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The Purple Angry Worm, or A Tale of 2 Scars!

Posted , 10 users are following.

terri59470
terri59470

Hi all, havent been around much for a little while, but I have a question, probably aimed more at the TKR "Veterans"!

My scar is about 8 inches in length, and the bottom half is like Mary Poppins - Practically Perfect in Every Way! However, the top half, as my title suggests, is nothing like as good. The appearance, to be honest, Im not too fussed about. But the past couple of days its been stinging, almost like a pin being stuck in it. 

Anyone else experienced anything like this?

AND....for everyone who has supported me and given me words of encouragement, my Daughter has had her kidney surgery (which was WAY more of a major procedure than she anticipated), and she came out of Hospital yesterday. In heaps of pain, and enough meds to strock a pharmacy, but shes home! Her Surgeon was extremely good, and instead of only being able to remove 70% of the stones, and having to do a follow-up procedure in a few weeks, he managed to get everything out. 

Hope everyone is having a good, (relativeley) pain-free day xx

1 like, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • hazel14959
    hazel14959 terri59470

    Posted

    Mine is like that, the bottom half under the knee looks perfect,nice  thin line the above knee  scar does look like an angry worm.  I am constantly oiling and massaging as this got rid of a tiny lump at the base of the scar, so hoping this will have some effect.  My other scar on the left knee, 8 years old is so diferent, but I can see the staple inmprints at either side of the scar, these are not visible on the new one.!  Same surgeon!!

    My granddaugter has just been in for a cyst removed from her overy, she has chrons so knew what to expect with keyhole surgery.  She had a wrist band on saying she was very sensative to Morphine.. and yes they gave her some and she went into analphalactic shock, they took nearly 5 mins to get her stable again.  They also gave her codine tabs which do have morphine in them, so we had to call a doc out to give her new medication that didn't also affect her chrons.   She is OK now, 7 days later, taking her for stitch removal on Thursday.

    • terri59470
      terri59470 hazel14959

      Posted

      Oh Hazel, we seem to be hearing more and more sorry tales of the care received in hospital. But to disregard a medical warning bracelet? And then RE-MEDICATE with Codeine - I shudder to think what might have happened to you poor Granddaughter! Glad shes doing ok now. Kids are such a worry, my daughter is 32 but I have spent every waking moment (and most of the sleeping ones as well!) worrying about her throughout her surgery and post-op. 
  • joeyroe
    joeyroe terri59470

    Posted

    Terri, myscar is 9 years old and it looks terrible, like yours the bottom half is ok but my knee has lumps and bumps, it still swells up from time to time even after 9 years but when it goes down it liiks like a prune, it also stings from time to time i am told its the nerves in the knee. hope this helps.

    wishing your Daughter gets well soon.

    • terri59470
      terri59470 joeyroe

      Posted

      Thanks, it seems that a split-personality scar is the norm after all! 
  • Oldfatguy1
    Oldfatguy1 terri59470

    Posted

    The sting would be the nerves starting to mend and you will go through a lot of that. It will hit in one spot for awhile then move. Nothing to be alarmed about but nevertheless uncomfortable. If the wound is no longer draining you can use a variety of oils (vit d has always been my preference) that will help it heal and cut down the presence of the scar on the surface. As far as the difference in the look. The surgeon has to go through a lot more tissue and most of his actual work is above the Knee in the femoral area. They have had to open my knee completely 5 times and each time the incision gets longer. It is now almost 12" and the lower portion always heals quickly, Neatly and smoothly. The upper looks like something an apprentice butcher would do but the Dr has to have room to do his thing.
    • terri59470
      terri59470 Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      Thanks OFG, I did wonder if, at 5 months in, there would still be nervesd healing. And thank you for the info about the actual reason for the difference - I never considered that there was more work going on above the knee!
    • Oldfatguy1
      Oldfatguy1 terri59470

      Posted

      In 1977 my wife Guillian-Barre' syndrome that paralyzed her from mid torso to her feet. She had to relearn walking skills and had months of intensive physical therapy on the entire body. This disease comes out of the spine and damages all of the nerves. It was new then and she was the 454th case in the US. Treatmenst are far more sohisticated now. She w@ in the hospital almost 8 weeks and we spent a lot of time with Dr's as everyone was looking at her for educational purposes. The neurologist explained nerve damage and healing. Nerves only heal in the millimeter per week so a nerve 4" long would take many months. She was nearly 3 years before she got all the feeling in her feet and legs back so you can see a few months is not the exception when it comes to damaged nerves that are any distance from the spine. However; it takes the continual excercise to retrain them properly just a a it does the soft tissue of the ligaments, muscles etc. Moe than likely you have internal stitches that are slower healing than external so that plays into it as well. Its not e notable but it's progress.
    • terri59470
      terri59470 Oldfatguy1

      Posted

      OFG, I'm sorry that you and your lady wife have been through so many trials, but you are a font of knowledge and I just want to say a heartfelt "Thank you" as you always reassure if someone is worried, but its not just that - you also educate us, and I for one am grateful for every nugget of information (which seems so hard to come by from other sources) and I will share these bits of knowledge with anyone who needs it (and probably some who dont as well redface). 

      Your input is greatly appreciated.

  • andrea30334
    andrea30334 terri59470

    Posted

    Hi terri so nice to hear about your daughter. My scar is ok still healing I had my TNR 5.3.15 but its still soooooo sore to touch???? I was gonna adk if anyone elses was still sore??
    • terri59470
      terri59470 andrea30334

      Posted

      The day before me,  nearly twinnies cheesygrin And there I was thinking 5 months in and all the nerves would be behaving! Some days I barely notice the scar, but other days, like today, its really stinging. BAck to the Bio oil, I reckon.
    • andrea30334
      andrea30334 terri59470

      Posted

      Ive never stopped moisturising mine but this morn it was really sore!!!! Have ya knelt on yours yet lol
    • terri59470
      terri59470 andrea30334

      Posted

      Oh good grief no!! Ive found myself almost kneeling a couple of times, but stopped in the nick of time - I know some people are able to kneel afterwards, but Im a wmp and darent try it redface
    • andrea30334
      andrea30334 terri59470

      Posted

      Ha ha terri thats just the same as me I get it nearly to the floor then chicken out ha ha
  • patsyrose
    patsyrose terri59470

    Posted

    Mine is practically perfect at the bottom and red and thick at the top (with one knee better than the other but, as it's got to be opened up again in Sept I fear it will be worse in the long run).  I don't get any stinging, but it itches on my older knee.  Maybe it's still healing 2 years on!  Both scars look red sometimes and purple at others.

    My whole knee is still very sore on the one done last Sept, but I try and massage it all the same.

    Glad to hear that your daughter has had her operation, albeit now in considerable pain.

    Patsy

  • irish_linda
    irish_linda terri59470

    Posted

    hi terri  my scars are not the same my left is perfect below the knee but wormy looking purple in colour it was done  dec 2012, my right looks like a train track its not too bumpy because physio told me once scar was healed to put bio oil on and really dig in when putting it on this leg has been fully opened 3 times in a year and a half but i must say they are not sensitive so no problem there like you the look of the scar dose not bother i call them my war scars
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