I'm so happy with this decision!!!! My head is so swollen and it looks funny at the moment. That being said I'm writing this on my tiny iPhone three with my Head slightly throbbing and ive been awake for 18 hour so hopefully this makes sense! LOL!
Here's the rundown, I flew into Miami the day before. My appointment was at 8 AM. It took me a bit to find the building because the lower levels are a parking garage. I signed in and went over the paperwork, signed a bunch of forms filled out my information, I actually had a lot of those forms filled out before I got there so that save a little bit of time. A few things that actually matter is they will offer you a couple prescriptions to put you to sleep or to relax you. I don't like sedatives so I declined them - if I would've gotten them, I've been told that I would have slept through most of the surgery. They also ask if you are OK with them taking more graphs then you initially paid for, I said yes because if you are going to get it done you might as well do it right! The doctor comes in and has a quick chat about what you want vs what he can do
A little after 9 o'clock I was shuffled to another area across the hall, this is where I diss robe and put on my gown. One of the things they tell you in an email before you go is to wear clothing that you do not need to take off over your head, I would also add that when you choose clothing, make sure that it's not white or light because your hair will literally be a bloody mess, but I'm getting ahead of myself. After a bit, they come back and give you your meds - something for swelling, an antibiotic, and the sedatives if you request them. The doctor comes in to the room and use it and what is basically a barber's chair. He comes through and trims the strip he's going to cut out so that it's about an inch long. The rest of your hair is fine, this freaked me out a little bit at first. I just remember hearing "snip snip". The rest of my hair is fine. At this time he also draws on your forehead with a marker. You are then whisked away into the operating room.
Now that you're in the operating room they apply the local anesthetic to the area that they're going to remove, as well as the part of your temples that you are getting the transplants.
The next part was really weird. Since I didn't have the sleep aid or the sedative I was wide-awake when it happened. I could hear my skin being cuts into through my skull. It sounded kind of like scissors cutting through celery, it was an inner monologue of crunch crunch crunch - one of the surgical aids told me I was smiling the whole time, and that isn't normal. Anyway, there were four or five ladies in a work station slicing up the follicles for transplant. They were all very lovely!! Meanwhile the doctor punched all the little spots for where the first batch of hair follicles we're going to go.
He then when off to visit another patient and the two assistants started filling all the tiny holes.
This is where my memory gets fuzzy, not because of any medication but because that's when everyone started cracking jokes and singing to music.
I loved it and probably instigated / encouraged it but it makes me happy when others are happy! I did have an opportunity to watch movies on an iPad but I can do that anywhere. I like meeting and talking to new people. Different medical stuff would pop in and out, say hi and have a quick chat with some of the other staff that were working on me. One cute gentlemen came in and wanted to know who shrink-wrapped his car shut. I think we had him going for a while, he thought I had done it. Lol! He came in and asked where the heck did you find shrinkwrap? to which I immediately responded "I got it from the airport." At first we totally had him going, but I couldn't keep a straight face.
Anyway, we had lunch at noon. I forgot to mention, when I was filling out paperwork before the surgery, they gave me a menu to pick something for my lunch. I had a Mediterranean vegetarian wrap with blueberry açai smoothie.
After that, doctor came back several times to punch more holes for the hair follicles. They were constantly spraying my head with water-like disinfectant. This was to keep things from drying out. Somewhere between two and 4 o'clock the doctor came in and decided that I could use a few more grafts so they liberated another piece of skin from the back of my pretty little head. This hurt a little more then the first time but again, if you're going to do it, do it. Or, "no pain no gain." Or, "Beauty has its price." Or, "I say potato, you say potato."
Once everyone was done, we went over the post-operation checklist. To be serious for a moment, the first few days are important and high maintenance. I got some medications, some cotton gauze in case of bleeding, antibacterial salve for the back of the head and a small spray bottle of the disinfectant they were constantly spraying on the front of my head. The most high maintenance thing is to spray the front of your head every 30 minutes for the next few days. A few other instructions are to sleep sitting up or to at least prop your head up with extra pillows ( I was told that you may bleed on your pillow so plan ahead). There are also special instructions for when you can wash your hair and how you can wash your hair. They also go over what happens if you start bleeding from the front of the head or from the back of the head and I guess it's not uncommon.
Finally they put a bandanna on your head and let you change back into your clothes. As I said at the beginning of this post, my hair was a bloody mess. I went to the restroom and did what I could to get most of the blood of my hair before I put my top again. Again, I didn't take the sedative so I was wide awake and able to walk on my own. All things said and done I got out of there at 5:10pm (17:10).
I have a follow up appointment at noon tomorrow for them to see how I'm doing. My plane leaves around 4 PM (16:00).
I'm sure there's more I could tell you, but that is the gist of it. It was really a great experience. Everyone was so nice, friendly and professional. They really do great work!
Ok, I hate to admit this, but I don't know how to post pictures from my phone. I think I can do it through Facebook but I'm so tired it'll have to wait for when I get home.
Please let me know it anyone has any questions!
