My very first post, been a background creeper for quite a while. 15 days post op and having trouble with incisions. I'm thinking I might have trouble with the prolene suture they used on 3 on my holes. My mother had trouble with her cesarean incision becoming infected weeks post-op, but I'm not even 3 weeks out yet. I finished my antibiotics on Tuesday (roughly 5 days ago) but perhaps I should ask my regular doctor (that has no idea I went to Mexico for a sleeve) for an Rx? He will also not be pleased to know that placed some sutures myself. I work at a vet clinic and so actually sutured myself (yes I did so in a sterile manner) because the incision they left open was still gaping open and was going to leave a massive scar, never mind the fact that I actually have sores from the bandages from keeping them covered. It's like my skin is super sensitive to the adhesive on the bandages, the last one actually took skin off when I removed it. I also sutures the other largest incision as it was starting to split apart and I could see suture inside it. Anyways tonight the one incision that I thought was doing the best and closed first, well it was quite sore, so I scratched at the corner because it felt pocket like and low and behold, mini-abscess.

How long is anyone else taking to heal? Anyone else have trouble with their suture.

Because everyone loves pictures I'm attaching a few, hope they're not too offensive... One day post-op, 10 days, and 15 days

Well I only have one more pill to take and that's my ABs done, but I still have one incision (the drain hole) that's not quite closed. In fact it was bugging me so much with the suture pulling I thought maybe I needed to take the stitch out. So I did so and pop out came a little pocket of thick pus. Then it was gaping open again. So I threw in another stitch again and all seems well now though that was just yesterday. The other 3 are looking really good though. I'll attach a pic of the trouble one- the mark next to it is still just from the bandages and the one below is another actual incision. The other pic is all of them (3 still have suture in them so they look dark) I am literally the slowest healer ever! I'm 24 days out, taking vitamins, other than tired I feel pretty good.... It all just takes time I guess

Edited July 12, 20179 yr by Nifty22

is there some reason why you are doing your own stitching? wouldn't follow up care be covered? I don't understand this system in Canada at all. I hope that incision heals for you.

Well my doctor is an hour away from were I work, so I would lose a few hours by the time I'd have to drive there, wait, be seen, drive back. While Canadian health care is free, I can't afford the time off work and make my mortgage payment as I live alone and also paid out of pocket for my surgery in Mexico. I suppose I could go to the ER after work hours, but to be honest that seems silly to wait 6 hours and waste the actual doctors time on something as trivial as a single suture. I am a registered vet tech and was taught how to suture in school, have access to sterile supplies and the tools needed, so honestly it's cost and convenience I guess. Maybe I've been jaded by working in the veterinary field and I think if a cow can remain standing while we open her side and and cut a calf out her uterus while she's in the head gate chewing her cud still, I don't need to make that big of a fuss about two passes with a suture needle and acouple knots, lol, especially if it cost me half a days wages.

Well my doctor is an hour away from were I work, so I would lose a few hours by the time I'd have to drive there, wait, be seen, drive back. While Canadian health care is free, I can't afford the time off work and make my mortgage payment as I live alone and also paid out of pocket for my surgery in Mexico. I suppose I could go to the ER after work hours, but to be honest that seems silly to wait 6 hours and waste the actual doctors time on something as trivial as a single suture. I am a registered vet tech and was taught how to suture in school, have access to sterile supplies and the tools needed, so honestly it's cost and convenience I guess. Maybe I've been jaded by working in the veterinary field and I think if a cow can remain standing while we open her side and and cut a calf out her uterus while she's in the head gate chewing her cud still, I don't need to make that big of a fuss about two passes with a suture needle and acouple knots, lol, especially if it cost me half a days wages.

I'll give you my honest opinion, as an Emergency room RN I would not be stitching this yourself. I know that you've had experience with suturing and I'm not trying to negate that but at the same time this is skin, not cow hide. There are also many different types of sutures and the one you are using might not be correct for this type of wound. It also concerns me that there are still puss pockets. The doctor might not actually want to suture this wound shut yet if that's the case. If there's any kind of abscess present that needs to be addressed, and possibly packed and left open. I'm not sure keflex, the antibiotic they put you on, is strong enough either. A surgical wound like this could contain antibiotic resistant organisms, in which case you need a stronger antibiotic. I know you don't want to make the trip to the ER, but I strongly encourage you to. Way better to be safe than to deal with the possible devastating complications that could arise from a bad infection.

[emoji58] You have one body and you went through all of this pre-op prep to have the surgery, please don't cut corners now. Your not a cow [emoji202].

That's exactly what I was going to say. I don't think you should have re-sutured an infected wound. It needs to be packed with sterile wound dressing like iodoform and allowed to heal from the inside out. All you did was essentially contain the infection with another suture. And I'm not dismissing your abilities, but being a vet tech and a nurse or a physician are very different. We're just saying these things to you out of concern for your health. And I'm very concerned.

Also was that piercing allowed to stay in place during surgery or did you just put it back in?

I'll give you my honest opinion, as an Emergency room RN I would not be stitching this yourself. I know that you've had experience with suturing and I'm not trying to negate that but at the same time this is skin, not cow hide. There are also many different types of sutures and the one you are using might not be correct for this type of wound. It also concerns me that there are still puss pockets. The doctor might not actually want to suture this wound shut yet if that's the case. If there's any kind of abscess present that needs to be addressed, and possibly packed and left open. I'm not sure keflex, the antibiotic they put you on, is strong enough either. A surgical wound like this could contain antibiotic resistant organisms, in which case you need a stronger antibiotic. I know you don't want to make the trip to the ER, but I strongly encourage you to. Way better to be safe than to deal with the possible devastating complications that could arise from a bad infection.

Probably more like clindamycin.

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5 hours ago, MofromMs said:

Also was that piercing allowed to stay in place during surgery or did you just put it back in?

No, I had to have all jewelry off, but I figured since it was such a buggar to have it pierced in the first place (it got infected, go figure?) that I was putting the thing back in right away, lol.

I do thank you all for your concern, but they really honestly are looking better now. I have mentioned to the Dr's way before this surgery that I am a slow healer and I have been tested for diabetes etc. Blood work has always been normal. I have always been a slow healer if I get scratched or bit, they usually become infected. I also bruise extremely easy. That being said I don't get sick with cold or flu very often at all, so it's not just a weak immune system. I always thought it was odd, but I honestly don't know what I could do about it. I don't want to overuse antibiotics, they always worry about resistance. Another random but maybe interesting fact- if I get stung by bees I usually end up on IV antibiotics as I supposedly react to a sting like I would a snake bite, I start swelling at the site something fierce. Not in an anaphylactic sense, for my whole arm to swell from a sting on my hand took 48 hours...

It does not give one a good sense of being in control of their body?

No, I had to have all jewelry off, but I figured since it was such a buggar to have it pierced in the first place (it got infected, go figure?) that I was putting the thing back in right away, lol.
I do thank you all for your concern, but they really honestly are looking better now. I have mentioned to the Dr's way before this surgery that I am a slow healer and I have been tested for diabetes etc. Blood work has always been normal. I have always been a slow healer if I get scratched or bit, they usually become infected. I also bruise extremely easy. That being said I don't get sick with cold or flu very often at all, so it's not just a weak immune system. I always thought it was odd, but I honestly don't know what I could do about it. I don't want to overuse antibiotics, they always worry about resistance. Another random but maybe interesting fact- if I get stung by bees I usually end up on IV antibiotics as I supposedly react to a sting like I would a snake bite, I start swelling at the site something fierce. Not in an anaphylactic sense, for my whole arm to swell from a sting on my hand took 48 hours...
It does not give one a good sense of being in control of their body?

I don't think it was necessarily a good idea to put that piercing right back in either. Again, if you sutured that wound back up, it can even scab up and still have infection/abscess underneath. Treating yourself instead of going to the Dr out of embarrassment like you mentioned in a previous post is just not worth the risk.

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No trouble with my suture. That looks like an infection I had when I had stomach surgery and my wound popped open please go get that checked as soon as possible they had to cut me with out any medication because I was sepsis.

Id take your piercing out. And go see a doctor.

Had my sleeve 4th July I'm completely healed. Looks like a little scratch.

edit- so your Dr has seen it ?

Edited July 25, 20179 yr by dreamingsmall

What does the piercing have to do with anything? It's a 10 year old piercing, I didn't want to have to get it pierced again, so after my drain was out I cleaned it and put it back in.

Nice edit dreamingsmall, maybe you should take your 'hate of people like me' and beg off. So much for a positive community here. I don't have the luxury of being hypochondriac or a tit but that's for your negative remarks. You may have edited them but I still got to read the original from the email notification. I think this will be my last post on here. To everyone that tried to convince me that I was basically going to die, I'm happy to report I'm just fine. To everyone else that was supportive, I thank you and wish you the best on your journey.

Wow! I didn't see what was edited out but I'm sorry it sounds like it was hateful.

I would like to see an update i keep coming back here to check on you! Hope you stick around!