This is my ‘Incision Shield.’ It is a flexible, X-shaped piece of plastic that I bought online to use during my recovery.
In theory it’s supposed to keep clothing from irritating your surgical wound while it heals. Kind of like a funny looking iPad stand for your clothes. (Not sure exactly what kind of bra I will be able to wear but I guess I will figure that out next week.)
Overall I think it’s pretty jazzy and sort of super-hero-esque, like I might have secret super powers when I wear it. But in a really lame super power kinda way, like “I am Captain Incision Woman, my super power is eating soggy toast and making people uncomfortable when they look at my fresh Sternotomy scar” And my sidekick will be Horace the Glittery Elf who always puts his finger too close to your eyeball. We will fight crime by showing up and making squishy faces while trying to touch your eyeballs.
I am pretty excited to use it because it is a gadget and I love gadgets. (Even if it is a gadget made to cover my sore ribcage.)
Any suggestions of what I should do with this thing of wonder after I am done with it? My cousins in England have already offered such exemplary recommendations as: Pot holder, exercise tool, fashion necklace and a sign holder….
The sign suggestion below is courtesy of my amazing family; Alex, Sara, Lizzie, Kevin and Aunty June. (who were evidentially in the throes of some ample free time this evening who like to make signs for me)
Thank you wonderful humans for making me laugh until pee threatened to exit my body. I love you guys too much. xo
18 Comments
This made me laugh so much 🙂 and reminded me of how very much I love you, and how wonderful of a superhero you would truly be! I can imagine it now, with Cash the sidekick 🙂
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo + 1
That’s awesome.
What an awesome & amazing hero you are ,so very proud that you are my family lots of love Aunty Kay So very proud of all my wonderful family love you all plenty plenty. xxxxxxooooo
We really are quite a silly family 🙂
Love you too!
xo
Let’s resin it into some kind of sculpture. And by that I mean save it so Claudine and I can make kerosine lamps for the patio.
fuck Pinterest and fuck kerosine lamps, that shyte is danger, Mrs.!!!
xo 🙂
do you wear a cape when you fight crime and injustice and fly to the rescue of the innocent? 🙂 🙂 🙂
one must always wear a cape…
Hey u too funny luv u soooo much my hero!
I love you tooooooooo!!!
🙂
I think you should talk to Luis Hart and bring out your own section in the carnival band using your new gadget, “Captain incision woman and Horace the glittery elf” will surely be a sell out section with the Craig family and friends. I can even see newspaper headlines saying… Captain Incision and Horace the glittery elf will blend right in to Trinidad as they try to eliminate Ebola in Carnival.
Start buying the feathers and beads! We go mash dong de place 🙂
xo
Hello there kiddo. Terrie here from the “Heart Valve Surgery website”. I love your website. Have
a few things to interject here, chuckle………
As to Captain Incision….delightful as most people try to name their incision. As yet, mine has no-name as I find myself looking down and singing to it and haven’t made the time to. It is an amazing thing this new little piece of you and I find that not unlike Tarzan I find myself wanting to beat my chest(not advised) and share this new part of me with the world. I am proud to have survived it!
Your shield: A good Parrot protector(for when the bird goes to land on your chest and you do not
want the claws to grab on. Useless unless you have a parrot.
B. Excellent for hanging macramé cord and sea shells on.
C. Wonderful device for prying your “ass” off those tiny potty chairs some
places expect you to use in hospital(and if yours is as big as mine it is already
gotten hung up on the metal railings whereby two disgruntled and probably underpaid nurses
have already answered the call for help bell and proceeded to pull it directly off your backside.
D. you can hang hand made pasta to dry suspended from a hook in the ceiling.
E. I would not use it over your incision as I believe it would get in the way. I chose
to go braless while in hospital as the gowns cover the area well along with wearing short(to the knee)
p.j.’s(preferable ones with wild prints made of cotton) as they are comfy to get in and out of bed, are not tight(some women used Men’s boxer shorts which then of course you would have a large hole in front
where I suppose you could now store your shield!(The shield might be useful once you are able to wear
t-shirts or blouses once you have recovered a bit. I used bras after3 months and only soft cotton t-shirts that were baggy on top. You will want to remain comfy on top and let air get to site and keep clean. Have two lines for all visitors. One to keep persons that will make you laugh or wear perfume to make you sneeze away just to watch you make faces as people can be cruel! Definitely keep Horace the glittery elf away from your incision. Glitter would aggravate your scar.
Look forward to feeling better when this is done and behind you! Take care!
Hi Terrie,
Thanks so much for your tips on the bra/shirt wearing! I have been wondering what to do for that for a while. I guess I will figure it out as I go 🙂
I am very much looking forward to this being behind me and starting on the road to recovery!
Onwards and upwards 🙂
t
Hi again. I think I have a dozen people I have spoken with about the bra thing and it was important to me as I am far from flat chested and could use mine for water-wings so I knew it would be possible to have problems. I also had a full sternotomy and wanted to keep things less complicated in terms of movement. When you are first out from surgery and awake you will also have two small plastic tubes that are for “fluids” right between the breasts in the abdomen. They are below the breasts(unless you are hung to your knees which from your blog I saw you weren’t and to your advantage you are in great shape. You can see a little bit of my incision in my photos at the heart valve surgery site. look up Terrie Syvertsen and you will see my husband and I at the park across the street from our house the 2nd day home from the hospital. It looks worse than it feels in most cases. The fact you are not overweight will make things easier for you and will be a big boost to your recovery. It helped that I kayak, swim an bike outdoors so leading u to the surgery even though because of the heart I had had to cut back on those activities so the added weight was more annoying than anything so I bet you will do beautifully. I think one of the things to think about for comfort too is you will be getting up and walking around the hospital fairly soon(This also isn’t bad because it is one more step closer to walking out the door and going home and getting on with your life. They will give you non-skid socks to wear around which are warm and comfy. The gowns make it easier to walk than a heavy robe so keep that in mind. You also will have a heart shaped pillow(see my photo) which will be your best buddy so that if you sneeze or cough it can be pressed against your chest to lessen the pain. It is also one of the reasons I didn’t use a bra as the pillow
goes with you on your walks too and should you encounter flowers or someone’s perfume and have to sneeze a gentle hug of the pillow will keep you more comfortable It sounds as like your date is Jan.15th.? and it won’t be long, eh? If I can help you with anything feel free to ask as I found some of the questions I had were a bit too embarrassing to share with the guys out there! I hope you will feel confident about this surgery as it is worse in the imagine than the real thing. Once wheeled in you will be truly amazed that it is over with and you are headed for recovery. You have an upbeat attitude and I have a feeling you are going to breeze in and out of this. Just know the waiting is the worst part. Have to go let Hunter outside to play with Kat. Have a nice evening.
Thank you so much Terrie! You are right a huge part of the misery is the waiting game. I know I am going to be fine and this will all be a long gone distant memory very soon 🙂
I will most certainly take you up on asking some questions I will either email you or send you a message on the HVS site.
Thanks so much again!
🙂
I feel glued to the chair. Not usually here at the computer as I have started sketching again. I don’t know if you noticed a fellow named Daniel Spurgeon’s photos of his Bike Rides but they are giving me the incentive to get back on my outdoor bike this weekend and I told him I would make a carving of one of his photographs as my re-entry into my art after surgery! So I plan to take the suggestions of those who have gotten back into their exercise programs to get off the weight I put on in the past year or so. Like recovery I am going to take it one day at I time and I am excited about it! That is what you need to think of most! What your life is going to be like once you can go back to steering your own course or have the reigns back in your own hands so to speak. So much of this current phase of your/our lives is waiting and testing being at everyone’s beck and call to line it all up and wait for the right time. Then there is this wonderful moment when you are aware of your lashes fluttering, you open them up and squint quickly as it sinks in that you just woke up and it is over….you are alive and once again able to move on with your life and that beautiful heart of yours is beating strong and happy! It is one of the most intense moments you will remember for the rest of your life. Your very own. A Moment that even Horace the glittery elf would weep at! You will find this memory will be the day you felt just how strong a woman
you are with many more memories to come to take the place of this one! Feel free to write me anytime.
I am retired now so spend this time of recovery getting back to writing, carving, gardening, walking and dreaming when I wear myself out! Either site is fine. Later Heart Sister.