FACELIFT POST-OP: Looks good. Still feels weird.

PREVIOUS POSTS: WEEKS 1 AND 2, WEEK 3, WEEK 4, ONE MONTH FOLLOW UP, WEEK 7, WEEK 8 , 2 MONTHS, WEEKS 10-11, WEEK 12, 3 MONTHS, WEEK 14

It’s been more than three months since I had a lower face/necklift with abdomional fat transfer and meso-mix applied to my upper lip. (Say THAT three times, fast!)

At this point I’ve stopped counting the weeks, but am still very aware of them as they tick by. Okay, I counted. Fifteen weeks.

The procedure took place in my surgeon’s office rather than at a hospital, which saved thousands of dollars. Rather than “real” anesthesia, which would require an expensive anesthesiologist, I was prescribed heavy narcotics which I took an hour before surgery. I did wake up during the procedure a couple of times, but injections of nerve blocks kept any sensation at bay. The brief moments of consciousness were nothing to be alarmed about. I felt groggy, and fell back into ‘sleep’ quickly. I remember hearing some conversation, a scissor clip (yuck!) and a liquid sound as my left ear fill with fluid (turned out to be my own blood). I didn’t feel a thing. If you’re looking to save money on the procedure, seek out a certified surgeon that offers in-office service.

The surgery was “textbook”, but I was unprepared for the length of time full recovery would take. Fifteen weeks later my left ear still feels “thick” and numb on the inside. The skin behind both ears and jaw area is still numb to the touch. However, if I press the skin, there is some sensation now, albeit tingly and sore. I guess this is the nerves growing back.

I remember asking my surgeon about pain management following surgery. She had smiled (behind the protective mask) and said I wouldn’t need much, because nerves were cut during surgery. At the time, I thought “Oh, wow, that’s good!” Perhaps I should have explored how MANY nerves this would affect. During surgery your skin is “elevated”. Basically pulled away from the rest of you. Looking at my post-op scars, it looks like my ears were mostly cut off and then put back on. Obviously, she had to get in to work on the muscles she was tightening. The skin was then draped over the new form, and it is now, still, growing back. It’s doing a spectacular job. I’m amazed by the human body’s ability to repair itself, from broken bones to scrapes and bruises to major surgeries like this one.

I guess I’m lucky, too. I’m happy with the results! Part of my surgery contract read that if the patient is unhappy, she will do additional corrective surgeries at a very discounted rate until the patient is pleased.

Let me just say this: I’ve had two babies, and if a doctor had told me there had been a twin following either one of them I would have lost it entirely. My sister gave birth to twins. Mentally, I don’t think I could do that twice in one day. So two surgeries? After THIS recovery? And mine is considered NORMAL?

NO FRICKIN WAY!

Even if I had a dent in my head, I’d keep it at this point. Well, maybe not if it were a big dent.

I had a friend who had a nose job back in the ‘80s. She just had a little bump and didn’t like it. Unfortunately, she didn’t like the initial surgery results, either. Bear in mind this girl is tough. She joined the military after high school and studied at the Mercedes Benz factory in Germany. I’ve seen her take her own car’s brakes apart. On the day this tough girl was supposed to go in for the second surgery, though, she cried. She told me it was because now she knew how hard recovery would be. Clearly, reading about recovery and actually doing it are two different things.

For me, the most physically grueling part of the face/neck lift was the first few days, when the stitches and tubes came out. But the mentally agonizing part has been the weeks and months of nerves rebuilding to create sensation in my neck, temples and ear area. I used a support strap around my ears and chin (I’ll share a picture) for far longer than recommended, because it felt good to have something pressing on that area. Without the strap, the numbness and tingling was alternately annoying and scary. When I touched my face, I felt like I was touching a corpse, because I didn’t feel anything. Ew!

At the three-month mark, 95% of the swelling is supposed to be gone. I guess it is. But that last 5% is still disheartening, as I’ve read it can last for up to a year. I’m beginning to wonder, am I just getting used to the remaining numbness and tingling? A fairly large part of the sides of my face still feel as if they are recovering from novocaine shots. My inner left ear still feels like it swells up occasionally. The right side has definitely healed better than the left. Part of me wonders, did my surgeon hurry through on the left ear? I knew I was her last patient before her two-week vacation to California’s wine country. She was headed to the airport as soon as the surgery was through. Now, I know that’s not the case. But still. I’ve read that sometimes one side heals faster than the other, but looking back at my photos, the left side looks so…butchered.

Interestingly, when i went to my three-month (and final) appointment, the surgeon didn’t show up. In fact, nobody examined the scar areas. A technician came in with her camera and took follow-up photos, and five minutes later I was dismissed. Had the surgeon showed up, I would have pointed out the odd white nodules on my ear and the two tiny lumps under my skin on the left side of my neck. But I think I know she would have nothing to tell me about them except give them time. Indeed, everything has been healing as she said at my one-month checkup. It just takes Soooooo Loooooong (insert exasperated sigh).

At this point I’m just happy to have the first three months behind me. I do believe 95% of the swelling is gone, so in this respect I’m “on track”. But that last 5%….ugh! On a positive note, I guess you could say I notice the tingling and swelling only 5% of the time! This is good news, because it used to be 95% of the time. The worst times are still in the morning when I first wake up, in the evening after a long day, after (and sometimes during) any sort of workout, and when i need to wash my face and neck. I can’t say I’m feeling improvement every day, because it’s still so subtle. I will keep you posted.