Nikki's wasting no time in moving forward with her next surgery. On March 11th, Nikki will return to The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center for another plastics procedure. This time, she'll be undergoing a procedure to fill in around her right eye. The accident burned away a lot of skin and underlying tissue in this area, making the eye socket look sunken and drawn. The surgeon will use liposuction to withdraw fatty tissue from elsewhere on Nikki's body & inject it all around the the right eye. The goal is to make the right eye as equal to the left as possible. At the same time, Nikki will get a new right eyebrow- the accident burned off that brow, along with most of her forehead. The doctor doesn't know yet what procedure he will use- a scalp transplant, or plugs. The transplant is simpler to do, as long as the conditions are right for it. Nikki is very excited for this one!
Future procedure will almost certainly involve more work around her neck. The surgeons have made great strides in improving looks and functionality here, but there's still more to be done. Stay tuned for updates!
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Sunday, January 4, 2015
It's 2015, and Nikki's Back!
Happy New Year! It's been two years since my last update to Nikki's adventures. Nikki is still doing well, even though she's had many ups and downs over the past two years. Physically, she's been doing very well. She's only had one additional surgery in this time. In August of 2014, she had some work done on her right cheek & eye, leading to a much-improved look in that area; this was surgery #25. She is meeting with the Ohio State Medical Center plastic surgeon again next week to begin planning her next cosmetic update.
Nikki's main problems over the last couple of years have been emotional / mental. The trauma of the accident in 2004 caused more serious psychological issues than first expected. The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was much more pronounced than first thought, and has led to a host of debilitating and embarrassing problems. After several false hopes that Nikki was improving on her own, she finally stood up in late 2013, acknowledged her problems, and began to get the appropriate treatments. There is no "quick fix" or "miracle cure" for her issues, and she may well be getting some form of treatment for the rest of her life. Her situation is analogous to the war veterans that have trouble returning to "real" life.
Over the past year, my family moved from the east side of Columbus to the northwest side, where we lived when Nikki & her sister were in school. Nikki moved in with us for a while as she finished up the more intensive parts of her treatments. Now, Nikki is rooming with a former classmate & lives only a block or so from us. She has left the high-stress environment of the high-end restaurants & now works in a lower-key neighborhood dining place. She is back in the area where she lived in elementary & high school, and where many of her oldest friends still live. She is happier & healthier, and continues to strengthen her mental & physical health. She is once again the Nikki that her family & friends remember.
I'll continue to update Nikki's progress as she continues to deal with that horrible car accident from July 2004. Thank you for continuing to follow her adventures, and stay tuned- the ride's not over yet!
Nikki's main problems over the last couple of years have been emotional / mental. The trauma of the accident in 2004 caused more serious psychological issues than first expected. The Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was much more pronounced than first thought, and has led to a host of debilitating and embarrassing problems. After several false hopes that Nikki was improving on her own, she finally stood up in late 2013, acknowledged her problems, and began to get the appropriate treatments. There is no "quick fix" or "miracle cure" for her issues, and she may well be getting some form of treatment for the rest of her life. Her situation is analogous to the war veterans that have trouble returning to "real" life.
Over the past year, my family moved from the east side of Columbus to the northwest side, where we lived when Nikki & her sister were in school. Nikki moved in with us for a while as she finished up the more intensive parts of her treatments. Now, Nikki is rooming with a former classmate & lives only a block or so from us. She has left the high-stress environment of the high-end restaurants & now works in a lower-key neighborhood dining place. She is back in the area where she lived in elementary & high school, and where many of her oldest friends still live. She is happier & healthier, and continues to strengthen her mental & physical health. She is once again the Nikki that her family & friends remember.
I'll continue to update Nikki's progress as she continues to deal with that horrible car accident from July 2004. Thank you for continuing to follow her adventures, and stay tuned- the ride's not over yet!
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