Post op blues:



This is a topic which patients need to be aware of as its very common to get down and anxious immediate post op.

The post op blues! This is nothing to be worried about and not everyone experiences it but be aware that in my personal experience it can happen and its not nice.

It is very common indeed after your HT to feel very down and anxious about the entire thing - remember you are exhausted!. You are full of mixed emotions post op and this is often fuelled by the tiredness that you will underestimate. - Under going surgery is a huge step mentally as well as physically. The lead up to is mentally gruelling and shouldn't be under estimated. Be aware that post op the wheels will well and truly fall off at some point - you are only human!

You will turn up to your session shattered as most do - due to a few restless nights sleep on the lead up to the big day and very little sleep the night before - - combined with the anxiety and adrenaline is a crazy combo - Trust me - been there!

The surgery itself Strip or FUE is like running a marathon for you even though you are sat in a chair all day - Sitting in a chair ALL day doing nothing is tiring. Combine this mental and physical exhaustion with the duration of the surgery - It can be very tough on you!

On top of these factors are also the drugs taken to help calm you down and the various pain killer needed post op - Your body is getting hit from all angles and is just running on adrenaline for some time post op so remember the mind is exhausted as well as your body.Combine all this also as many do with several hours of flying and the jet lag and you have got a messy combo and these blues can strike at any time ! Do not underestimate it!

After all this you return home and then the sheer exhaustion hits you like a sledge hammer - Boosh! Due to your new level of complete exhaustion this is when the blues are well known to creep in - You are tired like nothing before and then thoughts start to get amplified - you will start questioning the surgery and your Doctor and how it went and was it a success - you become VERY paranoid and sketchy - obsessive!!!! Its the come down of all come downs so again be prepared for the post of blues and be aware that for a few days pre op and a few days post op you need to respect the surgery and what you are about to and have put your body through mentally and physically. - Get some rest - your body needs it.


Tips for the post op blues - Rest up, drink LOTS of water, eat well, chill out (24, Lost, Prison Break box sets) and try not focus on the surgery and the various specifics surrounding it - leave that up to the Docs - that's what you are paying them for and that's why your several months intensive research has lead you to them - Your radar will click back in within a few days and everything will become a lot clearer and you will start to feel much more upbeat about it all and the experience in general - and the new chapter of your life will start in a very positive state of mind - along with the post op regime and the questions associated with that! - But that's another topic all together!


It all good guy - so heal up and grow well!!!
Spex

Damn Spex,

Every time I read your posts it shoothes me
Well done my friend. I'm still on the research for my HT doctor, I've read so much for the past couple of months, my wife keeps telling me I'm obsessed with the whole HT thing (I'm about NW2).

I start my day at work with reading these forums (EVERY DAY) lol....I guess I AM OBSESSED.

Thanks brothah

Grrr, I can't spell today at all....

The word SHOTHES supposed to be SOOTHES.

P.S I couldn't find the EDIT button to edit my post.

I can relate to some of that, but NONE of it compares to the anxiety in the 3-6 month timeframe. Where is my hair!?!?!

It's like the differnce between being punched in the face and having one of your children kidnapped. Getting punched in the face is all about immediate pain, but you know you will heal up in short order. I thought the procedure was kinda exciting and I slept the night before no problem.

Waiting for your hair to grow is full of such gut wrenching anxiety because you dont know if you will ever see your "children" again. And comparing your results to what you see from other posters is especialy gut wrenching if you see that you are on the low end of the curve in yield or growth time. Also having to deal with shock loss and the associated ugly ducking phase adds social anxiety to the mix. Imagine wearing a hat to work for 6 months.

TheEmperor, I hear you man....I think I would be in the same boat if I were like NW4/5/6 as I'm only NW2 (I think)....I still have ton of hair all around...its just my hairline is a lot higher and is receding.

By reading these forums I get my daily doze of relief (if you know what I mean) to see that other people, even in a lot worst shape than me, having incredible results.

At least, thank God for 21th century technology. I have seen some pictures of people who undergone HTs in 80' and 90s (hair plugs?) they ALL LOOK AWEFUL. But by looking at these repair cases by the top Docs you begin to realize that not all is LOST and there is HOPE.

P.S Sorry for the boring mumbo jumbo

Emperor - I totally understand what you are saying. I'm 15 days post-op and thoughts are starting to creep in. I try to not look in the mirror, but I catch myself taking a peek wondering when the rest of my hairs are going to fall off and when the new hairs will creep in. I've only been wearing the hat for 2 weeks and I'm sick of it already. Any idea on when the shock loss )if any is to kick in? Also, what factors can limit the shock loss?

quote:

Originally posted by repo-man:
Emperor - I totally understand what you are saying. I'm 15 days post-op and thoughts are starting to creep in. I try to not look in the mirror, but I catch myself taking a peek wondering when the rest of my hairs are going to fall off and when the new hairs will creep in. I've only been wearing the hat for 2 weeks and I'm sick of it already. Any idea on when the shock loss )if any is to kick in? Also, what factors can limit the shock loss?

Shock loss would have ocured already. It takes a good while for it to grow back but it does.

I'd say the first two months aren't bad because you dont really expect to see any new growth. I can say that from month 3-4 is what really tests your patience because thats when its supposed to start growing.

quote:

Originally posted by repo-man:
Emperor - I totally understand what you are saying. I'm 15 days post-op and thoughts are starting to creep in. I try to not look in the mirror, but I catch myself taking a peek wondering when the rest of my hairs are going to fall off and when the new hairs will creep in. I've only been wearing the hat for 2 weeks and I'm sick of it already. Any idea on when the shock loss )if any is to kick in? Also, what factors can limit the shock loss?

repoman,

I just looked at your blog and I have shock loss similar to yours where the hair thins out on the sides around the scar. Your procedure looks alot like mine. Good luck!

Spex,

Thanks for posting this. Clearly those who just had surgery need to spend some down time relaxing to heal and get back to normal.

But the blues really started to hit me around the 2nd month, especially when I started to experience a lot of shock loss. As a first time HT patient in 2004, this was really upsetting and my faith in the procedure was minimal. Thank God I had this forum community to turn to at the time.

Falc

I concur - my post was to highlight immediate post op blues - The crucial few days post op - I am only too familiar with the anxiety associated with the long drawn out "waiting game"

I have made a few posts with reference to it previously. - 2 weeks post op through till 6 months is a KILLER - I have been there many times and see it everyday here - It too is VERY tough!!!

Previous post to highlight the emotions and feelings towards the "waiting game" included amongst other info.

HT info pack


Seee: Shockloss, Down time, Growth times, Patience etc

Its all normal and its one of the toughest stretches you will ever have to do but remember a "watched kettle never boils"

I hear you on all of that. I just had the procedure a week ago. The pain is no big deal. I wear a do rag a lot. Now I have to speak to a bunch of college kids about the field of technology, but my head is covered in those little scabs. I will have to wear a company ball cap.

The biggest thing with me is the no physical activity until the stitches come out. I work out 6 days a week and this is just messed up my whole routine. Hopefully once the stitches are out and I can work out, the bluesa will vanish a bit.

Then the waiting for the hair....

Well,I'm coming up on a month post-op so I'm preparing for the blues....(right now on my laptop "Nothing Compares to You" is playing, which was popular when my ex-girlfriend and I broke up b/c of my inexplicable pattern of cheating... ) But, hey I met my wife a year or so later so I got lucky again.

But anyways, you can't get 'shock-loss' of previously transplanted hairs right? We left some of that old stuff on top to blend in with natives and new hairs.

I'm going for a company meeting at the beach in mid-June, and then to an alumni meeting in Atlanta in late August so I just hope some of it's grown in by then, which will be 5 months and a week. I'll probably see some folks I haven't seen in 20 years, so it'd me nice if I'm a fast grower.

I'm on the Rogaine and Proscar now.

quote:

But anyways, you can't get 'shock-loss' of previously transplanted hairs right? We left some of that old stuff on top to blend in with natives and new hairs.

Dewayne, Im not so sure. I would imagine that even the transplanted hairs could be shocked. My reason for believing this is because you can have shock in the donar area which are "safe" hairs just like the ones that are placed on the top of the head. I hope thats not the case for you. Have you ever used toppik? Its a great concealer and could help you at the beach and at your meeting if you are slow to grow.

quote:

Originally posted by dakota3:

Dewayne, Im not so sure. I would imagine that even the transplanted hairs could be shocked. My reason for believing this is because you can have shock in the donar area which are "safe" hairs just like the ones that are placed on the top of the head. I hope thats not the case for you. Have you ever used toppik? Its a great concealer and could help you at the beach and at your meeting if you are slow to grow.

I might try it, as I've had disappointing resuts with Dermmatch.

Fishman, all good but build it up steady in the gym - don't go full bore straight away!

Spex,
This is an excellent subject to bring to the light of day and underrated in my opinion. Too many of us feel alone during these times. I experienced depression post op after my first procedure with Dr. Wong. I remember back at the hotel looking in the mirror and thinking "this is more of the same..he missed the cobblestoning along the hairline..I traveled all this distance for what?" A little pat on the head at the clinic helped the next morning. Of course, the roller coaster of "will it grow?" is always there. Maybe the intensity lessens, but it's always there. It's part of the process. Thanks for the post.
UNC

i feel like all you guys, been good about avoiding mirrors for 2 months, but now that the summer is coming to new york, i would like to see more hair on my head.

i have been good about avoiding the mirror, but this week i got curious and well, i'm bummed to see that the scar shows up when i buzz my hair like i used to.

i am learning to work with the pattern i have now, so that in 6 months i can actually let my hair grow out 1/2" or so.

plus, i took jenna's advice on a previous thread and started stacking finasteride with rogaine foam. at this point, i am doing EVERYTHING i can to pump up the growth. i don't smoke either, so i think my scalp is being fed ample blood flow.

No prob uncjim