AJ's Cancer Journey & Chronic Illness: Scar Work Therapy

Hope everyone's having a fab weekend! I had a great day out yesterday in Leicester with some of the girls from work. We had a 3 course lunch and way too many cocktails! So my 2016 is starting to become a better year already, especially with all the plans I have made so far. After all life is short and you only have one of them!

On Wednesday I went to see my Chemo buddy as it was her Birthday and she said do you fancy a bit of cake, well when she bought it out, I said it's more like a slab of cake, was very yummy though and this was before my dinner hehe!

I had my first appointment with Debbie at The Stables Clinic for my Scar Work Therapy, and after only a 45 minute session we noticed such a difference. My internal scar tissue has stuck to my ribs which is where a lot of my pain is, this has had some slight relief so far. Also the actual external scar has become smoother and less red. This has all been on my right breast so far, the one that had radiotherapy. I'm really looking forward to continuing with this treatment, I'm actually excited by it as it will mean I could become pain free and not need further surgery. I'm so grateful to Debbie for helping me with this part of my journey. I'm still waiting for an appointment with the pain clinic at LOROS.

I've got by Genetics appointment later in the week for tests to see if I have the gene BRCA1 or BRCA2. This will help me decide whether I have an Oophorectomy or a Hysterectomy. I also have an appointment with a specialist clinic to help me with a bra fitting and hopefully fit me with a prosthesis to help even me out until I get lipofilling.

Lipofilling may be done after breast reconstruction to fix small asymmetry issues or defects in the shape or balance of the breast compared to the other breast. Fat tissue is removed from another part of the body, the abdomen, for example, processed into liquid in a lab, and then injected into the reconstructed breast to improve its shape or fullness.

Scar Work information from The Stables Clinic Website

A scar whether from surgery or injury is far more than just a superficial mark on the skin. Think of an iceberg, what you see on the surface belies what is happening underneath. ScarWork not only promotes healing on the scar surface but most effectively of all, reduces adhesions in the underlying tissues. Scar tissue will stick and adhere to surrounding healthy tissue causing secondary problems around the site.

You may not have heard of ScarWork as only 65 therapists in Britain are qualified in this specialised holistic scar massage treatment. ScarWork was developed in America by Sharon Wheeler and uses no oils, creams, lasers or machines, it is gentle and pain free and works on new and very old scars just as well. As skin is healing after an operation or accident, different layers under the skin get stuck together as the body works to close and heal the wound. ScarWork helps gently release these stuck layers to allow better function and movement in the scar tissue and surrounding tissue, muscles and ligaments. ScarWork is primarily about improving how the scar feels and moves, helping smooth and soften ridges, reduce holes, knots and tight ropey scars to create better movement of the tissues and reduce pulling or sticking.

Visually it can make the scar appear smoother but the emphasis is on the underlying tissue changes. The work starts with the surface layers and moves deeper into fascial tissue under the scar. ScarWork may also help improve nerve-impairment such as numbness, pain or sensitivity as it seems to stimulate further healing even in very old scars

http://stablesclinic.co.uk/index.html