Long Trip to HAPPY...but I am here!!

The procedure was fine, I guess I'm a bruiser. I'm 54 and Hayes the loose skin from weight loss and age. I just thought I'd be able to go back to work in 2 weeks, but my neck muscles on the sides are swelled really bad. I look like I hit an airbag in a car accident. I did everything I was supposed to do prior to surgery. I'm a bit freaked, but I can tell my neck looks great...and the peri oral dermabrasion is looking better.

I can tell I am going to look great. My major issue was the bruising of my eyes. If I knew that would happen I would have thrown in a brow lift! Despite using Arnica I look like someone punched me in both eyes. My neck is looking better, but i had bruising all the way to the V in a t-shirt. I did have peri oral dermabrasion and the doctor had me use crisco believe it or not for the area around my mouth. I guess it's working...13 days post OP , I still have red, but it's smooth and very nice! I also need an extra week off, I told no one, so I'm not going to The office looking like a battered woman!

I started doing house work, but I can't go back to work yet. The Derma-blend doesn't cover the black eyes and my neck is still bruised, I hate turtle necks and one would think it would be cold enough to wear them up here in Toronto, but it's been in the 60's! So I am praying that by Monday this bruising will dissipate enough with the Arnica. It is day 13 so miracles I did t expect, but looking like an eggplant wasn't what I expected either.

Some before pics of the neck I hated!

This was how yucky it looked...

Well...I have to go back to work Monday so I suppose I'm going to have to use the Dermablend and wear turtlenecks. Does anyone have ear pain at 2 weeks post OP? My ears are so sore and the neck strap hurts. My doc still wants me to wear it till I go. Ack to work and to sleep in for awhile longer. One ear is really red and the other looks ok. The peri oral dermabrasion looks great! I graduated from CRISCO which I slathered on everyday to a nice cream they gave me. I'm still washing my hair with baby shampoo...how long does that last? My hair is long, it isn't the best!

The incision for the chin scar is teeny...I couldn't be happier about that! Does anyone use scar gel for the ear scars after they are healed? I ride a motorcycle and pull my hair back all summer..I'm hoping the scars won't be noticeable.

Well i went back to work with black eyes...my husband said I should tell people, "you should see the other girl"...hahahaa, as if I had a fight. Well, it looks like an airbag went off and pushed sunglasses into my face so it certainly was believable. If I didn't get black eyes there would have been no issue. I have a blood vessel disorder that I am sure had something to do with the excessive bruising. When I had lasix i kept getting conjunctival hemorrhages in the right eye and no one could figure it out. This year I was diagnosed with cardio lipin antibody syndrome, and I still am not sure what it means. Obviously it causes me to bruise more then others. My doc didn't think it was an issue but he said he knew i was going to be a bruiser from the first shot. i should have scheduled 3 weeks off, but I went back to work after two, had a business trip, came back with a fluish thing. i got scared that it was related to this but i have no open sores and have been perfect about my care. How long does everyone use the chin strap? I think that is causing rubbing on my left ear that looks like I have Halloween costume ears! I have long hair so it isn't noticeable. I'm still using peroxide and Neosporin. My peri oral dermabrasion looks great...a little red, Dermablend light works fine. Nothing fully covers the black eyes. I love my neck, i just cant wait for the lumpiness to be gone...I have to learn to be patient and realize I am not like others...we all have different bodies and healing rates. but I know one thing, I love the results so much....i hated what was happening....im still the same, just refreshed. No eye job, nothing dramatic. I am thinking of botox again for the over expressive forehead i have but it only lasts a few weeks for the money I spend so I'm exploring the newer things out there. The only negative during recovery was I TV shopped and E-Bay and got 5 pairs of boots and shoes, new clothes and jackets for work to the tune of 2 grand!!! I wiped out my savings...it was fun! I discovered the jewelry network and picked up some things there too. I did go back to work looking well dressed despite the black eyes!!!! My husband was freaking out over all the boxes so I bought him some hunting gear and he was happy. Love you all!!!

Some pictures to go with my last post?

Slowly but surely!

She said it was red and was from sleeping on that side for years. in fact that side has always been red and it almost looked like I could have had an earring ripped out of the cartiledge...seems that surgery and the chin strap rubbed enough to cause a crater..small really but she numbed it and leveled it out. Ofcourse now it hurts and I have to take care of it with cleaning and neosporin yadayada..what a freaky thing to happen. I had asked on the Ask a Doc forum about it and posted a picture and only one doc answered and said I need to get back to the surgeon. im glad i went to the dermatologist, she knew right away and now my ear will heal and not look like I have leprosy of that ear! NOW my neck looks good...needs healing and I'm massaging with Cocoa Butter Oil twice a day..Its got the lumps and bumps like what I have read about on here..it hasn't even been three weeks. I still have a noticible black eye healing on the right eye and I am getting sick of cover up. The dermabrasion looks great...still some red but smooth. I'm going to grow old gracefully so I think this is it for me. ipIll keep the wringly forehead and smile lined eyes, I just hated that neck!

Massage with cocoa butter oil...clean ears..sleep with chin strap on wedge pillow, low salt. TOO MUCH surgery crap...just started my elliptical today with chin strap on, want to go back to Zumba or body combat.

I went for my almost one month post OP and Dr. Sherri's said I am healing ahead of most! I have really come a long way in a short time. I massage every night since I taught myself the lymph drainage technique. I use little round ice packs when I can and I can't believe that I'm at work with regular necklines! I do have swollen salivary glands, but that is because I have an auto immune disease called Sjorgrens. I'm so pleased with the results so far! Wow..what a difference a month makes. Thanks to all out there whose profiles helped me through. Mylady

Looking good...the ice and massage really help!

So, I got a cold last week which has kicked my butt...been at work...going about my usual and I noticed the incision behind my was swelling up as the cold got worse. My glands were swelling up too. I have an autoimmune illness called Sorjgrens disease that causes dry mouth and dry eyes...dry what ever. Anyway, this morning the incision was feeling so swelled and when I cleaned it with the cotton ball and peroxide I noticed some red. I went to the doc after work, my primary first, and she put me on Bactrim because she thinks the incision may be infected. Not only that, I am coughing up grossness..so I have an infection inside me. I just can't figure out where the infection came from! I have been Mrs. Clean since the surgery and Mrs. Straight, smoothies with veggies and fruit...protein...just being really healthy! The only thing different is the kitten I got. She's a doll, and lifts my spirit when hubby is away hunting. I thought it may be from her...how, I don't know. All I know is that I'm happy as heck with my mini lift and these little bumps in the road are just that! And I will say, I massage those bumps! If the swollen glands go away, my neck will be tight and fantastic!

I'm satisfied and starting to feel great!

So happy!

The incision is all healed, but I have been sick with horrible fatigue and a heavy cold. Almost like the flu but I had a flu shot. It's. Even 3 weeks, the last week being the worst. Kinda makes you feel a loss of control to be so sick...especially when the incision blew up behind my ear with puss and my glands are still so in the way of seeing the try results. I'm sure we all go through different healing patterns...for me, I should have taken 3 weeks off from my busy HR Director job, and when I tried to work at home I had no concentration. I have faith that I will feel like my sexy self real soon! My guy gets frustrated cause my ears are sensitive and he's a big guy who doesn't realize he hurts me. Back whe I had my boobs done I swore he was going to pop them! Here are some pictures...you guys tell me.....