How do you cover an eight-inch scar on your arm?
Amazing! The Creator’s touch on my body is evidence of His goodness! This photo is only three-months post op and the redness has since faded.
Pinterest to the rescue!
A kite, an anchor, a boat tied to a shoreline, a lasso, a stingray and a flower are just a few of the interpretations I’ve heard to describe the eight-inch long scar on my arm. I earned it by surviving oral cancer and a six-hour procedure called a glossectomy. It rescued me from a nickel-sized tumor that had taken residence in my tongue. A flap of skin from my wrist and an artery from my left arm were used to rebuild it leaving me with the unique markings. Upon receiving my cancer diagnosis, I quickly agreed to the surgery without a care for how intrusive it would be. I only cared about not dying. So if my wrist needed to become a tongue to save my life, I’d do it.
“If my wrist needed to become a tongue in order to save my life, so be it. I didn’t care how intrusive the surgery would be, I only cared about not dying.”
Despite my commitment, I was not prepared to see the scar on my arm. The tiny movements I’d made shifting in my hospital bed following surgery had caused the protective gauze cast to slip down just slightly, exposing a tiny rope woven of my own skin and dissolvable stitches. It rendered me completely still. My emotions boiled so fervently it was as though my heart had melted and pooled in my stomach. And though the appearance of my arm seemed hideous and infuriating at first, I appreciated that the missing artery was successfully carrying blood to my new, cancer-free tongue. Suffice it to say, shock and anger were at war with gratitude.
By the time I left the hospital I’d started to accept the incisions intrusive introduction on my arm and wrist. I took responsibility for cleaning and caring for them as per the post surgery protocols. Every day, for two-months straight, I gently unwrapped the soft cast and wiped the ‘rope’ with a warm cloth. I then applied *Baby Balm over the top before hiding it all back under a clean layer of gauze.
“My wrist had the appearance of a shark bite. It looked strange. I wanted some camouflage.”
Photo taken from ‘Silk Philosophy’ - inspiration from Pinterest. So pretty!
In about two-months time the swollen skin began to flatten and covering it was no longer necessary. My wrist however maintained the appearance of a small shark bite. It was slightly skinnier than the rest of my arm and looked strange. Skin had been grafted from my leg during surgery to help close the wound and a black scab formed like a halo around it. Since wrapping my entire arm was no longer necessary, I simply protected my wrist with an oversized Band-Aid. I still hadn’t made peace with how it looked though. That would be a blessing for later in my recovery. So in these moments, I decided it needed additional camouflage. Thus, taking to Pinterest for ideas. There I discovered several tricks for tying narrow strips of fabric around my wrist to mimic a bracelet. I thought it was cute and tried it. Suffice it to say, my tie collection grew quickly and I often planned what I was going to wear for the day based on which tie I was in the mood for. My new trend attracted positive attention and before I knew it, my girlfriends were giving me designer ties as gifts.
As I write this, my scars have continued to heal. They’re still visible but no longer warrant the attention or the energy I gave them during those first few months after surgery. In fact, now I see them as a storybook about my survival. They tell the tale of how my dentist found precancerous lesions on my tongue then insisted I see an oral surgeon which ultimately led me to my superhero surgeon saving my life. My scars also highlight the hours I spent with God every morning on my back porch, speaking healing scriptures over myself and taking Holy Communion to connect with my Savior.
I’m happy to say I don’t intentionally cover my scars anymore but I still enjoy the silk ties.
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*Baby Balm is a sunflower seed, beeswax and shea butter-based skincare balm that is gentile enough for babies. It is made by BEAUTYCOUNTER, a Certified B Corporation. I used Baby Balm (still do) as a moisturizer and it quickly promoted healing of my skin at the scar sites. Baby Balm is a five-star product, available for $24 (3 oz tube), at www.beautycounter.com/melissavincent. One hundred percent of my commission goes directly to underwriting the expenses related to operating Simply Spoken Life.
I don’t use my silk ties to cover my scars anymore. But they sure look cute on these handbags!