I've created a blog showing my status at 2 days post op.

Hopefully I'll be able to get hold of the pictures taken just before and after the surgery as well.

Please feel free to comment on the blog

ScottishGuy,

The work looks excellent. You got a lot a grafts and I didn't think you looked all that bad in the pre-ops. Be patient with the donor area. It'll feel funny for awhile but it'll get better. I'm going through the same thing myself right now.

Scottishguy,

Your hairloss is almost exactly like mine, I am about your age, and 1/2 Scottish. Your crown looks solid. It looks like Rahal totally rebuilt your hairline and also added a good number of grafts to your forelock. I am excited to see your results come along and think you will be very happy.

Looks great, very similar to my pattern and amount of grafts. I wouldn't worry much about the donor area. I had a bit of shockloss at the 2 month point and its now starting to grow back at 3 months. Here are a couple pics of it:

http://hair-restoration-info.c...=338105853#338105853

Congratulations on your recent procedure. Looks like a great job with a top doc. Impressive graft count. You are heading toward an amazing result!

How did you find the whole procedure, travel etc... after how many days did you decide to return?

Thanks for the comments everyone.

I'm feeling pretty excited about the prospect of a good result although I know I've a very long way to go. The graft count is good, and my hair characteristics are HT friendly so I am hopeful.

Raphael84>

So far I can't complain.

I arrived in Ottawa in the evening two days before my procedure. I'd recommend arriving so that you have one full day to get familiar with your surroundings. For me that meant stocking up on food, finding my way to the transplant clinic, nearest ATM etc.

The procedure itself was fine - a little uncomfortable at times due to being stuck in the same position, but not painful. There is some pain a few hours after the procedure, but taking some strong painkillers sorts that out.

I'm only at day three, but I still find it quite difficult to sleep because of discomfort in the donor area. For example, if I rest my head on a pillow the pressure of the sutures is a little sore (not very painful, but just enough to be a nuisance). I have a bit of swelling around my face which I'm hoping will start to subside tomorrow.

I actually decided to stay for a full month to do some sight seeing etc. This gives me a good reason to avoid people back home. Obviously I'll need to see them eventually, but I'm glad I don't have to think about that for a while (at the moment I haven't told anyone what I'm really doing in Canada).

Wow, one full month. Where are you staying?

Scottishguy,

As I posted on your website, you're going to have one thick head of hair when it all grows in.

Are you taking Propecia, Rogaine, or any other non-surgical solution to slow down/stop the progression of hair loss? That will be important to help you minimize the need for subsequent procedures in the future.

Happy healing and growing!

Bill (Falc)

quote:

Originally posted by Raphael84:
Wow, one full month. Where are you staying?

Cardinal suites. It's about half the price of Adam's Inn but to be honest, the room isn't that great.

If you have enough time, then another option is to look through classified ads to find someone who is renting their apartment short term - it should be possible to find a place for around 1000 dollars for a full month.

quote:

Originally posted by Falceros - Associate Publisher:
Are you taking Propecia, Rogaine, or any other non-surgical solution to slow down/stop the progression of hair loss?
Bill (Falc)

Thanks for the message.

Yes, I'm taking Propecia just now. I'll start on Minoxidl at two weeks post op, although that's not something I want to stay on forever.

I'm sure you will have great results. On a smaller issue, I notice Rahal shaves a lot bigger area around the donor area than he actually takes out. That makes it a lot harder for your hair to cover up the sutures. I'm also not sure why he seemed to remove more from the back but didn't continue all the way around to the left side so the incision width could be smaller.

quote:

Originally posted by Severn:
I'm sure you will have great results. On a smaller issue, I notice Rahal shaves a lot bigger area around the donor area than he actually takes out. That makes it a lot harder for your hair to cover up the sutures. I'm also not sure why he seemed to remove more from the back but didn't continue all the way around to the left side so the incision width could be smaller.

He did say I had good donor mobility so I have to trust his judgement on this. Provided the scar doesn't stretch I'll be happy.

There is perhaps an expectation that most people would buzz their hair at two weeks so they don't really worry about shaving much more than is needed. Maybe I should have mentioned that I don't really want a buzz cut though

Severn,

We normally shave a larger area in anticipation of a certain size donor strip. Sometimes a patient has good laxity/density, therefore we are able to take a smaller donor strip. It's best to shave the area prior to surgery as opposed to shaving a bit more if needed.
Also we shave a margin around the donor area to keep any hairs out of the sutures when we are closing the incision.

Your 1 month update is looking good. Most of your grafts have shedded, as you explained. Your scare is looking great. Well, at least to the degree of not being visible. You believe you may be experiencing a little shockloss, but it doesnt look anything too intense. I think your doing well!