Wanna share your story?

[danya]

Do you wish you had known what to expect before you had surgery? Does it seem like everything you read on the message boards is about people having problems? Do you want to read some plastic surgery stories with happy endings?

If you have had plastic surgery and would do it all over again, please share your story to help others (http://www.beautysurg.com/share/personal.html). It's easy, anonymous, and you'll be helping someone else out.

Click here to read some stories or post one of your own now! (http://www.beautysurg.com/share/personal.html)

[nvacop]

Hi everyone. Last week, I had a midface lift and upper- and lower eyelids done by a surgeon here in Northern VA, and I wanted to share my story with you and be available as a resource if you have questions.

I'm in my early 40's, and look really young for my age (I still get carded!). But I did have deep malar creases developing and sagging upper eyelids. As a result, people sometimes asked if I was angry or tired--which is funny, since I'm very even-tempered, considering my job. :)

Anyway, I chose a well-known surgeon here in NVA, and have been very pleased so far; it's 4 days post-op.

In terms of what to expect, a good surgeon should ask a lot of questions in advance about your overall health and any medications you're taking. Vitamin E, for example, may cause extensive bleeding, while melatonin can increase the effects of anesthesia. Be sure to follow any pre-op instructions exactly for your own safety and comfort.

I had my procedure done at my surgeon's office. One observation I had is that the contrast between the office's glamorous waiting area for people considering surgery, and the waiting area for people who are pre-op, is remarkable. Guess it just serves as a reminder that this is a business, like any other--and a serious medical procedure, with real risks.

Anyway, I got to the office an hour beforehand, changed into paper boxers and a robe, and took oral anti-nausea medication and a sedative, although I honestly wasn't anxious.

My "designated driver" waited with me for about an hour before the nurse anaesthetist came in. LIke me, she is sensitive to latex, and my surgeon has a designated latex-free OR in his suite. One mild surprise was that we were doing everything under general, as I had been under the impression that we were doing twilight sedation with local. But I was very comfortable with the nurse anaesthetist, and wasn't concerned about that.

After getting settled into the OR, I got a local at the site where we were inserting the IV. As a result, that wasn't uncomfortable at all. A few minutes later, we added the benadryl and general anaesthesia, and I just drifted off. No pre-op amnesia, though--I remember everything clearly.

When I came to, I was definitely very out of it. The recovery room nurses were having a lively discussion about some problems they'd had at work, and were asking me to sit forward, etc, so they could put me shoes and other clothes on. I know I tried to help, but to this day am not at all sure I actually did. :) Probably would have preferred to hang out for a bit longer, but you know how that goes ;)

The ride home, which is about 20 minutes, seemed interminable, and having my eyes bandaged made it very weird. But everything went well, and I was happy to crawl in bed when I got home.

As far as post-op care, the first night you keep compression wraps and ice on the eyes, although nothing special for the face. My surgeon obviously had also given me a boatload of local anaesthetic before coming to--I got home at 3:00 PM, but didn't have any sensation until about 2:00 AM.

I was religious about taking my pain meds, since it's easier to prevent post-op pain, than to treat it after the fact. That said, pain has been almost non-existent. Swelling, on the other hand, has been pronounced, both of my mid-face and eyelids. I mention this because, even though I was prepared for lots of swelling, I still got more than I was ready for.

The only complaint I've had post-op has been having a "phantom itch" for the first two nights. Apparently one of those strange things related to trauma to the nerves--the itchy spot was 6 inches in front of my face, ungodly itchy, and absolutely nothing I could do about it. Interestingly, most of that area of my face behind that spot is still a bit numb, although it's recovering fast.

Most surgeons say that the first few weeks are an emotional rollercoaster for patients, but I really haven't had any of that. Even though my face looks like I stopped a train with it, I can already see that it's going to look good. Did have a couple hours of post-anaesthesia mood swing the second night, but it was short-lived, and no biggy. Overall, I'm very happy with the results, even now.

I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line with any questions or comments. Happy to do anything I can to help.

[secrets]

4 days is very quick to be saying how happy you are because most people look much better while still swollen,its often refered to as the honeymoon period.!
its around 6 months down the line when true results are seen.
my experience was i had lower face/jowls done just over a year ago. for 6 weeks i was over the moon,afterwards it went back exactly as i was before. 6 weeks ago i had it all done again. i,m holding back from saying how things are until a good few months have gone by. i dont want to jump the gun again.?

i do hope you get the results you are looking for.good luck. rod