like I said, Tina Miranda - she's in New York and Florida. She is not a flashy person, just mostly does fillers, but I found her reasonably priced and I am happy with the work she's done. Very nice woman.
Forgot to add: ACUPUNCTURE! Imagine how depressing it was, with everything else, to develop a cyst on my eye and to have my surgeon say casually when he saw it, "That happens all the time in surgery." He said he could cut it out, as did an oculo-plastic surgeon I saw. Like I needed *more* skin cut out of my eyelid. But I couldn't live with it, so I scheduled surgery to have it removed. Thank God, days before my surgery, a man I know said that acupuncture is great for cysts. So, I asked around and found a very experienced acupuncturist. I saw results *immediately* and went back about 10 times. It is now so reduced that no one sees it but me. Acupuncture also loosens up scar tissue, and might improve the eyelid's functioning.
Hi everyone -- I haven't been in communication for many months and I wanted to give an update. I had a lower bleph two years ago and I am devastated by the results, though to my amazement, very few people have noticed that anything looks different. I have *severe* scleral show - when I look up, about an inch of scleral show because the lower lids don't move. I had NO IDEA that a lower bleph could cause the lower lids to lose the ability to track the lower pupil. When I am looking straight on it is not as bad, but in one eye it is still about half an inch, even when looking straight on. Before surgery, I would see myself in the mirror and smile -- I was never considered pretty, but I was happy enough with my appearance. Now I cringe.
One of the problems is that in the one eye, it looks dark and hollow underneath. I have found an MD (she is in NY and Florida -- Tina Miranda) who mostly does injections and she is very inexpensive and does a good job. Filling in the hollows has made a big difference -- it doesn't raise up the lower lid, but it *does* improve my overall look.
I am still debating having corrective surgery, but since I would never have had the initial surgery if I'd known the risks, I don't want to now make the same mistake. My surgeon did *not* do a poor job -- the problem was that he just didn't draw out my concerns, and actually told me that the way he does the surgery, it would be "impossible" for there to be scleral show. (Can you believe I fell for that????) I actually didn't want *any* skin cut, but he didn't pick up on that because he had a pre-conceived idea of what I would want. I really only wanted the fat re-positioned. He never listened to me. However, in my case I was able to work out an agreement with him which I signed a non-disclosure agreement about. So if you want advice about the negotiation piece, contact me.
Anyway I also wanted to say that I am *trying* to be content with how I look now. In my case, people tell me I look fine. I think that one of my eyes looks OK (not great) but the other looks creepy. However, no matter how many friends I have asked, *all* of them say I look fine, except doctors who see it the way I see it. I know that a lot of my friends would be inclined to lie in order to be kind, but the fact that *no one* has said "yes I see why you're upset" makes me feel like I *can* live with this if I try. I have noticed that in certain mirrors in my house, the way the light hits make it look worse. I try not to look at myself in those mirrors.
I have consulted with too many surgeons to count -- mostly oculo-plastic ones. Remember that they are all capitalist salesmen. They want to sell you surgery. One of the "best" ones has people online who say he ruined their lives. I asked him, "Tell me about the people who have been unhappy with their results," and he said, "Believe it or not, there are no patients who have been unhappy with their results from me." And that very morning, I'd seen two online who were absolutely devastated by his work. And he is touted on these pages as a great surgeon. I am going to try going to surgeons who do *not* have web pages touting their perfection, but instead to go to surgeons at *teaching* hospitals where the goal is not to make money but to do good.
The answer is to change the system to stop this in the future -- part of me is dying to become an advocate for protecting patients and the other part of me (which is winning right now) is to learn to be content with how I am, and also I honestly don't want to go public with my story.
I'd like to set up a conference call with everyone to talk and strategize, but I don't know if I am really going to do it -- but if someone else volunteered to set it up, I'd definitely participate.
WARNING WARNING WARNING please do not think that because one person you never met online says they had a good result that you are safe with that surgeon. SURGERY IS NEVER SAFE. Don't do it. It is not worth the risks.
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