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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu to ask about your scars?

186 replies

FloweringOrchid · 03/08/2018 10:58

I had a recent thread running about having an abscess in my lip. Unfortunately I think it is going to scar.

It got me thinking about scars and the stories behind them.

I have a scar running across my arse cheek from sitting on my hair straighteners as a teen. That was fun when it went all scabby and stuck to my school tights. I have a small scar on my finger from slicing straight through a bagel, and a fag burn scar on my hand from my drunk friend (again as a teen). I also have the obligatory pregnancy stretch marks that still resemble a british road map 6 years on Blush

So, what scars do you have and what are the stories behind them?

OP posts:
Hushabyelullaby · 04/08/2018 21:40

In age order;

Age 11 months - I had major heart surgery and have a big scar around the left side of my chest from under my left breast to almost the middle of my back (but following under the line of my shoulder blade). This was back in the day when they cut around rather than down for heart surgery). Funnily I don't mind that scar. The one I do mind is the one in my left side which is about an inch long, but hasn't stretched as I've grown. I've always been able to put my finger tip in it.

Age 6 - I have a small oval one on my right cheekbone where a dog bit my face and its incisor tooth pierced my skin (got off v. lightly as could have been much worse).

Age 9 - I was climbing on an old, rusty, iron bar, shaped like a hurdle but with a flat top about 3" wide. I was walking along it one foot in front of the other when I slipped. I hobbled screaming into the house where my mum whipped my jeans off to look at what I'd done. There wasn't a mark on my jeans, but when she pulled the left leg down my inner thigh spilled out. The material had been holding it in place. Makes me shudder remembering it.

Age 10 - I was cutting white material with a pair of very sharp material scissors. I didn't realise anything was wrong until the material turned red. I cut the tip of my finger off. It couldn't be sewn back on because i'd cut through the flesh diagonally along my finger. My mum grabbed my hand and thrust my finger into a bottle of TCP (you could have peeled me off the ceiling!) To look now you wouldn't even know.

Age 16/17 - sounds ridiculous but I was waitressing when someone knocked into me. I was carrying 4 plates and one of them had courgettes on which were fresh out of a pan of boiling water. One landed on my inner wrist, and because I couldn't get it off straight away as I had my hands full, it stuck to my skin. I've been left with a small round scar that when I get hot and my skin goes pink shows up white.

Age 17 - got caught up in the mosh pit at my first proper gig and ended up having 6 stitches in my head. It's under my hair, but you can definitely feel it.

Age 22 - I pulled a file off a metal filing cabinet and the whole tray fell off. I tried to catch it and it hit the top of my middle finger by my knuckle. It almost cut to the bone, and has left a scar, although is only a silver line across the top of my finger.

Age 31 2 - I had an allergic reaction to a med I was on and had to have a biopsy of the skin on my arm. They used what looked like a mini apple corer and took a cm deep sample. They closed it with 1 stitch but it has left a round scar with a single stitch mark through it

Between ages 34 and now (42) - I'm a wheelchair user and have little feeling in my legs, and I fell asleep with my feet on a hot water bottle. It had a cover on and didn't leak, but because I can't turn my legs in bed I slept like that for 8 hours. According to the hospital I basically slowly cooked my feet. I had huge burns on my heels, which have left pink shiny scars on both feet.

I was using a massage type cushion on my legs to help with circulation (the type that have rotating metal balls inside), and instead of the recommended 20 mins, I fell asleep and it was on for about 90 minutes. I ended up with quite bad friction burns on both calves which have scarred.

I was ironing (have an adjustable height ironing board), and I pressed the steam button totally not thinking about the fact that my legs were under the ironing board. It went straight through and scalded the top of my knee.

I'm really not very lucky with burn type injuries.

bsbabas · 04/08/2018 21:43

I have self harm scars on my legs and arms and around my hips

Geekster1963 · 04/08/2018 21:48

One on my middle finger on the top joint from when I was around three. My Mum said you could see the bone through it.

Not a scar as such but I’ve still got a lump on my head when I came off my bike and knocked myself out.

A scar on my thigh when I fell over playing rounders at work with the keys in my pocket and they cut my leg.

One small one on my ear when I took a chunk out of it on a Rose bush.

Avonandice · 04/08/2018 21:49

Ive got scared hands and arms where I had an argument with a horse and a barbed wire fence.

One on my boob where I ironed it.

One on my nipple where a breast feeding baby decided to bite down.

One between my boobs where an ex tried to knife me.

One on my eyebrow where I was hit by the blade of an iceskate.

Numerous ones from believing I could do stuff to find that I couldn't.

Notsoaccidentproneanymore · 04/08/2018 21:52

Loads - big and small, ranging from a baby guinea pig bit (scar a few mm), to about 30 cm across the torso - gallbladder removal, or 2 on my leg when I broke the tibia and fibula and have metal plates now.

I think of scars as a kind of historic roadmap of life!

marmaladecats · 04/08/2018 21:53

One on my forehead from a bike accident aged 9. And one behind my ear due to a horse biting it off when I was about 11. They stitched it back on!

EdHelpPls · 04/08/2018 21:53

3 cs scars but they aren’t visible past my “mothers apron. Loads of stretch marks, and like a PP, a scar on my finger from cutting a bagel ( or trying to) No sensation there now. Prob should’ve got it seen to 😳
Also some weird dark patches of skin on my arms - not sure if they are considered scars... I don’t even know why I have them. Just appeared in pregnancy and never went away.

SurvivedTheirTeens · 04/08/2018 21:55

Bloody hell Avon. The knifing sounds hellish.

Verbena87 · 04/08/2018 22:04

bald patch from falling off a wall onto my head

Ankle scar from tripping over my sister’s knitting

Extended episiotomy scar (plus extensive internal scarring from tears. Next time I’m having a small baby!)

Scar on my thumb because every few months I daydream while grating cheese and grate the knuckle.

AirandMungBeans · 04/08/2018 22:04

I have eight scars,

one 40cm scar right down the centre of my back,
one 15cm scar along my rib line, on my side,
One diagonal 7cm scar on one side of my back,
One 2cm, very deep scar from a chest drain on my side.

All of these were from multiple back surgeries.

One small scar on my shoulder from a lumpectomy,
Two c section scars
One long scar down my arm from when I fell out of a tree as a teenager.

I'm sure there'll be more, I'd be very surprised if I've had the last of my surgeries!

AirandMungBeans · 04/08/2018 22:04

I have eight scars,

one 40cm scar right down the centre of my back,
one 15cm scar along my rib line, on my side,
One diagonal 7cm scar on one side of my back,
One 2cm, very deep scar from a chest drain on my side.

All of these were from multiple back surgeries.

One small scar on my shoulder from a lumpectomy,
Two c section scars
One long scar down my arm from when I fell out of a tree as a teenager.

I'm sure there'll be more, I'd be very surprised if I've had the last of my surgeries!

NerdyBird · 05/08/2018 10:33

Mine are fairly minor compared to some.
Fine line on my bottom lip and just under it from smacking into the edge of a table as a toddler. Dr used steri strips instead of stitches as he said stitches would affect the lipline.

A few dents and icepick scars from chicken pox and acne

BCG scar which even now over 20 years later is still lumpy

Scar on my knee from getting a piece of gravel in it when I fell over as a toddler.

Stretch marks on boobs, hips and thighs from puberty. None from pregnancy.

Episiotomy scar, don't think it was stitched properly and got an infection.

Andromeida59 · 05/08/2018 19:23

@hushabyelullaby I have the same scar from a heart operation. My brother had the same operation in the 90's but by that time it was key hole surgery.

So, heart operation scar. Scar on my hand from when I slipped as a child and fell on to nail sticking up through a floor board. Small scar on my hand from when my mum dug her nails in to my hand whilst hitting me.

Hushabyelullaby · 05/08/2018 20:23

@Andromeida59 mine was in 1975, when was yours? Obviously things changed between '75 and the 90's when your brother had his. Do you have a drainage tube scar? (The small one I mentioned in my pp)

yoomoo · 07/08/2018 17:08

I’ve found my people! I have quite a few too..
Scar on my cheek from where I fell onto a metal fireplace grill as a toddler
Scar running down the entire length of my back where I had surgery to correct scoliosis (50 degree curve of the spine!)
Various scars on my left knee from an arthroscopy to diagnose the issue then a major op to realign my kneecap (ouch!)
Scars around both legs where a dog on a retractable lead wrapped it around my legs and ran off. Quite possibly the post painful injury ever, probably should’ve got it treated but didn’t want to waste hospitals time. Took ages to heal and now have 2 ring like scars around both legs.
Various scars from shaving legs as a teenager, cannulas from surgery and general mishaps in the kitchen, mainly with ringpulls!

Thethreeandme · 09/08/2018 22:31

This may be a useful post.. I have a 10inch scar round my waist from having an open nephrectomy last year.. do any of your abdominal scars get effected with pregnancy.. any pain or ?? I have two on my forehead when I ran into glass doors as a child and when a lovely drinking man smashed a bottle off my head when.i was in my 20s.. I have another on my belly from having bcc removed. And one on my wrist where a dog bit me.. oh and one under my nipple from having a lump removed.. and two under each breast from breast surgery.. I'm fairly certain that's it lol xx

CoolCarrie · 09/08/2018 22:36

This reminds me to watch the brilliant Gregory’s Girl again. There is the scenewhere Gregory and Dorothy compare scars in the changing rooms after football. 😃

ali0210 · 09/08/2018 22:39

One on my forehead from when I was 4 and on my bike, some idiot teen thought it would be hilarious to kick a football at me and sent me flying 🙄

One on the side of my abdomen and one in my belly button from an operation.

One on the side of my right boob where a random strangers dog jumped up and bit me as I walked past. It a cold day and I was wearing a decently padded bra, t shirt and thick knitted cardigan. We tried to locate the owner to complain but no joy. I just kept imagining that it could easily have been a child's face that got scarred for life! 👿

CoolCarrie · 09/08/2018 22:41

I’ve got a scar on my shin from shaving badly, it still opens up occasionally. Scar on chin from an abscess, scar on neck also froman abscess, scar from appendix removal, stretch marks on thighs, its the wear and tear of life!

ArkAtEee · 09/08/2018 22:47

@SheldonCooper77 I think we are scar twins, for the same reasons Grin

MaryPoppinsPenguins · 09/08/2018 22:52

Loads... scars from breast surgery, horrible scars on my hands and wrists from repeated cannulas from my year with mrsa... pregnancy stretch marks. C section scar... scars from having my spleen removed. Scar from where my dog but me on the hand when he was crazy with infection...

I only care about the hand and wrist scars. The rest are easily hidden.

SheldonCooper77 · 10/08/2018 09:55

@ArkAtEee Really? Crohns twins!

MrsLion · 10/08/2018 10:06

I have a large appendix scar, a chickenpox scar on my hand, 3 c-sections scars and one on my arm from having a mole removed

SendYouUpInFlames · 10/08/2018 10:08

I have 3 very very deep, wide and long ones on my leg. I fell on barbed wire on the farm. They are horrible and really really large. I HATE my legs.

I have another just below my knee. I fell on glass and it took a massive hole out of my leg.

I have a little line on the front of my foot. I fell as a child and cut it on a spade.

I have loads of dotted scars around my ankles and the back of my feet from blisters. I was an Ice dancer as a child.

I have a few self harm scars on my arms from when I was a teenager. Hardly noticeable now.

Photo is 1 of 3 on my leg :-( fucking barbed wire!! It's lethal.

CatherineTheTiny · 10/08/2018 10:45

I have one on my forehead where a kindergarten friend hit me with a book we were fighting over, some little ones on my arms from fights with my sister and one on my chin from when I fainted and hit my chin on the table