Reassurance re facial injury

[CrazilySensitive]

I took a bit of a tumble yesterday, and have ended up with several gashes on my face, as well as other injuries. Been stitched up. I honestly look horrendous at the moment. I'm pretty devastated.
Has anyone had facial injuries and totally healed?

I think I should. You're right to ask, as I need nudging. I think I should ask someone to pop round

Oh, thank you for sharing. It's great to hear the positive outcomes

Thank you. Yes, I think it probably looks worse than it is. It actually does look less swollen now. Still a long way to go. But I guess it's only been around 72 hours since the accident. So I need to be very patient

I sympathise massively.

I already had scars on my face from a dog bite as a child, then I had an accident about 8/9 years ago where I split my nose and forehead open. I looked shocking for a while, my head was stitched but they couldn’t do my nose as the scar was too jagged. I really was most upset about the scar on my nose for a while, it’s flattened a little and has faded to white now, and whilst it’s still visible I don’t notice it so much these days anymore. About a year after that accident I then split my eyebrow open on an upended sofa that I had forgotten we’d moved when decorating and now have a scar from that too! I now have at least 6 scars on my face and honestly unless I pointed them all out you wouldn’t know for the most part, and if you’d seen what I had looked like soon after you wouldn’t have believed it possible, I know I didn’t!

Be gentle with yourself, it’s totally normal to feel emotional and out of sorts when this sort of thing happens to you. I cried on and off for days, but as the swelling and redness when down I did start to feel better too. I also recommend scar healing gels and creams, they really do help.

@Lillygolightly you remind me of a conversation I had with a group of women where we discussed our scars. We all had plenty, the almost inevitable result of an active life spent Doing Things rather than sitting quietly. I commented that if anyone asks 'How did you get that scar?' my response is 'Which one?'. In the end we made up a motto: 'She who dies with the most scars wins' and we decided to celebrate them, because they're the result of a life full lived.

Thank you so much. Gosh, you've certainly had your fair share, bless you.
I really appreciate your empathy.
It's also great to see your philosophical attitude. Maybe I'll develop that too in the months to come.
It's more comforting than you can know, hearing from others who've been through similar

Funnily enough, I was thinking earlier that maybe healthy, clean living types might be more likely to have accidents, as we're more likely to be outdoors doing stuff. Of course that's a generalisation. But it simply wouldn't have happened if I was a lady of leisure at all times!

Now you're talking!

Honestly, I'm covered in scars, been collecting them since I was three and I'm 61 now and the collection is still growing. If there was a special light that showed them all, it would be a dazzling display of criss-crossing lines and almost all of them happened from doing something interesting or fun.

Oh wow, that's such a positive attitude. Thank you soooo much. I think with me I've got a slight obsession with perfection. The thought I'm now 'damaged' is very upsetting to me. But, we live in a dangerous world, so getting through entirely unscathed is, of course, totally unrealistic! I'll get more philosophical with time I reckon. Thank you again for all your soothing words ❤️

Op have you got food in? Are you not leaving the house? And has anyone asked to pop around or you ask them?

A friend kindly dropped off some supplies. It's still very painful to eat, so I've been given some bottles of Huel, so I get nutrition. I couldn't eat at all Sunday (accident day) or Monday. I had some mashed banana yesterday morning. Just tried eating soup, and still ouch! Just drinking loads of water.
Said friend stayed and chatted for a while. Talking is painful too; so actually the kind of visitors I need are those who can just sit with me for a while, or do all the talking! Hopefully by the weekend I'll be more sociable...

That should help

do you have a garden?

Alas, no. I live in a flat. I'm keeping the window open for fresh air

In my humble opinion, @CrazilySensitive you're not damaged, you're becoming Art. All very active people eventually become Art. Our scars are the lines that experience draws on us.

That's a lovely way to see it. I'll still do all I can to not get permanent scars; but I'll try to be positive if I do 😊

Having another wobble. I'm sorry. I find it easier to off-load on here than in RL. I'm getting quite worried about my nose. It's still quite swollen, and I think the septum may have misaligned? I'll ask doc when I get the stitches removed. Any of you whose noses broke/got damaged, what was the outcome? I was so concerned about the gashes before, that I didn't worry about my nose, but it's my new concern 😬

Oh you poor love. It’s bad enough the pain etc from an accident like that but I understand how you’re feeling entirely with regards to the appearance! I was kicked in the face by one of my horses, quite a while ago now, and it was like something out of a horror film. Smashed up my nose, my cheekbone, cracked my skull, and practically took my top lip off. Unbelievably the only real evidence of it ever happening now is a very fine scar on my upper lip, where they sewed me back together, and a scar on my head, just up and forward of my right ear, but that’s covered by hair anyway. But yes, you feel so self conscious in the healing process, it’s not pretty.
look after yourself 💐

Gosh, that sounds so traumatic. Amazing that you healed so well.
I keep finding new things that are messed up! I can't smile properly at the moment, due to stitches inside my mouth, as it was pretty badly injured. It's only three days since the stitches, so I need to give it more time I know. But I can't help feeling depressed about it, as my smile has always been my best feature. I've never been a supermodel by any means, but looked OK enough. It's not even so much vanity, as my sense of identity. I don't feel like myself at the moment, and the changes, and the medical intervention make me feel tampered with. I have to say I am very grateful for some things - amazingly didn't lose any teeth (I think the injured mouth saved them) nor were my eyes damaged, so very grateful for those things. I try to cling to those positives; but the sorrow comes over me in waves. Those 'if only' feelings...
You've given me great hope though, as your injuries sound even worse than mine

I just wanted to offer you a very gentle virtual hug, OP. The shock and 'what ifs' are horrible. I only really have surgery scars, and all have healed well - I variously used Bio Oil, rosehip oil or some sort of silicone gel stuff. Your body is amazing, and day by day you are healing.

Thank you @BatshitCrazyWoman your virtual hug is gratefully received. Yeah, I'm berating myself heavily for even thinking of heading out on my bike in such strong winds. I wasn't planning to. Was off to visit a friend, and was going to walk, but realised the time, and grabbed my bike at the last minute. The rush I was in kind of eclipsed my ability to properly risk assess. I'm usually very risk averse, and there are many places I wouldn't cycle, including busy roads. I was on a very safe cycle path, and a sudden gust of wind got me. I never thought such a thing could happen!
I guess accidents can occur anywhere in all manner of circumstances.
Anyway, I'm encouraged to hear that all your surgical scars healed well. Thank you for your kind post

I think facial injuries are some of the hardest emotionally.
When I was in an accident it took 2 and a half weeks for my nose swellimg to completely go away, even though the other swelling had mostly already gone.
I had a load of bruises and grazes and a few deep gashes. The surface level stiff probably bothered me more in the early days because my whole face looked wrong and gross but they heal fast and well.

The gashes are still visible now years later even though they have faded massively but mostly because one goes through my eyebrow so I always have a slit cut through the hair, same with the one at my temple- it sort of goes up onto my scalp so there is a little part in my hairline. The other hits where my smile lines will come in, so when I smile the skin wrinkles differently there. These things are really small though so i think i notice them mire than anyone else does

I know exactly how you feel, everything you’re saying is how I felt at the time, definitely. Even down to your smile, I felt the same about mine and was horrified when I first saw myself. I made my boyfriend at the time take down all the mirrors in the house, I just wanted to cry every time I saw myself… and crying was bloody painful 😂 overall I was very lucky. It didn’t kill me, I was found relatively quickly (traumatised my poor sister for life finding me unconscious in a pool of blood and mud in the field I’m sure!) and like you, didn’t lose any teeth or damage my eyes.
It has only been a few days for you, so of course you’re still feeling really shaken up by it all, and probably your injuries at the moment are looking at their worse as the swelling and bruising has had time to develop fully. Take it easy and try not to look at it all too much. It really won’t look like this for long!

Thank you. Sorry to hear about your accident too.
I keep analysing it all. I actually don't know exactly what happened inside my mouth. I wish they hadn't stitched that, and just let it heal by itself. But I wasn't in a position to do anything other than follow their advice and instructions. It feels like it was stitched too tight or something. But it'll probably calm down. I guess they can sort it if it's not right.
Anyway, thank you for understanding. Yes, emotionally very difficult

@NeverThatSerious thank you. It's great to hear from someone who gets it. The bruises are shocking aren't they! 😱 I know that'll pass. I'm very concerned about my mouth and nose though. But I probably shouldn't panic till I've given it at least a couple of weeks. How long did it take for you to look yourself again?

@CrazilySensitive yes the bruises certainly add some wtf to the situation. For me personally, the bruising had really gone down by probably 3 weeks and maybe a month post accident I started to look less puffy and inflamed and more like myself, altho it took a couple of months before I really felt more like myself. I remember I went to a wedding about 10 days after the fiasco and wish I hadn’t really, every bloody bloke who saw me had some smart arse comment to make and every woman had so much sympathy written all over her face that I felt even worse about mine! It was a very close friend getting married so I didn’t feel I could miss it but with hindsight..!