Scars to Colin

[Guest guest]

Colin,

I didn't have a Puestow porcedure nor did I have a Whipple

Procedure, but I went to the OR and was cut open with all intents of

having a Whipple. Unfortunately, what they found in there made my

operation too risky to perform, so I was closed back up.

I have had 5 surgeries in the past few years, and all of them have

been major. (removal of most of my colon, resection of my Ampullar

to remove a polyp blocking my pancreatic duct, Exploratory

Lapartomoy and two abdominal and kidney surgeries to remove some

tumours I had growing).

Through most of my surgeries, they went through existing scars, only

having to create new ones during my last 2 surgeries. For the

Whipple, which I daresay would be the same as for the Puestow

Procedure, they cut my stomach from side to side, about a length of

8 inches. Recovery time for a Whipple is approximately a few months

to longer...or can be shorter depending on the person. My brother

had a Whipple, yet he did exceptionally well and was out of hospital

in 10 days, and walking upright and back at work within 6 weeks and

hasn't looked back. but then his whipple wasn't for pancreatic

reasons, but rather due to a hereditary condition we have.

As for scarring, it can affect people differently. If the cosmetics

worry a person, ie. one doesn't like the idea of having a scar that

is visible, again this is going to depend on the person's body and

how that body heals. To minimize scars, cocoa butter moisturizing

cream is very effective. It has had great success with stretch marks

during a woman's pregnancy, lessening or even stopping the

visibility of stretch marks, and has helped with scars also.

The time for me to heal from just being cut open and closed up

again, was just under 2 weeks for that pain to subside, but the

length will be much longer when you have internal organs and muscles

that need to heal.