Savlon to the rescue!

Oh pants! I seem to have inadvertently removed one of the the (non) dissolving stitches, by absentmindedly scratching at it!

Further investigation, in the mirror, with a torch, shows that there's now a teeny, tiny hole..where no hole should be. So I have drowned it in Savlon antiseptic, and smothered it in Germolene.

Almost six weeks post-op now, and those stitches really should have dissolved by now!

Just one left now, but that one seems determined to stay put, despite all the 'absentminded scratching' I can throw at it!

All the while it stubbornly remains I can't risk using the Bio Oil again...I wish it would hurry up and do something, either dissolve or drop out...

"I Don't Know"

This morning hasn't gone well so far.

Knowing I was waking early this morning, my intentions for an early night last night were dashed when I found myself still messing around online after midnight...this is getting to be a real pattern with me, and I can't seem to break it. I can't get up in the mornings, and I can't seem to get to bed before 2am at night.

Undeterred I set my alarm an hour before I wanted to get up, so I could swallow my Eltroxin and go back to sleep...so far so good...but then I got tormented by the snooze setting on my alarm. And so my plans of waking serenely and enjoying coffee and breakfast before heading to the doctor for the next round of blood tests, was replaced by a mad panic of realising I was still in bed and needed to be heading out the door in less than 5 minutes...eeeek!

It never seems to go to plan, but the receptionists at the surgery are very discreet, and they almost never comment on my bed hair, or the toothpaste dribbled down my front, so I think I got away with it again.

But I was still firmly in sleep-land during my appointment...I didn't cop that my doctor only took one vial of blood this time, until it was too late, and I was already holding down the cotton wool on the recently violated vein, so she could put in the strip of sticky tape over it. Which means I'll *only* get my thyroid panel done this time...with not a clue of any of my other blood indicators.

I also completely forgot to mention the dizzy spells I've been getting...and when she asked me how I was feeling all I could muster was "I don't know"...which is of absolutely no use to man nor beast! I had it all prepared...what I wanted to discuss with her, the dizziness, the neck stiffness, the *up* days, where I'm raring to go on everything and fit to burst with ideas and activities, and the *down* days, where I couldn't even tell you my name because my head is so foggy....and all I managed to say was "I don't know"....very profound!

I did remember to mention the stitch/infection issue on my scar, which is looking heaps better since I stopped using the Bio Oil, and instead bathed it in Savlon Antiseptic Wound Wash Spray twice a day. And she did have a little dig about with the piece of stitch still evident, but stated there wasn't enough there for her to get hold of and do something with it. She said the dissolving stitches normally take around 4 weeks to dissolve, and if it was still there in 2 weeks time then she would investigate it further for me...I have a horrible feeling that may well involve a dab of local anaesthetic and a scalpel, but I didn't ask. She said to continue with the Savlon Spray if it flared up again...and to stay away from the Bio Oil until she said it was OK to try it again.

Then, to add insult to injury, when I went to pay my fees at reception I realised I had no cash. and there was no cheque book in my handbag. I sheepishly said I'd nip into the nearby village and get some cash out...to find the only shop in the village with a cash machine had it removed 2 weeks ago...so back to the surgery, with an even more sheepish "I'll pop the money in the post"...

Am I still over-exhausted from the stupidly busy, but extremely fun weekend I've just had, or am I in thyroid brain fog hell....you have until Friday to guess, because that's when I'll get today's test results back, and all with be revealed, ha!

A stitch in time...

...but how much time? How long does it take for dissolving stitches to dissolve?

At either end of my scar I can just about feel what feels like a tiny piece of fishing line. Now I'm sure my surgeon didn't use fishing line, he assured me he'd used dissolving stitches, both internally (obviously!) and externally...and that I could just ignore them, they'll go in time....but how much time.

Hubby kept insisting I was imagining it, we both stared and peered at my scar, but couldn't see anything...but if you brush your finger gently across the scar you can definitely feel the stub end of the aforementioned article, that I'll just call fishing line, one bit at each end of the scar.

So how long until they disappear?

Back to my GP next week for another pre-Endo blood draw, so if they are still in evidence then I'll get her to investigate.

I'm having a mixed response to the Bio Oil. I will of course keep going with it, and I hope that in a few months time I will be absolutely singing its praises to the highest...but my observations for now are both good and bad.

On the one hand, it seems to make the scar sore immediately after I apply it...the soreness is only temporary, and not all *that* sore if I'm honest, but it definitely results in soreness where there was no soreness prior to application. Is this just because the scar is getting direct physical attention for the first time in 3 weeks? Or is the evidence of some possible left-over stitches a sign that I shouldn't be using the oil yet, ie the site is not totally sealed yet?
But on a more positive note, it seems the gentle massage of the area, during application of the oil, gives instant results in improved neck mobility. I find the scar gets tight, and my neck gets stiff, both overnight and as the day wears on, and yet as soon as I've given it some gentle attention with the Bio Oil, the scar feels much less tight and I can turn my neck to the left and right with a lot more ease.

In other news...I finally got the Wii Fit out again, and had an enjoyable 30 minute session on it this morning. I know I mentioned starting again with it a couple of weeks ago, but when the crunch came down I just didn't feel up to it. But I was delighted to find a lot of my regular exercises weren't nearly as difficult or painful as I expected them to be. If anything, I could do most stuff, but obviously took it easier on some of the games. I struggled with anything that involved holding my arms above my head, that really seems to pull on my neck, and some of the more obscure yoga stretches weren't achievable because I was afraid of straining my neck. However I still had a satisfactory session, and worked up a good sweat!