Mark's Bosley Procedure

The day of the procedure I arrived at 7am, spoke with my counselor and was prepped for the surgery. My team was so friendly. I felt welcomed and cared for. The lead surgical assistant was present the entire day and we had wonderful conversations.  Another assistant asked me what movies I wished to watch. Another brought me a lunch menu while getting me set up with crackers and juice for the balance of the day - to stay hydrated and full.
 
I could have elected to be largely in a sleep state. I declined. Why? Because as long as I didn't feel any pain I didn't feel it was necessary to be out of it. I embraced the procedure and wanted to stay connected. Local anesthesia was administered. The nurse used a vibrating tool which distracted my skin from feeling the prick of the needle. Once done he went across asking if I felt anything. And the Doctor also advised that if I felt any pain whatsoever to let him know and more anesthesia would be administered. Only once did I feel like more was needed and I spoke up. During the anesthesia process I did feel light-headed at one point. They put an ice pack on my chest and leaned me back. I sensed that stitches were going in but again, no pain. It ended quickly.
 
The removal of hair graphs is not the most pleasant image. I could feel pressure but no pain. I tried to embrace the brilliant science of all this and stay amazed by what I was undergoing. I stayed positive and it was over quickly. Then the techs started to separate the graphs. One invited me to look under microscope. Wow. Hard to fathom.
 
I had lunch, saw a movie, and then anesthesia was applied to my scalp. Same routine. The Doctor then made tiny sites for the graphs as a tech counted from 1 - 2,316. I decided to count along in my mind to pass the time and stay connected. Over the next 2 hours the graphs were placed into these sites one by one. The techs worked for 15 minutes and then changed with the others. They do this to minimize fatigue and stay sharp.  
 

The day ended around 4:30pm. My wife had driven me to the appointment and stayed in the area. I don't think I was in a great frame of mind to drive home so I was glad she could be my chauffeur. Despite pain medication I sensed tremendous swelling. I did feel uncomfortable. And I wouldn't describe myself as a happy camper. I went home, walked my dog, had dinner, watched a movie with my wife, took the sleeping pill provided and went to bed. The sedative was strong. I noticed it was hard to find a comfortable position in bed, but the pill seemed to force me to sleep. This was the case for the next three nights. I did take the pain medication provided and it helped.

-Mark

Comments

[ken]

i read your story and Im thinking about having the surgery also. i was wondering how bad is the line the doctors cut across the donor area? Im asking because i normally keep a low hair cut and i want to know will It be very visible?