Facelift Post-Op: Week 4 — Our Dream Place

WARNING!!!!!! GRAPHIC SURGICAL IMAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GRAPHIC SURGICAL IMAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!! GRAPHIC SURGICAL IMAGES!!!!!!!!!

It’s a rainy Saturday afternoon and I just woke up from a nap. Sort of a nap, actually, as finding a comfortable sleeping position is still problematic. I’m still sleeping mostly sitting up. I’m still wearing the elastic facial sling at least a couple hours every day. A three inch swath of skin on both sides of my head, from lower temple to about two inches into my neck, is still numb to the touch. My left ear is still almost completely numb, and the healing is going much more slowly over the scars. The skin on both sides of my face continues to be very warm as healing continues. Neck muscles, where they were “stretched” continue to experience sharp pain if I turn my head too quickly or too far. My cheeks still feel tingly and tight when I try to smile.

Left ear. Healing but still scary looking!

But, there is some improvement. When I press in on my ears and sides of my face I feel more sensation that the previous week. This proves the nerves are growing back and reconnecting. I think. I hope.

The dark, chain-like ropey scab lines extending above my ears, inside my ear-line and behind the lower ears are slowly beginning to flake off. The skin underneath is, as promised, pink and delicate. I still have no sensation in most of the areas, and washing my hair is still pretty disgusting. Feeling all those scabby areas under the shampoo is no picnic. Even as they flake off, the skin is still raised a bit, but not sore.

I’m still tired much of the time, can’t imagine doing my normal one hour bike ride and one hour of yoga. Despite adhering to the recommended high protein diet, I feel my body getting “soft”. I just read that you’re not supposed to flex/turn your neck for the first four weeks…the skin has to adhere to it’s new position. I wish I had been told this, as I was lightly stretching my neck periodically, thinking it would help.

I am becoming depressed at the lack of skin sensation, lack of mobility and range of numbness. I did not expect so much of my head to be affected.

That being said, would I do it again?

Yes. I look wonderful, younger, and my neck looks like a 20-year old’s. I am impressed with my surgeon’s artistic ability, she truly gave me more than I expected.

A tight, tingly smile. Four weeks post-op.

My husband and I went out to dinner at a wonderful restaurant mid-week, and had a great time. We ordered a bottle of wine with dinner. I noticed that when I drank the wine, I didn’t seem to notice my facial numbness quite so much. However, I can’t stay “buzzed” all the time, nor would I want to. But, my patience is wearing thin. I’ve informed those who still love me that I’m doing the best that I can, and to bear with me.

A couple things I explored this week:

Liposuction - My facelift surgery involved fat transfer from the abdomen, using liposuction, to help plump up my sagging cheeks and heavily lined upper lip area. It seemed like such an afterthought to a F A C E L I F T that I admit I did zero research on lipo, and follow-up care for the site (my bellybutton). I remember having a bandage over the area and remember reading I could remove it after 48 hours, which I did. I continue to have minor “achey” sensations in a softball-sized area of my abdomen, but it’s improving, and I only notice it when the area is touched (dressing, bathing, etc.). Also, there had been a one-inch size area about two inches from the scar site that felt as though several frozen peas were under my skin, but they are also diminishing. So, word of advice, learn about ALL your procedures prior to the surgery date. On the four-week anniversary of the surgery there are still two sore, red “bumps” at the fat harvest sites. Since I’m seeing the surgeon in a few days I’ll make a note to ask if I should be concerned.
Meso-mix: What is it, and where did it actually go? Per my surgeon’s invoice I paid $850 for something called “meso-mix”. I actually forgot about it until ten minutes prior to the surgery. I knew I would be having fat transfer, and surmised my fat would be somehow added to some…mix…and put into my upper lip to smooth deep lines there, and also a bit shoved up around my cheeks (this was my surgeon’s idea, and my philosophy was and still is that she knew best). Only now, nearly a month post-op, have I even looked up anything to do with Meso-mix. The best description I found was on a European clinic’s site. The solution contains (more or less) vitamins, amino acids, peptides, minerals, a type of hyaluronic acid and “growth factors”. This may or may not be what is used in the USA, but I honestly couldn’t find much on the internet about Meso-Mix. I did find some information on Mesotherapy, though, so it may be related. My surgeon did mention her treatment has Botox in it. Or maybe she added Botox herself? How could I have gone through this process without fully understanding the “extras” I purchased? In fact, I’ve always been opposed to facial injections (OUCH!) but figured since I’d be mostly unconscious, to go for it. At this date I’m still not entirely sure what happened with the mix, and my fat. How were they combined, and where did each end up? I see the doctor for the one-month follow up appointment in a few days, and let you know what she did. It’s looking great, people who know (all TWO of them) say I look TWENTY years younger, and I agree!

The first portion of this post was written about 3.5 weeks post-op. By the actual fourth-week anniversary, I’m happy to say I rarely if ever wear the elastic face support sling (YAY!). My left ear still is very numb but slowly improving from the top down, and the skin around my ears (think of the area where noise-protection headphones would sit) still has near zero sensation unless I apply pressure. BUT, I’m seeing progress in the temple area. I still experience shooting pains in my left neck muscles if I over-exert. They cramp up and feel lumpy. Smiling still makes my cheeks feel uncomfortably tight and “tingly”. General tightness on the right side is slowly subsiding, and I do gentle neck stretches in the morning (now that' it’s been four weeks, this is supposedly OK…). The scabs on my scalp and especially behind my left ear are still alive and well, and I continue to wear my hair down in public.