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Talksurgery adheres to the Health On the Net Foundation's Code of Conduct
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I'm so happy!
Pros:
My drooping, sagging lids are gone. A bright-eyed, youthful appearance has emerged. Even the crepey-textured skin in the inner corners of my eyes is gone!
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Cons:
I am hard pressed to come up with a downside to my eyelift. I had to use some vacation time from work and tell a few white lies to keep the procedure secret, but that was the worst of it.
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Cost:
$2300
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Healing time:
11 days
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Pain-o-meter: 1
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I am 44 years old, recovering from upper eyelift surgery 11 days ago. Today I went back to the office after taking a little more than a week's vacation to have the surgery. Nobody noticed anything, I'm glad to say. I should mention, however, that without my glasses I probably would feel a lot more self-conscious in my early recovery stage.
Before the surgery my upper eyelids were heavy, droopy and puffy a lot of the time, creating a sort of angry look, even though I would be well-rested and feeling good. I used to try to compensate by wearing dark eye shadow above the crease area to make my eyes look "normal." I had been unhappy with my eyelids for several years, but never even considered surgery as an option. I know it sounds goofy, but one of the things that got me thinking about doing it was the reality TV show about dramatic makeovers where the participants undergo plastic surgery procedures.
I liked the brave outlook of one of the women on the show who decided to go for what she wanted, even though there are risks. She cheerfully underwent the intial assessment during which the doctor told her she'd need to lose weight before he would even do a tummy tuck, and she lost the weight.
She had a number of other procedures including some facial surgery, I think, at the same time. Just before surgery, she smiled broadly and said she was looking forward to the results. And . . . the results were fantastic! That was one of the things that got me thinking. Another was the fact that I had recently been given a substantial raise at work. Finally, I considered the fact that my own husband has had plastic surgery. Several years ago he had two hair transplant procedures that were very successful.
Once the idea occurred to me, it didn't take me long to decide to do the procedure. I consulted three plastic surgeons and had the surgery done just two months later. It helped that the same surgeon who worked on my husband actually specializes in surgery of the eyes. He's the one I ultimately chose. On the day of the surgery I made to sure to give everybody a big smile, knowing that the result would be worth it to me. I was right.
The biggest surprise for me was how quickly I could see the results. The other surprise was how painless it all was. They send you home with instructions to take Tylenol and ice packs, because that's all you need. I was watching TV and reading the first day. I even cooked that night. By day three, I was stir crazy, since I felt great.
Unfortunately the bruising and swelling kept me out of the public until the sixth day, when I felt I could pass without people wondering if I'd been punched in the eyes. Today there is just a bit of bruising left, although that is fading. The swelling went down to nothing about four days ago. I can see my eyelids again, instead of having my eyelashes touching the upper lid. I look like I used to in old photographs, with eyes sparkling. I am so happy I did this!
Here are more details:
How results differed from what I expected:
I didn't expect to be able to see what the result would look like immediately post-op. I saw myself just after surgery before the real swelling started, and I could see that the surgery had been a big success.
Biggest fears pre-procedure:
That it wouldn't make a difference.
That I wouldn't heal in time to go back to work without people knowing.
Healing aids used:
Not Specified
Number of doctors consulted:
3
Number of years I thought about having the procedure:
two months
Had an elective procedure before:
No
Complications or follow-up procedures:
Not Specified
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This information is not to substitute for professional medical advice. You
should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or
disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please
consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have
regarding your condition.
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Gender:
Female
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Age:
44
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Ethnic group:
Caucasian
Education:
Post-graduate degree
Country:
United States
State/Province:
Ohio
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Our weight alone is not a sufficient measure to assess our risk for disease. Total body fat, fat distribution and the consequences of dieting must be considered as well.
(Source: the Role of Weight Management in the Health of Women" by Sachiko T. St. Jeor, professor and director of Nutrition Education and Research at the University of Nevada, School of Medicine)
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