Siouxie

Daisy, I'm sorry that the ps didn't have news you wanted to hear. It's good to know that you found a professional who can help you work with the outcome of the original procedure. I wish you strength and the support of those around you...all the best.

Daisy, how are you doing? How was the consult?

Yes, one eye's almost always different than the other; however, when elective surgery makes that difference obvious and/or worse, it can be hard to deal with.

I agree with you that an ocular PS should do the work. My revision was done by the same PS who did the first b/c it was free--I should have listened to my instincts. It's also good that you're consulting with more than one OPS; I think you'll know when you've found the right person to do the revision. It's hard to wait the six months for the revision, but think of it as giving your body the time it needs to get the best revision result. I think one of the marketing 'hooks' PSs use is 'minimal down time'. Yes, many heal in two weeks, but there are many others that can take more time to do so, and surgeons often don't express that. I also just read that though eyelid surgery is relatively simple to perform, it has a high patient dissatisfaction rate. I had my original surgery in May of '08, the revision in December, and now need to wait until December to do anything else (if I need to or can, and this time by an oculoplastic surgeon). The PS went through the original incisions; one was originally higher than the other. Healing was perfect in my right eye; the left is the one that's having the hard time. I also struggled with the decision to have the revision, and wish I had harnessed my impatience, done my research and found a doctor I was comfortable with. The good thing is that you're doing all those things now, and while that doesn't guarantee a perfect outcome, it makes the chances of one so much better. BTW, because I've become so self-conscious, I've been looking at pictures of actors, and many of them have one eye that's clearly different than the other. I also read that eye differences are more noticeable after this particular surgery. I don't know about using Restylane for the bags, but you'll be able to ask the right doctor those questions. All my good hopes are with you: that you find the right surgeon, that the outcome is what you're looking for, but most of all, I hope you'll be able to make peace with your body. I know that's hard, and yes, I'm struggling with it too, but I've realized how important it is. I encourage you to think whatever you have to so you can be right with yourself; otherwise, you're setting yourself up for a host of potentially damaging insecurities, body dysmorphic disorder (I'm serious, and I also began leaning toward it) being one of them, and that's something you definitely don't want influencing the decisions you make about your eyes. Let me know if I can tell you anything else about my experience, and I hope to hear that you've found the right doctor soon!

I'm curious to know how you're doing at this point. Are your lids evening out? I hope you're still not feeling "ashamed" for having the surgery...you just wanted to look the best you could!