1/4/02 I am 50, I'm Vain and this is my Cosmetic Surgery Diary:
Jan 04 '02
The Bottom Line The only way to really eliminate deep lines and wrinkles is through some type of cosmetic surgery. It is a radical approach and one that needs a lot of thought.
“No matter how I tell myself it’s what we all go through, those lines are pretty hard to take when they starin’ back at you. Scared to run out of time. (Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt)
Well we have had people come out on this site; people share all sorts of secrets from their families’ closets; people tell us they are virgins; we have had weddings and divorces. I think there may be people, both men and women, who will be interested in my “story.” As always I will be happy to answer any questions you have. I also have pictures but will only give them to those serious about these procedures.
Those of you who know me, know I was a child of the 60's. A radical, one who would never had thought that I would ever color my hair or be anything but natural. Time changes us (That must be the name of a song!) - it certainly has changed me. I am no longer politically radical and I do color my hair. I realize there are many who will think my story more than vain and more than frivolous. I understand that. This, as are other things in life, was my choice and my decision. This is not an ad for cosmetic surgery. It is my story and hopefully I have given you some information that you may want, need or just find interesting. jo
First I want to tell you about a wonderful website and resource at www.faceforum.com. I got a lot of support during and after my cosmetic surgery which not only has information but a message board. This site focuses on the face but you will find links to other body parts. These are some of the technical terms, which I won’t be using:
face lifts (rhytidectomy), eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), skin resurfacing, forehead lifts, nasal surgery (rhinoplasty and septoplasty), botox injections and facial implants (cheek, chin and lip implants).
~I had my first cosmetic surgery when I was about 45. I had a breast lift. I am not going to focus on that but will tell you I chose not to have implants and don’t regret that decision in spite of the fact I would have had minimal scarring. I will mention that there are two types of lifts and one if called the traditional T lift which leaves quite a bit of scarring. The other is called an O lift (There are other names for it.) that leaves little scarring but it is not for everyone and after doing my own research and consulting with a couple of doctors knew I had to go with the traditional T lift. If you have any questions, leave a comment or e-mail me.
Jo’s story (lower face lift with lip, neck/chin with lipo, upper eyes) 10/19/99.
I originally asked for this as a birthday present for my 50th birthday but every year brought the jowls out more. I am not genetically gifted. I will never look like Cher, Goldie Hawn nor will I look like Barbara Walters or Angela Lansbury at their ages. They have had extensive and expensive work done on top of good skin to begin with I would guess. In my mid 40s I realized people weren’t saying to me anymore, “You have children in high school?” You don’t look old enough! I didn’t have wrinkles but I did have jowls. My husband was totally anti-cosmetic surgery but he agreed I did have them.
~At 47 I had surgery. I had 2 consultations with 2 surgeons. If I had to do it again, I would have had a third. Please don’t choose a surgeon who tries to sell you more procedures than you have asked for or feel you need. The first doctor told me I “needed” cheek implants and that without a brow lift, my upper eyelids couldn’t be done!
~A brow lift literally lifts your forehead so that not only are the creases on it less but your eyes are open wider.
~When I talk about my upper eyelids, I am talking about the excess skin that most of us over 40 have between the eyelid and the brow. The underneath part of your eye can be done also if it is very puffy. Both procedures are commonly done with a face lift. I didn’t have a full-face lift, which includes the upper portion of my face. I had the bottom half done (sort of from my mouth line and down).
~The doctor I chose was skilled and competent (without being arrogant) and had a great bedside manner. He didn’t mention cheek implants and felt I could have the brow lift if I wanted but at this point it wasn’t necessary.
~I have had 3 revisions since my original face-lift to remedy the right side of my face which doesn't lie perfectly flat. When I say revisions I mean some type of surgery. The first revision involved removal of a mole, which my doctor thought might be pulling the skin down. The second revision when that didn't work was liposuction to see if he could get the fat out of that area. That didn’t work and the third and final one was once again cutting into the skin to remove the puffy area that just won’t lie flat! It still doesn’t and I do have a scar from it but it does look a lot better than before the surgery.
The surgery:
I had what I called my “facelift bag” which had items I thought I would need after surgery and items my doctor suggested. In it were items such as: a wide toothcomb; a healing cd; peroxide; gauze; Tylenol; Arnica Montana (a natural ingredient thought to prevent some bruising and to relieve bruising faster) bendable straws and paperwork. You should be told by your doctor and you will be if you go to the website to stop all herbal supplements such as Ginkgo Biloba and some vitamins, such as Vitamin E for a couple of weeks before surgery. They are thought to increase bleeding.
I had this bag because I decided to stay in a motel close to my doctor's office. Many people ask me if they should do this. You will read about the stars who have fancy hotels they go to. I only did this because I live over an hour away from my doctor and didn't want to be in a car for that long after the surgery plus I had an appointment with him the next day.
Day 1 Tuesday: I was very nervous. I decided on twilight sleep in a surgical suite at my doctor's office. I had the option of being put to sleep in the hospital or, believe it or not, just some Valium and Novocaine and being awake.
~My doctor, I will call him Dr. E., made some marks around my face (and reassured me he was in a great mood in spite of the fact the Red Sox lost the American League Championship the night before). I met the anesthesiologist and went over some history with him. I recently had twilight sleep for a finger cut so expected to be in and out of sleep. Instead I was sound asleep the entire 3 ½ hours. Dr. E. got me comfortable, tied my hair back, the IV was started and the next thing I knew I was woken up. My first words were “am I gorgeous?” to which, of course, I was told I was. I could not open my eyes and noticed pain in my right eye. Dr. E. assured me it was just irritation due to a shield used during the procedure. I wasn’t in much pain otherwise and had a helmet type bandage around my head.
That evening I spoke to Dr. E. twice. Once to ask him again about the pain in my eye and the second time to tell him how nauseous I was. He said that was because of the pain medication and that he would call in a different medication in the morning.
Applying ice to the eyes is crucial if you have had eye work done and there are different ways of doing so. I chose cold saline solution soaked eyepads. No ice is put on the face. I didn’t sleep much that first night. My husband was wonderful and nursed me throughout the night soaking the eyepads every 15 minutes so I could apply them. At this point my eyes were totally shut and I could not see anything.
Day 2 Wednesday At 7:00am Dr. E. called to see how I was. I went to see him later in the day but he wanted to check on me before he went into surgery. I told him I could open my eyes a little bit and he assured me they would open even more. He told me he would change my pain medication so I wouldn’t be so nauseous. I was also on an antibiotic and taking Arnica Montana pellets.
My husband had to work on Wednesday so I had arranged for a home health aide to come to the motel. I am also asked and it is discussed at the website board if help is needed. If you are going to be alone all day into the evening, you will need help. My eyes were not open all the way, I couldn't bend at all and I didn't feel terrific. It can be done alone, though, if need be. You won't be able to drive, though, so if you have to go back to the doctor you will need help. It doesn't have to be a home health aide, though. A friend will do!
She also took me to and from the doctor’s office. Dr. E. thought I looked great. He removed my bandage and replaced it with a tight elastic type face band. I looked in the mirror and in spite of the swelling could see that my jowls were gone and my sagging neck had been uplifted. I wasn’t so sure about my eyes because of the swelling at that point.
The incision for the face lift can be in 3 places: at the top of the ear somewhat in your hair, in the ear and in front of the ear. Dr. E. uses the latter. In his opinion the first makes a bald spot, the second distorts the ear and in his words is “a dead give away.” I could see that he had done an excellent job with the stitches which contour my ear. My biggest pain, really was my back from lying for 3 ½ hours on the table and reclining in bed! After seeing the doctor and going to the store with the home health aide we went back to the motel room with shampoo, a prescription for another type of pain medication and other goodies. I felt much better at this point.
I want to inject that the area I mentioned above that doesn't lie flat did lie flat at this point because of the swelling. As the swelling lessened that pesky right side of mine because problematic. I also want to say that no scar at all can be seen in front of my ear. There is no way anyone would ever know I had a face lift. One reason, though, is because since I had no wrinkles and it was a more subtle surgery, people don’t actually notice that I look different!
Day 3 Thursday My husband and I went home and I set up in bed with my remote control. I knew I would be sleeping sitting up for at least another couple of days. You will be told to sleep sitting up for about 5 days. The pain was really minimal except for my back. I was able to sleep for longer than 10 minutes at a time and only woke up 2 times during the night. Earlier I took a shower and washed my hair. I used peroxide and bacitracin on my incision as well as Arnica ointment on the bruising. My left side was more bruised and swollen than my right side, which had very little of either. My left ear was totally numb. There was some numbness in areas on my face, but my ear was the most annoying. I started putting eye drops (Refresh was recommended) in my eyes 2 times a day to alleviate some dryness. My eyes were hardly dry at all. Some people have more problems with dry eyes than others and Refresh helps.
Day 4 Friday I felt better each day but this day I was more swollen than the previous days. There was more bruising around the left cheek where the liposuction was done. Liposuction is used in face lifts. My eyes were open though. My husband left me alone for several hours and I was fine. No bending, of course, but I was able to move around fine and play on the computer! Dr. E. called to tell me he would be away for a few days and wanted to see how I was and that his partner was on call and would take out some stitches on Tuesday with Dr. E. taking the rest out on Friday. I slept through the night for the first time.
Day 5 Saturday I felt better but the swelling around the cheek hadn’t improved and my left ear was still numb. I took a shower and at Dr. E’s insistence (I was a little apprehensive) let the water run down my stitches. I was beginning to feel restless and longed to see the outside world!
Day 6 Sunday I don’t know whether I felt better or worse. Various areas hurt and others didn't. I was still taking the pain medication. One would think that being numb wouldn’t hurt, but it did and lying on my neck was painful. In addition, the left side of my neck (below my numb ear) was very sensitive to the touch. My left side continued to be markedly more swollen and bruised than the right. This seemed to be a universal lament; the cause being that the doctor starts with one side which is then turned and stays turned throughout the rest of the operation causing the blood to flow to that side. The second side never has that problem (unless the patient decides to lie on their side once it is over!)
Today I took off the bandages that were covering the areas Dr. E. liposuctioned. (In order to tighten my neck he also liposuctioned a bit under my chin.) There was no pain in that and no scar. My jowls seemed gone. My skin was smooth (and swollen). I took off the bandage under my chin and there was no sagging.
Day 7 Monday. I slept through the night and woke up feeling the best I’ve felt. I was still numb but didn’t get concerned at this point. The people on the website agreed that this was all normal. The swelling had gone down quite a bit, but I still didn’t look like me. The bruising was better also. My neck still hurt and it surprised me how weak my neck felt. I found that I could only sit up for a little while and then I got tired. I tended to do too much too quickly and I had to stop myself from watering the plants and doing a little straightening up. It felt really good, actually, to feel as if I could do those things, but knew I should wait another week. The next day I would be getting some of my stitches out and I was excited about that. I was still taking pain meds, mostly for my back. Other than the pain in my neck, I had no facial pain.
Day 8 Tuesday I felt good. My neck, which felt very tight, didn’t hurt as much. Dr. E.'s partner removed my stitches above my eyelids and in front of my ears. On Friday the rest were to be taken out. He told me to keep the “face bra” (compression belt) on as much as possible at least until Friday. He didn’t see why I couldn’t go to a wedding on November 6 so I was excited about that. He said the pain in my neck and the numbness in various parts of my face and ear was normal. One ear was still totally numb.
Day 9 Wednesday My neck hurt and I felt a small lump, which, from what I read, is common but can be painful. I haven’t driven and was still wearing my face bra.
Day 10 Thursday Uneventful
Day 11 Friday I woke up feeling pretty good. It wasn’t a good night’s sleep but my neck didn’t hurt as much and I got the rest of my stitches out! The doctor thought everything looked great and it did. He assured me the numbness should go away but might take 3 months. He said that any lumps I might have (and the one in my neck subsided) will go away. He told me I could massage them and that is what others were saying also on the website board. My eyes looked terrific as did my chin and neck. He didn’t pull my face too tightly thus at this point I had what to me looked like remnants of a jowl on one side of my face. That area is numb, though and it could have just been swelling. (You now know that it wasn't swelling but a pesky area that doesn't want to cooperate.) I set up an appointment to see him again in 3 weeks. There was very little swelling, though, at this point and minimal bruising.
You will notice that I saw my doctor frequently. Some visits were for 2 minutes. That is one major problem of choosing a doctor who is so far away...so be aware that you may have many appointments and a doctor who is closer will be more convenient. Don't pick one, though, just because his office is around the corner!
On to Day 14 Monday I was continuing to do well. We went to the movies this weekend and to dinner. I just needed a little bit of makeup – that’s it. I decided to drive this week. My neck was still stiff so as long as I didn’t have to go anywhere I decided to stay put for another day. My husband noticed the difference and liked it!
Day 15 Perhaps I did too much driving; maybe going to the store and doing some housework was too much. I had some swelling under my chin and jawline and Dr. E. told me to put the face bra on again for a couple of days. Other than that I was doing fine.
Day 16 The swelling subsided a bit. I rested and made sure my head didn’t bend and I didn’t lift anything. I was still using both the Arnica pellets and ointment.
After 6 weeks I went back to the gym. For Thanksgiving I went to Jamaica and sat in the shade with a hat and very strong lotion. I also went to a wedding and no one noticed any bruising. Some knew I had this procedure done because I had to tell them I might not make the wedding and they thought I looked wonderful.
At my 3-month visit I mentioned to Dr. E. that I was unhappy with my right side. It was evident that the droopiness was not due to swelling. He told me I would have to wait 9 months before he could do any revisions. Revisions are not abnormal. It happens and he assured me he would do whatever it took to make me happy.
At 9 months, he removed a small mole under my skin, which he though might be contributing to the droopiness. He told me he would do another lift free of charge if that is what I wanted. I didn’t and I knew that wouldn’t solve the problem. When I pulled back my face the lumpiness was still there. Perhaps it is just my face and I would have to just deal with it! The numbness is totally gone although there are areas of my face that feel a little different than other parts of my face. It isn’t numbness, exactly, just a different sensation.
He wanted to see me in 3 more months. At that visit we talked about options to attempt to get rid of the excess skin under the right side of my mouth. I was very unhappy about it. He suggested liposuction and I agreed. He would do both sides so they would match. This was in January 2001 more than a year since my face-lift. I had to pay $200 for the use of the surgical suite, but his time was free.
The liposuction itself was painless and there was a one-week recovery period from it. The Novocaine in the right side of my face, however, was one of the most painful ordeals I have experienced since giving birth!
This brings me to April 30, 2001 and another appointment with my doctor. The jowl area has flattened out, but not totally. The right side of my face still doesn’t match the left.
My last revision was in July of 2001 when Dr. E. cut away the area that still isn’t flat. I had an appointment with him in October but I didn’t keep it. I don’t feel there is anything left he can do. I am not totally satisfied but I do put things in perspective and realize that a scar or two, a bump or two, are normal for most people and since I am not getting paid to be on the cover of Vogue, as long as I feel good about myself, don't look 50 (I'll settle for 45) that’s what matters.
My Final Thoughts
After the procedures I swore I would never do anything again. In fact after my breast lift, I said “never again.” Just like after giving birth we wonder how we would ever do that again and we do. We forget the pain. Would I have a facelift again? Absolutely. I am glad I did this and in 5 or 10 years there is no doubt in my mind, that if we have the money I would do it again.
In case you are wondering between the two surgeries (and the revisions, cost of hotel, etc.) I have spent approximately $15,000.
I don't sit in the sun at all. If I am in the sun, I wear a hat and suntan lotion and would suggest the same for everyone no matter what your age.
Some tips:
~Make sure your doctor is Board Certified in Plastic Surgery and shows you before and after pictures of work he or she has done.
~Arnica Montana pellets and ointment can be bought in health food stores. You take 4 pellets under your tongue 4 times a day for about 1 week. The ointment is put on as soon as the doctor says it can. My doctor was all for my use of these holistic products and said that many of his patients use them with success.
~In spite of not using the most expensive doctor, don’t go for the cheapest just because of the money.
~Remember, this isn’t an exact science. Everyone’s face/body is different and hopefully, you don’t want to look like you had a fact lift or you don’t want to look like your next door neighbor’s clone who had one.
~Plan on taking 2 weeks off from work. You will need it not only because you can’t bend, lift or drive, but because the bruising will be hard to cover.
~In spite of all the products on the market if you read the fine printing you will see that most say "reduces the appearance of fine lines and winkles. Rarely will a product clain to eliminate them or truly prevent them. Studies show that Retin A does do both. I have provided a couple of website if you would like to read about it.
Some websites about Retin A: http://www.skinsite.com/info_retin_a.htm
http://phudson.com/SKIN/retina.html
There are new techniques coming out all the time. In the January 2002 issue of Allure magazine talks about "lasar toning" or "nonablative resurfacing" that can "even skin tone, erase broken capillaries, and firm up loose skin." This doesn't burn off the top layer of skin like traditional laser surgery which can be painful and cause redness for a long time. Talk with your doctor - there may be many avenues for you to take if you are interested in cosmetic procedures.
Once again, feel free to leave me comments or e-mail me.
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