3 weeks post-op and my skin's a mess...

[Guest guest]

....just like I expected, but still, it's annoying! So I just thought

I'd come here and rant. The week after the surgery, I had an

inflammatory reaction to the tape around my mouth for the post-genio

bandage, which was extremely red and rough (and which made me glad

for the temporary numbness, because I'm sure it would have otherwise

hurt like hell!). My doc gave me a steroidal cream to calm it down,

which seemed to do some of the trick, though the rash (at least I

think it's the rash) is currently flaring up again mildly on the

sides of my mouth where the lips meet -- so it makes brushing/eating

a little uncomfortable, now that there's more feeling there!

Also, of course, my face has become an oil slick, with a smattering

of tiny pimples and an increase in blackheads across my nose.

*sigh* I even have a pimple on my lip (it doesn't look/feel like a

cold sore, so I'm assuming it's a pimple!) right next to the rash.

Ack! And all this, just as the bruising was (is) *finally* starting

to go down.

Speaking of which, I learned something crucial (amazingly enough, my

new nephew's pediatrician clued me in on this): ibuprofen actually

*prolongs* bad bruising, which is probably what part of the problem

was with my severe bruising -- ibuprofen is better for

pain/inflammation, and so that's automatically what my surgeon put me

on. Given that he'd never seen anyone bruise as badly as I did,

apparently it just wasn't in his experience to switch me to Tylenol

early on. But I made the switch myself last week, and the bruising

is definitely on the move (finally!). So that's good to know...

Anyway, just wanted to vent a little to folks I know would

sympathize. I'm on the mend otherwise and will probably return to

work next week.

Sara