UPDATE!

Day 16

• It’s hard to believe, but it’s been over two weeks since the surgery.  And I feel great.  I don’t feel any different than when I did pre-surgery.
• I’ve been back at work for two days now, and no one has noticed that I just had a procedure.  (i.e  I kept my hair longer to cover up).
• The picture provided is from this morning (sent to you via text Josh)
• Now, I am in the waiting period.  I wish it were 5 months from now already!!! 

Thoughts on the Recovery Process

• I was reading some stories online about the recovery process (some from FUE and some from strip harvest method) of patients that went to other doctors.
• One story was from a patient who was very happy with his procedure and result --- which is great.  But when he was asked by readers/posters whether or not the surgery hurt, or whether the recovery process was painful, he said it was excruciating.  He mentioned that the doctor had to give him 5 shots to manage the pain during surgery and that he could feel the doctor cutting the tissue.  And then he said the recovery was very painful as well.
• I was half way tempted to sign up just to let people know that it doesn’t need to be that way.  In fact, it shouldn’t be that way.  I experienced practically no pain at all.  I rested in a reclining chair, watched TV shows, chatted with Dr. Bolton and fell asleep during my procedure.  You don’t feel hardly a thing.  I had 1 difficult night trying to sleep with the sutures the first night.  Then, had no troubles at all with anything thereafter.  
• I didn’t even take any of the prescribed medication when I got back to St. Louis the day after the surgery.  It just wasn’t necessary.  Wasn’t bad.
• The doctor that removed my sutures was impressed with how skillful Dr. Bolton was.  Even when I look at it now in the mirror at 16 days with hair shaved underneath my long hair, I can’t see anything but a slight trace line.  Most of it is already covered up by the buzz hairs growing back.  And there is no “speed bump” feeling to it or anything.  It’s smooth as though I never had anything done.
• I just can’t believe anyone would ever do FUE with another doctor/company over Dr. Bolton’s Maxharvest procedure.  Even if you google “FUE vs strip” right now online… even those doctors that claim FUE is better (somehow)overall, still admit that the strip method is better for harvesting, produces more hair for the patient and has a better chance of graft survival.  So I ask myself, why FUE then?  Is the only reason because of the linear scar? 
• The hard truth is that a Doctor with skill will make that linear scar practically invisible/undetectable.  Dr. Bolton is in the Hall-of-Fame of Doctors in that category.  So… knowing that there are absolutely no issues with Dr. Bolton’s strip method, why would anyone choose a procedure that leaves thousands of polka-dot scars, isn’t harvested nearly as well and has a much lower survival rate?
• And that doesn’t even get into whether or not it will look real or natural… another hall-of-fame skill of Dr. Bolton’s.

Tips During Recovery

• Do NOT forget to eat the day before and the morning of the procedure.  Eat a lot if you can.  I am not a big eater, never have been.  All I had before the procedure was a bagel.
• They warn you that the medication can make you feel nauseous if you don’t eat well.  I definitely learned my lesson.  The surgery was great and fine.  But once I got back to the place I was staying, I did experience nausea.  Wasn’t a big thing.  The next morning, Josh made sure I ate well.  Fed me cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, bananas, orange, strawberries.  The full belly did me wonders.
• Follow the directions exactly as they tell you.  Shower as they direct.  Use the graftcyte liberally as directed.  Use the shampoo/conditioner as they direct and the brands they direct.  Do not smoke, do not exercise, no heavy lifting.  Sleep as they direct.
• I took off two weeks from work and followed every direction to a tee. 
• I rested completely.  Watched a lot of movies, TV crime shows and did a lot of news reading on the computer.  Not a bad way to spend two weeks --- talk about a staycation.
• Overall, it was just a wonderful experience.  There was very little intrusion at all due to the surgery.  You really think at first that it’s this really dangerous, risky, procedure that might leave you a disfigured like a troll for the rest of your life.  But I can’t believe that it’s already over and was nothing.  All my worries were over nothing.
• My only regret is not doing it sooner.

Summary

• Well… I hope that my journals have helped anyone that may be reading and deciding if they want to do the surgery.  I would say 1000 times over, to do it.  If your hair loss is really bothering you, then stop whatever you are doing right now and just call Dr. Bolton’s office.  Start the conversation.  It costs you nothing to start the planning phase.  All it does is get  you that much closer to getting your own hair back.
• As for me.  Now I am on to the waiting period – just waiting for that hair to grow in permanently.  Already done the heavy lifting.  I just started the finasteride (propecia) and minoxidil (Rogaine) treatments.  As simple as brushing your teeth in the morning.
• There won’t be as much to document going forward, but I will provide Josh and Dr. Bolton with updated pics every month or maybe every couple of weeks.
• I want to leave anyone out there with one thought.  One question really. ---- What other Doctor out there, is so confident in their own methods and procedures and success rate, that they are perfectly willing to document their patients’ progress before any final results have actually come in?
• I am making myself available to anyone that has questions about the procedure and recovery process.  Just ask Josh for my contact info, and he’ll provide it for you.  I have no problem talking to anyone for as long as you’d like, answering as many questions as you might have.