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?

Oh, poor you, re wedding. Especially the blokes!
That's reassuring re timing. It's literally 4 days since the accident, and 3 days since the stitches, so I'm obviously panicking far too soon.
I'm trying to tell myself that these things happen for a reason. Everyone who's helped me on this thread has now put their accidents to good use. If nothing else, they've massively increased your empathy for those like me who are now going through it...

Ah yes, at this stage, it will still look very shocking, I’m sure. Try not to panic.. and honestly I’d try not to look at it too much either, it won’t help and if you’re anything like me, you’ll keep mentally comparing it to previous days and trying to spot changes, it’ll not help (imo!)
Sending loads of love, and hoping that your bruising goes down soon!

@NeverThatSerious I did the same as you after my accident, went to a wedding a couple of weeks afterwards. I didn't want to go but it was my brother's wedding so I actually flew from Amsterdam to London for the weekend, still covered in scabs. Crazy.

@CrazilySensitive when I was injured I was advised to get as much vitamin C as possible to help the healing process. I did that am sure it helped - tablets and more oranges than you can shake a stick at. I know it all feels crap at the moment, that's natural and expected, but focusing on what you can do to help the healing process should make you feel more positive, as you'll know you're influencing it in a good way.

A flight as well, that’s pretty hardcore, there’s me thinking I was a bit tough for going to a wedding 10 minutes down the road 😂so hard when it’s someone close to you though!!

@NeverThatSerious being injured can have a strange affect on me and I tend to go on autopilot. Post general anaesthetic does the same, only more so, and makes me manic.

The day of that accident, my parents had just arrived to visit for a couple of days, though they stayed at a hotel and not at our flat. We'd just had a meal together and the accident happened on the way home from that. I was up much of the night, having point blank refused to go in the ambulance to hospital and then being persuaded by a worried OH to get up and go in the small hours of the night. The next morning I called my dad, told him what had happened and said to come over anyway. He was a GP at the time so took it all very calmly, just asking about any symptoms and advising me on what to do. I was no doubt concussed and insisted that we spend the day as planned, so we took them to various lovely places like the flower market, a canal trip on Churchill's old boat and then a nice dinner, all the while I was limping along, covered in dressings and with dark glasses over my black eyes. My dad is a total stoic, having had his own issues early in life, and let me do as I thought best. After they left I collapsed in a heap for two weeks and wondered what on earth I'd been thinking.

@Vegemiteandhoneyontoast thank you. Yes, funnily enough, I had instinct to take vitamin C. Been taking loads, and craving fresh stuff. It's helping for sure. You've inspired me to keep it up. Actually I definitely look a little better today than yesterday, so phew!

@CrazilySensitive it sounds like you're on the right track and listening to what your body needs, glad to hear it. Also very glad that you're looking better today!

'A little better every day', it's the way forward

@Vegemiteandhoneyontoast thank you ♥️

By the way, I'm very impressed by you wedding goers and flyers! Some of you are seriously hardcore!

I had a fall a few months back and had some big, angry grazes on my face, along with a split lip. The shock of it all was horrendous, even though it's not my first fall. Go easy on yourself while you recover, physically and emotionally.

My face seems to be healing fairly well. I've got red patches where the grazes were; they're still quite noticeable but I hope they'll fade more in time. I think my top lip is likely to stay wonky, though.

I still keep re-living the fall. I think the loss of control can affect us quite badly.

How are you feeling today OP?

I have a facial scar from falling off my bicycle as a child. I can honestly tell you that it doesn’t ever cross my mind. Your thread has made me think of it, and of course it would be nice if it wasn’t there, but it really doesn’t take up any of my thoughts. In time, I’m sure you’ll get to the same point.

I second the PPs who have said to keep it sun protected, for at least a year. That’s your best opportunity to minimise scarring. I also have a few surgical scars on my body and really don’t see a huge difference between ones I diligently massaged oil into and ones I ignored.

Sorry to hear about your fall. Glad you're healing well for the most part. I hope you continue to do so.
Yes, the loss of control, the sudden life change etc. It's all very shocking. I'm wondering if I'll ever cycle again? Totally put off atm. But I must remember that I've been cycling since around age 4 and never had an accident with it before... Maybe it was just my turn?!

Up and down. Philosophical and grateful it wasn't worse one moment; then horrified and depressed another moment, and everything in between.
My pain levels are lower. I had a consistent headache till today. I was scanned for brain injury and all good. So I think it was just inflammation. Such a relief that's gone, or at least lessened. Talking and eating getting easier too. So definitely improvements.
Glad to hear your scar doesn't bother you.
Yes, I think I'll plaster on factor 50 daily for as long as it takes!

@TrishTrix I'd be so grateful if you could tell me how long your lip took to heal? That's the thing I'm now most worried about, as I can't smile properly. I had internal oral injuries, and the doc stitched inside my mouth, which I wonder if was overkill as I've heard mouths heal really well on their own. But anyway, my lips and the bit between lips and nose (also stitched) just feel stiff and inflexible, tight. I'm very worried. It's only day 4 since accident, and day 3 since stitches; so very early days. I don't know what time frame to expect... I'm so glad you healed in the end though

Ooh, bit of a turning point this morning! Managed to sleep a bit more, and woke up with swelling much reduced. Bruises going more yellow now mostly (still a few purple) and generally resembling myself a bit more, phew!
Still worried about my mouth and lips especially, as worried I may have accidentally bitten a bit off when I was in A&E and in shock and shivering etc. I just have to keep hoping 🙏 But overall, I'm so pleased to be looking more like me again 😊
Thank you all so much for your encouragement...

Glad the bruising is going down, CrazilySensitive, and fingers crossed that your mouth heals well! Hope you're feeling better today.

@Vegemiteandhoneyontoast thank you. Yes, feeling much more positive. Thank you so much for all your kind and encouraging words 😊

Afternoon lovely, glad to hear your bruising is starting to go down to the lovely(!) yellow green stage. Just give it time and be kind to yourself, don’t expect too much. The body is a wonderful thing but it still takes time to do what it needs to!

Give it time. I had a horrendous fall and scraped my face on pavement, kerb and the road. Half my face was a giant scab. The only scar I have from that is on my knuckle.

I just let it be during the healing process. YMMV.

@NeverThatSerious and @Flipin thank you x

Sorry to bother you all again. You don't have to respond, but it's a good cathartic outlet for me.
I'm having the stitches out this morning, thank goodness! I'm such a natural girl generally, and not used to anything artificial in my face.
Healing nicely on the whole, but still some way to go.
Debating whether to return to work tomorrow or not; or whether to hang on another week.
My mental health has taken a hit though. Now the shock is wearing off, I'm processing it more, and realise I'm actually pretty traumatised.
Also, I keep analysing the after care. I actually wish A&E had just put steri-strips on the wounds, rather than sending me to maxillofacial the following morning for stitches. I asked them at the time to just glue them, but they said that'd be way more likely to lead to scarring, so I just followed their advice. I needed stitches in my mouth too, so that needed max fax they said. But I worry the wounds were left open far too long.
Anyway, I might ask the nurse today about mental health support. I'm medically phobic you see, so what happened was a nightmare for me. I know I'll heal in time...

@CrazilySensitive in your position, and if it's possible in your job, I'd be inclined to take more time off as you clearly need the time to heal. Having someone to talk it all through with sounds like it could help too.

It's perfectly natural that you feel traumatised. The accident was bad enough, but then you've got people messing with your body and that's upsetting too. It can be hard, but we can only trust medics to do their best for us, and that is what they're in the job for.

While I can understand that you don't want anything unnatural in your body the fact of being human is going to make this inevitable. As we age and some of our body parts stop working as they used to, we need interventions to take place, be they heart stents or new joints. The thought of such things can mess with your head, but they're part of being alive at this time.

Hugs and I hope you feel much better soon.

Good luck with getting stitches out! I bet you will feel a lot better. Another one who agrees that although you feel anxious the stitches really will have been for the best. I had them inside and outside my mouth and everything is fully recovered I don't have any long term effects from them and in fact my scar is very neat as a result.

Definitely take more time off if you need it. Hopefully this a complete one of and your colleagues will be understanding. Take the time to process, get used to speaking, eating and drinking before you go back. Good luck!

If you're medically phobic, then that would have been a hell of a lot to deal with when you were already traumatised and vulnerable. It's perfectly understandable, and normal, to be evaluating everything at this stage.

Regarding work - as another poster suggested, it might be an idea to take another week or so, just to give yourself the time and space to heal a little more. Having said that - if your job is busy and active, it may serve to occupy your mind a bit and take you away from your trauma a bit. I don't mean that to sound flippant, I didn't want to say "take your mind off it", but just gently ease you away from it. My apologies if you've mentioned what your job is, I've just come back to the thread and not caught up yet!

Glad you have this thread - keep posting and updating us on how you're doing, mentally and physically.