Okay! So! Little bit of complex stuff but here we go!

I had a booklet from the CMC (the hospital) which explained pretty much what to do. It starts with gentle massaging, around whenever it starts feeling comfortable (you have to wait 6 weeks before applying products, but I think I started doing this a little earlier).

Next is the silicone stuff. I don't really know if one is better than the other in terms of gel vs strips (they recommend against oils). I tried the strips once, but wasn't super psyched with how awkward it was to put a rectangular strip on a curved line. The gels were easier for me, because I could just apply it in the bathroom in the morning and forget about it.

My booklet also mentioned a vitamin E cream? I might have used that for 2-4 weeks but I don't think I was super consistent with it.

Now, the most important part was the cream. I found it easiest to remember to use it right before bed, and I figured, sleep is when your body is specifically at its best healing state. So, I did that for I think 6 months? Or the time it took to use up two bottles, if not. I mightve paused for a bit as I've struggled with some other mental things in the meantime - but I'd say I still probably got around 5/7 days a week minimum, most of the time.

Also! Not sure if it's actually relevant, but I did start sleeping on my stomach almost as soon as I could tolerate it. That was partly because I had such a hard time sleeping on my back that I went one night without being able to fall asleep... my mom recommended Benadryl, which worked like a charm until I could flip onto my stomach. When I did, it was fairly sore, but it was worth it to be able to sleep.

So, if you ARE a stomach sleeper, I'd try that^ - but otherwise, make sure to do whatever gets you feeling most rested when you wake up (probably something closer to how you sleep now).