Post op Tip for Zipperheads

[Sabbynal]

Just sharing what I discovered to be a valuable (though belated) tip for people with staples in their heads:
If you wash you hair, let it air dry. When you have metal in your skin, a hairdryer is NOT your friend.
35 staples heat up a lot. Note to self!

**Here's another freebie: AVOID the freezer section at the grocery store! Goosebumps on your stapled skin is not cool (pardon the pun). Skin contracts and pulls on that metal. My pain - your gain.
Hope it helps.

If not, at least you can have a laugh (if the chiari lets you).
:b  Abby

[Steph1284]

Thank you for the info! I'm having my surgery next week (the 24th) and I'm not sure if I'm getting staples or not.

[selmaS]

  Wanda....some of that pain can be from the extended issues they encountered during ur surgery, wounds from the halo, and just general surgical pains.

The neck pain can be the muscles that get cut, u do need to move ur neck to build those muscles up.....use heat to help relax the muscles ...they can get tight as u heal...if u have swelling u need to ice....for both heat or ice only 15 mins at a time.....

Keep us posted on ur recovery.

[wrey1021]

I had my surgery on oct.  2.  I have stitches which i guess are better that the thought of staples.  I got to take a shower the 3rd day in the hospital.  i had  a friend to help me.  It was so nice. My hubby put a chair in the shower and we usd the handheld to wash.  My ns shaved all the hair off the back of my head nd left hair on top.  My hair desser came and cut the hair on top really short.  My hubby bought me a hair turban to wear when i can finally can ride in a car again.  I am still having pain the the neck if i holdit up to long.  I am having sharp stabbing pain on the upper right side of head.  Stitches come out on the 22nd.  Not sure if i am ready for that. Dueing surgery ns found a bunch of blood vessels that where all tangled together so he had to clean those out as well.

Good luck and well wishes to all.

[deadmemory]

Thank you for the prayers.. I need all the prayers I can get. I am nervous for my upcoming surgery. My pre op appt is tomorrow morning! I feel very blessed to have gotten the wonderful NS that I did, and am so grateful that he was able to get me in as soon as I did. I have been battling with other Dr's, NS's, hospitals, radiologists... Basically hearing that I was fine, I didn't need surgery and my symptoms were not that of Chiari malformation. The NS that will be performing my surgery validated my symptoms and my feelings and the first thing he said is that he recommends I have surgery, and that the herniation was worse than doctors depicted it to be in Vancouver...
I pray soon that there will be a cure for Chiari.. I also pray that my DD didn't inherent it.

Thanks for sharing!!!
Krystal  

[Sabbynal]

I have to say that although the staples proved tricky in the beginning, I am so glad I got them. As much as I love having proof of my zipperhead, people often say to me that they can hardly see my scar.

For those of you going into surgery, my prayers are with you daily. I am so glad I had mine, and I am really hopeful for all our outcomes!

[Sexybare]

I had staples as well, 27 of them. I coulf barely was or pic my hair let aloneblow dry it. The shower alone was torcher lol

[SilentSong101]

LIS - oh the things we have to think about. Haha, thanks for sharing, I will make sure to think of this when my day comes!

[sunnyset]

I have no idea if I am getting staples or not!

[Rylanesmom]

Yikes ... Thanks for the tip I know I am getting staples because they made me call pcp to see if she would take them out or I would have to fly back to get them out. They said many pcp are freaked out lol mine is not.

[sunnyset]

great tips!

[itsy1]

ajunebug - after my 2nd surgery in '08 my mom did the same thing for me as your husband did for you

Sabbynal, you just made me cringe.  I could almost feel your mistakes.  Yikes!

I was told no hair washing untill my stitches had come out - ick!  
I became a weird wobbly hat lady 'till then ~chuckle~

[ajunebug]

I got dissolvable stitches....thank goodness because I NEED my freaking hair-dryer. lol.

After surgery, I couldn't lift my arms to wash my hair. So my husband put a folding chair in the shower, I sat in it, and he washed my hair for me. Then he blew it dry for me. He's a keeper.

[Stephiec79]

LOL!!! Oh my gosh!! Things to think of after my surgery!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!!

[zygy2]

:) LOL  Good tips... I had regular stitches the first time and now I am very happy about that.  Going to have to let him know that this time I want stitches again,  I hate wet hair, no blow dryer would be terrible :)

[selmaS]

OUCH...I guess not...they would get hot....not sure how u could stand the blowing on u regardless of the staples getting hot....I could not take the shower water hitting my head....lol....I had to wash my hair at the kitchen sink for a bit till I felt better.....

Thanks Abby : )


  "selma"