM
Author: Sundial
Oh Julia I am so proud of you for doing this!!! Now hearing that crunch crunch crunch sounds pretty bad, but hopefully that was the worst of it. Hope you sleep well. And yes it will be worth it all to show off those beautiful studs!

I called this am to set up the other appt/s..will know more next week if they will do the others all at once. Thanks!

 

[justjulia]

Date: 7/31/2006 11:38:04 PM
Author: katebar
Hi Justjulia,
I responded to your orginal question on this and I''m so pleased you took the plunge its is so worth it, One year on I wear all manner of earrings from my Pearl studs I have today to chandeliers to my most fave off all my Whiteflash .8 carat studs. Whoo Hoo.
Your not planning on getting them repiercied are you? These werer just extra holes is that right? If you are please wait as long as possible I waited nearly 6 months but I wished I waited a few months more so that there were no lumps in the lobe.
Jcrow the reason thaey haave to ''cut'' out the hole is that it is in fact scar tissue and the edges would never heal other wise. In fact the technical term for the procedure is ''Revision of scar''.

No, I don''t plan to repierce. That is exactly how my husband described it; they had to cut out the hole. (Gross)

 

[justjulia]

Date: 8/1/2006 12:53:04 AM
Author: Mara
thanks for the explanation JJ...sounds like you did the right thing for yourself!!! how long will it take for everything to be done?

i remember being with a GF on venice beach years ago and she got a tattoo. impetuous youth!! hehe.

I went with my best friend when she got her ankle tattoo and thought I would pass out watching. Pretty cool tatto though-a sunburst; she still has--that was in Athens, University of GA town--very hip little town. For my ears?..good question. I actually called this am to change my follow up appt for next week and the nurse is going to ask the dr when he wants to do the others-he will decide if they will be all at once or one at a time. I told the nurse I really liked how it looked this morning--already I can see it is going to be a beautiful result.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 8/1/2006 8:38:50 AM
Author: robbie3982

Date: 7/31/2006 9:51:53 PM
Author: justjulia

Date: 7/31/2006 9:26:51 PM
Author: robbie3982
Hi JustJulia,

I haven''t actually done anything, but I was wondering, do you think they can do this hole closing for any piercing? I pierced my belly button when I was 18 and the darn thing just won''t close (I''ve had the barbell out for well over a year at this point) and I''m starting to get worried about what will happen to it when I have kids. I keep picturing it stretching out to quarter size or something

. Also, if you don''t mind me asking, was it very expensive?

Hi robbie,
Hmmm, that is a good question about stretching. I dunno, but I would not hesitate to ask about it. Help me here, when they do a belly button piercing, do they pierce the skin near the navel or the navel? I know that during my pregnancies, your skin does amazing things and seems to be looking out for you--it becomes very pliant (stretchy). Now, what my skin looked like after each pregnancy was over, well, can you say ''roadmap?'' (It''s hereditary, so you may be luckier than me.) Since it''s just one hole, it shouldn''t be too expensive. I guess it''s reative to how much you want to spend. My dr told me it would cost me $400 per hole in Atlanta (nearest city to me), but he would only charge me $100 (I worked with his children earlier years for far less than private practice rate-speech therapy, so it was a win win for both of us). BUT, to get all 4 of my piercings closed it will cost me $400, so really you and I will spend the same.

I hope I answered your question. I tend to ramble.

With a belly button piercing one end of the piercing starts a bit above the belly button and the other end comes out in your belly button so that if you''re wearing a barbell there''s a little ball on top and one inside your belly button. I blame troll dolls for making me want to pierce my belly button. Some of them had the cutest jewels in there and it made me want one too

.

For $400 I''ll have to wait a while, but I guess it''s ok since I plan on waiting for a while to have kids anyway.

Here''s another question, does the skin on your lower back stretch during pregnancy? I have a tattoo on the lower left hand side...Man, I''m going to look like a mess when I have kids

Nope, my back didn''t change at all. The things that stretched were tummy and boobs. The good side of pregnancy (other than the baby of course) is that your hair, skin and nails will never be better. You glow.
I always have envied people that have pretty belly buttons. Mine was an outy, so I did not ever think I was a candidate for pretty jewels. ..

 

[AmberWaves]

I had to have cataract surgery at age 19 (not as uncommon as you think), and the first surgery went well. I slept through the whole process, woke up with a bandaged eye and some of those huge, black, VERY uncool sunglasses. It was an outpatient thing, so no biggie. The second time, I woke up halfway through, I could see them pulling the cataract out of my eye, but thank the lord, I couldn''t feel it. I also couldn''t move, they had strapped down my arms because apparently during the first half of the surgery, I was flailing about and "Waving my arm like the queen". Quite humiliating. It was really an experience, seeing my eyes literally go from cloudy to normal within seconds. I don''t want to have to do it again, but the doctor says it''s likely because of my age now (26), and the fact that it''ll be a lot easier in the future, and my cataracts will come back. After the second surgery I had a black eye, because the doctor had to dig deeper. And now I have bifocals. You have to take what you''re given!

 

[justjulia]

Date: 8/1/2006 8:58:47 AM
Author: moremoremore
Love the kitty justjulia! And I''m glad you had it done! Congrats!

I''m lucky enough not to have many operations...

#1 Foot surgery where I thought I''d walk in, put on my headphones, get a local and walk out. I was young. Ummm, I had a pin in my foot for 7 weeks.

#2 was a VERY traumatic experience. I felt a lump in my neck under my collar bone one day. It was biopsied twice and it was negative. It turned out to be just a benign mass that formed (probably as a result of an ''injury'' to the area- I had been in a bad car wreck 6 months prior and the seatbelt hurt my neck)... Anway, for some god aweful reason, a bitch of a nurse told me that I didn''t need general anesthesia....Well, maybe it retrospect she was right b/c of recovery time and risks....BUT, I had the neck surgery awake and it was pure hell. I heard and felt all the tugging and splats and everything. The worst was the doctor hit a nerve in my neck...I nearly jumped off of the table. It was themost painful sensation of my life. Like a hot knife stabbing me. I just cried in fear of him doing it again for the rest of the procedure. My left neck and chest area was numb for months after... I don''t even like to think of it....But the dr did such a great job...I have the thinnest little scar (about 4 inches) that is nearly invisible...you can really only see it if you are really looking!

I''ve heard foot surgery is no fun. Being awake for an op in such a delicate area as the neck would send me over--I''d need a sedative before they began-there are a lot of nerves there!

 

[justjulia]

Date: 8/1/2006 5:08:44 PM
Author: AmberWaves
I had to have cataract surgery at age 19 (not as uncommon as you think), and the first surgery went well. I slept through the whole process, woke up with a bandaged eye and some of those huge, black, VERY uncool sunglasses. It was an outpatient thing, so no biggie. The second time, I woke up halfway through, I could see them pulling the cataract out of my eye, but thank the lord, I couldn''t feel it. I also couldn''t move, they had strapped down my arms because apparently during the first half of the surgery, I was flailing about and ''Waving my arm like the queen''. Quite humiliating. It was really an experience, seeing my eyes literally go from cloudy to normal within seconds. I don''t want to have to do it again, but the doctor says it''s likely because of my age now (26), and the fact that it''ll be a lot easier in the future, and my cataracts will come back. After the second surgery I had a black eye, because the doctor had to dig deeper. And now I have bifocals. You have to take what you''re given!

My husband had that surgery last year!! He was awake and said it HURT. He was dreading the other eye, which needed to be done. He had that done this year and it was an entirely diff experience-he was awake but it didn''t hurt--he did come out with a VERY RED eye though and needed follow up treatment. Now they are telling him to come back for the laser correction as the final step-I guess he won''t need his bifocs then. Did they tell you anything like that?

 

[divergrrl]

Date: 7/31/2006 9:34:26 PM
Author: ephemery1

Date: 7/31/2006 9:26:51 PM
Author: robbie3982
Hi JustJulia,

I haven''t actually done anything, but I was wondering, do you think they can do this hole closing for any piercing? I pierced my belly button when I was 18 and the darn thing just won''t close (I''ve had the barbell out for well over a year at this point) and I''m starting to get worried about what will happen to it when I have kids. I keep picturing it stretching out to quarter size or something

. Also, if you don''t mind me asking, was it very expensive?

ARGHHHHH!!!! I never pictured my bellybutton-ring hole even staying open, much less stretching with a pregnant belly... I can''t believe that never crossed my mind before!! Good grief... here I was congratulating myself for never getting a tattoo in a potential stretching place.

Haha... thanks for the heads up Robbie!

Ok relax ladies....I have a pierced button, took out my ring 5 years ago, it''s still open...got pregnant 2 years ago, belly ballooned wayyy out..No problems at all!

 

[divergrrl]

Here''s another question, does the skin on your lower back stretch during pregnancy? I have a tattoo on the lower left hand side...Man, I''m going to look like a mess when I have kids

LOL! I am cracking up you guys...so funny. My back didn''t stretch. I was one of those lucky ones who didn''t get any stretch marks, and whose "girls" survived pregnancy and nursing without any damage.

But the Gods of Pregnancy are nothing if not fair...I still carry around an extra 15lbs. Its always something. My rail thin friends all seem to have either: sagging chests, stretch marks, or saggy tummy skin. You have no idea what is going to happen & no amount of cocoa butter will help.

So if you escape one pregnancy horror, you''ll certainly get another .. or two. Oh and I got melasma as well. (brown splotches on my face..great..i''m very fair...supposed to go away after a year...my son is 19mos! Oh no! Thank goodness for MAC foundation!)

Funny though, when I was teaching Jake how to kiss on the cheeks tonight (he squeals when you cover him with kisses & then giggles & says "no kisses"!) and he was coming at me with his slobbery mouth and bright eyes...I''d take all the stretches, pounds, and sags just to have him kiss me. It really does change you...this coming from a total girlie girl who loves clothes & all things purty.

Jeannine

 

[asscherisme]

Yeah Julia! Glad it went well! I hope it heals up barely noticable. I just got back from vacation and saw your post! It must be such a relief to get it done.

 

[justjulia]

Hi Ascherisme--
My computer isp has been down-we''ve been trying to switch from dial up to dsl. Just now got the system up and running again.. I just wanted to update you-I had the stitches removed and there was a little indented red "dot" where a stitch was (looked a lot like the hole itself, which freaked me out a little). I was pretty worried it would be permanent, but today it seems to be fading. I am really hoping it all heals perfectly smoothly. I''m told I need to wait a couple of weeks to tell...

 

[Kaylyn]

.

 

[gailrmv]

Glad it went well Julia!

Speaking of stretched ear piercings... Have you guys seen this trend among young kinda goth guys to have these really big "earrings" that go inside the ear hole and stretch it a lot? I don''t know how else to explain. Kind of like if they took a soda bottle cap, cut it so it would be see through, and stuck it in the ear hole. It must be incredibly painful to get it pierced that big and stretched. I find it really disturbing to look at also (I must be getting old.) I bet you need surgery to recover if you ever decide to lose that look. Can someone explain to me the appeal? I have never seen a woman with it.