55 Years Old, Lifestyle Lift Made Me Look Fabulous After Divorce

I've wanted to get a face lift for a few years, but I thought I couldn't afford it. Last year my husband told me he wanted a divorce, so a few months ago I decided I deserved and needed to do something for myself so I can start feeling better about myself. I had heard about the Lifestyle Lift and thought it would be something I could afford.After I read all the reviews, both negative and positive, about Lifestyle Lift on Realself.com, I made the decision to go ahead and get a Lifestyle Lift. I think my experience was very good because I participated responsibly in the process. I did my homework and researched my doctor who is a certified plastic surgeon. I wrote down all the questions I had and took that list to my initial consulation. The staff was friendly, helpful and professional.During the consultation I met with a physician's consultant who explained the cost of the procedures and then I met with the doctor. Between the two of them, I was given all the information I needed, and all my questions were answered to my satisfaction. My doctor invited me to call if I had any more questions, and I left with a folder containing a ton of informational literature and pre-operative instructions.On the day of surgery, my only complaint is that my surgery was scheduled for 11:00 o'clock but was postponed until 2:00. I'm not sure what caused the delay, but my doctor did apologize. The delay didn't bother me, but it was inconvenient for my sister who sat waiting in the back waiting room, wondering what was taking so long. She said she got worried because no one told her what was going on and she was afraid to leave to get something to eat. I can't put the blame fully on the staff for not keeping her informed because she could have easily gone to the front desk and asked.The surgery itself for the most part was painless. The prescription medication that I was given prior to the surgery was very effective and I didn't feel any pain during the initial injections given to deaden the area. There was, however, one place along my jawline that I felt some pain during the procedure and the doctor stopped and tried another shot to deaden it. For some reason the area was resistant to the medication. My surgeon apologized for my discomfort and asked me to please try to hold on because she was almost finished. It was an "owee!" moment, but it wasn't even bad enough to bring tears to my eyes and the pain only lasted for those few seconds.After the procedure, my head was wrapped in some tight bandaging and I was sent home with the aftercare procedures and an appointment to return the next day. The bandages were fairly tight and uncomfortable, but not painful. I took the prescribed pain medication and slept through the night.During the follow up appointment my doctor removed the bandages, checked to make sure everything looked as it should, asked me if I had any questions, and a med tech wrapped my head in another bandage that I was required to were for one week, and then at night for three more weeks. I only took pain medication the first two nights and never needed anything, not even Tylenol, since then.After one week I returned to the office for suture removal. At that time I spoke with my doctor about a concern I have with my ears. It seems like my ear lobes have been sewn back at slightly different angles and therefore one appears shorter than the other. My doctor asked me to be patient and wait until the swelling goes down. She said if I am still unhappy with the appearance of my ear lobes in a few months, she will make any needed adjustments at that time.So, I don't understand some of the complaints I have read. Lifestyle Lift is a face lift. No where did I read of hear that it is a "lunch time" procedure. Some Lifestyle Lifts can be done in an hour, but my doctor told me that my procedure would take longer because I had the basic lift plus a neck lift and liposuction. She said she would take as long as she needed to take to do it right. She is under no pressure to speed things up or to accomplish some type of quota.It has been nearly four weeks since my surgery, and I had my final post-op appointment today. I look and feel great. My sister said I look more like 35 years old than 55. My niece said I look fresh and natural, and not pulled too tight.I had so little bruising I could have returned to work in one week after surgery with just a little cover-up if I had needed to. I have scars in front of and around my ears as expected (my doctor told me exactly where the scars would be) and they are healing nicely.I can't speak for anyone else, but I had a very good experience. I have to say, do your homework, and have reasonable expectations when it comes to cosmetic surgery. Speak up, ask questions, and don't do anything if you don't feel comfortable and have 100% confidence in your surgeon.