Letrell
Member
Talking about plastic surgery is a toughie for me. I'm still going through it all and although the results so far have been wonderful, the process is hell.
In Feb (2011) I had my first plastic surgery. It was an Endoscopic Brow Lift. Prerequisite for my eye lift (June 2011).
I had a peripheral vision problem. I hated my eyes..there was so much extra skin that I looked like I was sleeping all the time. The surgeries were approved without question.
The endoscopic brow lift was one of the single most painful surgeries I've ever had to recover from. Was horrible. Not so much the actual surgery. That was great. Had a wonderful surgeon and my scarring....well..you can't even see it. The process is not fun. My brow had to be removed from the skull and pulled upward, hooked onto two implant weights to hold the skin up. I looked like I had two triangles on my forehead and each one had an outline of little bebes. That's how my kids described it. I could not lay my head down flat, slept in the lounge chair until about 2 weeks ago. I still try to keep my head up, but I think it's more out of habit.
Two days in the hospital because I live over 100 miles from the hospital. 4 days of a headache from hell...then woke up day 5 and it was over. The headache was gone. The bruising was horrible. I looked like someone used me for a punching bag for about 2 weeks. Then it went from purple, black, blue, and green to that yellow and finally it was disappearing as well. I was a chameleon.
The implant hooks (for lack of better word) have all but totally disintegrated and my forehead no longer screams in pain when it is touched. End result...I needed more work. What a bummer.
I was so afraid of the 2nd surgery; the actual eye lift.
The eye lift was out-patient, done in the clinic. Same surgeon. It took some 30 mins and I had a local. I just sat there listening to the bit of chatter. When it was over I heard only one statement that mattered..... "Your eyes are absolutely beautiful." And omg...everyone agreed.
The surgeon asked for a mirror "quick before the swelling starts". I had my first look at my new eyes.
Words can not express how I felt inside. Everything leading up to that very moment became absolutely worth it. Everything. The next two weeks was bruising and a bit of swelling. But the swelling didn't last long. The bruising was nothing compared to the brow lift so it didn't bother me. Makeup worked wonders.
I love my eyes now. The skin has done just what the surgeon said it would. She didn't pull it up too tight because of my age...I just turned 54. I didn't want to look like I had 20 yr old eyes. Gravity pulls down a bit and the fine pronounced lid is still present just not so....open. If that makes sense. You can see my eye lids and I just love wearing makeup again. I hate my glasses. I want to show off my eyes. But the funniest thing is...my eyes were so bad..there was so much skin that I had to stop wearing contact lenses.
One side effect of cosmetic eye surgery is dry eyes. I have them now and contact lenses are not my eyes best friends. So I spend 99% of my time wearing glasses anyway. Go figure.
I have finally received approval for a panniculectomy and a brachioplasty. What timing for me to decide to start the topic of plastic surgery moving.
The panniculectomy is to remove the excess skin on my abdomen, the brachioplasty to remove my "bat wings". I don't have much to tell about either as I have not gone through them yet, but it looks like by March I will have them both complete. Am I nervous? Um...heck yes. I would like them both behind me and to have them over. I suppose another 3 weeks to recooperate really isn't that bad given the end result.
I'd love to hear about anyone's experience with the surgeries. I'm not sure this group is large enough for me to get any responses. But if you have had either of those surgeries, I would love to hear about them.
In Feb (2011) I had my first plastic surgery. It was an Endoscopic Brow Lift. Prerequisite for my eye lift (June 2011).
I had a peripheral vision problem. I hated my eyes..there was so much extra skin that I looked like I was sleeping all the time. The surgeries were approved without question.
The endoscopic brow lift was one of the single most painful surgeries I've ever had to recover from. Was horrible. Not so much the actual surgery. That was great. Had a wonderful surgeon and my scarring....well..you can't even see it. The process is not fun. My brow had to be removed from the skull and pulled upward, hooked onto two implant weights to hold the skin up. I looked like I had two triangles on my forehead and each one had an outline of little bebes. That's how my kids described it. I could not lay my head down flat, slept in the lounge chair until about 2 weeks ago. I still try to keep my head up, but I think it's more out of habit.
Two days in the hospital because I live over 100 miles from the hospital. 4 days of a headache from hell...then woke up day 5 and it was over. The headache was gone. The bruising was horrible. I looked like someone used me for a punching bag for about 2 weeks. Then it went from purple, black, blue, and green to that yellow and finally it was disappearing as well. I was a chameleon.
The implant hooks (for lack of better word) have all but totally disintegrated and my forehead no longer screams in pain when it is touched. End result...I needed more work. What a bummer.
I was so afraid of the 2nd surgery; the actual eye lift.
The eye lift was out-patient, done in the clinic. Same surgeon. It took some 30 mins and I had a local. I just sat there listening to the bit of chatter. When it was over I heard only one statement that mattered..... "Your eyes are absolutely beautiful." And omg...everyone agreed.
The surgeon asked for a mirror "quick before the swelling starts". I had my first look at my new eyes.
Words can not express how I felt inside. Everything leading up to that very moment became absolutely worth it. Everything. The next two weeks was bruising and a bit of swelling. But the swelling didn't last long. The bruising was nothing compared to the brow lift so it didn't bother me. Makeup worked wonders.
I love my eyes now. The skin has done just what the surgeon said it would. She didn't pull it up too tight because of my age...I just turned 54. I didn't want to look like I had 20 yr old eyes. Gravity pulls down a bit and the fine pronounced lid is still present just not so....open. If that makes sense. You can see my eye lids and I just love wearing makeup again. I hate my glasses. I want to show off my eyes. But the funniest thing is...my eyes were so bad..there was so much skin that I had to stop wearing contact lenses.
One side effect of cosmetic eye surgery is dry eyes. I have them now and contact lenses are not my eyes best friends. So I spend 99% of my time wearing glasses anyway. Go figure.
I have finally received approval for a panniculectomy and a brachioplasty. What timing for me to decide to start the topic of plastic surgery moving.
The panniculectomy is to remove the excess skin on my abdomen, the brachioplasty to remove my "bat wings". I don't have much to tell about either as I have not gone through them yet, but it looks like by March I will have them both complete. Am I nervous? Um...heck yes. I would like them both behind me and to have them over. I suppose another 3 weeks to recooperate really isn't that bad given the end result.
I'd love to hear about anyone's experience with the surgeries. I'm not sure this group is large enough for me to get any responses. But if you have had either of those surgeries, I would love to hear about them.