I'll have to see if I have the pic and put it up... I was confused about the staple marks myself when I came out of surgery and had to ask the surgeon - but in the meantime we had great fun speculating about why they were there. It does pay to have humor when going through this.
OK - I found the pic - and will upload it so you can see it. The doc used them to make sure he did not go outside certain areas - so not to hit the carotids or the optic nerves. Your surgeon will not do this - the halo yes, but all heals up fine.
Lol thanks for the reply. :) I'll talk with my family and see what I can do to get them to relax. I'm a little confused at the 'staples' part of your comment...
I have a really good/dark/dry sense of humor so I'm going to be great in that department. And I love your joke that you told your co-workers. I might be using that one! Hahahaha.
As long as you have a great surgeon - I would just do what you can to relax. It is not a bad surgery - I sent my mom a pic right after mine and only had a bit of redness around my right nostril. Oh and some staple marks on my face as my surgeon staples the sterile blankets on in such a way to use them as landmarks but my hubs said I ticked him off and he took the craftsman to me kachunk kachunk. :) Not every surgeon does that though. In fact he is the only one I know.
Keep up your sense of humor. I used to freak out my co-workers after my surgery saying *I need this like I need a hole in my head - oh yeah, I already got that*... so be good to yourself, and get your family to stop being a basket case and just be educated.
Thanks so much for the feedback. Do you have any on the 'before' part of surgery? I have a feeling that I'm going to be REALLY nervous - I've also got family who are basically basket cases and they're really not helping...
I have an endo (Well... a gyn/endo) and I've already set up an appointment with them for a few weeks after surgery but depending on what happens after the surgery will probably effect that.
Ah... yes you will be asleep for the surgery.
Things to do - get a tube of antibiotic cream. They fit a halo to you and my main bother after surgery oddly, was the little holes from the screws, not the surgery - so a bit of cream and I was fine. The cream I like better than the salve stuff - it does not grease up your hair.
Get some nice lip balm and save it for after surgery. I was so dry. I would also invest in a good humidifier. You will not be able to blow your nose for a while - so if the air is dry, it is awful on the sinuses. Some surgeons, not all, allow for saline rinses. If yours does, do it often as it really helps. There will be scabs (disguised as giant boogies) that will drop out of your nose or down your throat at any time - so carry a tissue with you or have them handy. (I used to nicely show mine to my hubster so he could be amazed at the huge things falling out of my head!) I had to sleep elevated for a while - some like to use a lazy-boy type chair. Laying flat sometimes leads to sinus headaches and you may feel stuffy.
You may not have a great attention right span after surgery - re-runs and short stories are ok, don't try war and peace. Anesthesia kinda makes you a bit wonky for a while but you will get it all back.
Keep a look out for any leaks from the nose, peeing a lot, drinking a lot, intense headaches, and feeling a lot of fatigue. Try to keep to a schedule for your medications - hormones like a schedule. You are trying to imitate a real body. Do you have an endo?
Most people don't have complications - so odds are you will be fine. It is very natural to be nervous. Just prep by removing straws, and getting stuff so you don't have to bend over right after surgery! Or lift.