Michael's Pre-Op Thoughts

After talking with a co-worker that has gone through this procedure before, as well as one of my best friends that had it several years ago, I had many thoughts flying through my mind – mostly fear, but I also had excitement and shock.  No matter how many times you hear that it won’t hurt, it is hard to believe. I was told that the worst part would be the itching and not being able to shampoo the way I am used to for a while after the surgery.  Hearing that still did not calm my thoughts of how much I projected the pain would be during my time in the clinic. My friend apparently drove home (from Seattle to Monmouth, OR- about 250 miles) so I knew it couldn’t be THAT BAD. But everyone has a different threshold for pain, therefore, I was still afraid.

The night before my procedure I met with Dr. Winans for my consultation. He took measurements of the back of my head and was guessing he could get about 2600 grafts (implants). I was pretty shocked to hear this so he drew a mock up of where he wanted to put the implants. I agreed with his suggestions and I was on my way but not without some instructions for the night before and the morning of the surgery.  Basically, I was not to drink coffee, consume alcohol or workout, and I was told to have breakfast prior to my 7:30 appointment.

I'll keep you posted as I move through this process. In the meantime, check out the interview I did on the eve of my procedure, or take a look at my profile page to learn a little more about me.

-Michael