47 and Too Droopy for My Liking. Asheville, NC

Had a bad night because of the tight band feeling that runs laterally beneath my jawline. Not only was it pulling on everything, but it feels lumpy and tender to the touch, too. I did a little yardwork yesterday and took a longer walk than normal, so maybe that inflamed the area? I slept propped up all night and don't think that helped any. When I woke up, my chin scar especially hurt. I might sleep with the Mepitac on it tonight like I was doing last week. I took two Tylenol at 5AM but I don't think they helped much. Also very tender in front of my ears/lower cheeks. Something set me off for sure! If it's not better tomorrow morning, I will call Dr. Harley's office and see what they advise. Meanwhile, I will take more Tylenol and eat blueberries and try to have a restful Sunday.
All my best to everyone who is recovering along with me. Shows how easy it can be to take a step backward, but I'm still confident that forward progress will continue! I'm attaching a pic of my chin scar from three days ago. Still red and raised but it was only at 2 weeks post at that point. Ear scars looking much better although I have a feeling of fullness inside my right ear all the time. I'm sure that will diminish as well. Thanks for reading and commenting on my journey so far, ladies! ;)

Sorry for the lack of updates, but recovery is chugging along so no worries! I had my sutures out on Wednesday, June 1, exactly a week after the procedure. Kelly did a fast and fantastic job of removing them. One behind my ear was being a little stubborn and needed an extra tug, but it was over in no time. Kelly also said I did a great job with cleaning the incisions (no sign of infection) and then Dr. Harley checked them out and he agreed! After getting a little more after-care advice, I was good to go. Made sure to tell Juanita goodbye before I left - she was the first person I spoke to in order to get the ball rolling and I wanted to end my Asheville experience with her smiling face! =)

Folks, I can't emphasize the importance of following their post-surgery instructions to the letter. They will give you a two-page handout to take home the morning of the procedure itself. You're going to be drowsy and out of it when you leave, so make sure your ride gets it back with you and keep it close by your side until you know it by heart! =) I didn't use the medical visit service (forgot the name, sorry!) because I was staying with friends, so it was up to me to make sure I cleaned the incisions and took my medications as directed. One protip: don't use cotton balls when cleaning (that is per Kelly, the pro!) because they can snag on the sutures and make a big mess and possibly cause an infection. Also, until they come out, you really don't want to put anything on those sutures except the peroxide/water solution and the Bacitracin ointment. No makeup, no oils, no soap/shampoo etc.

The swelling has gone down a lot more and some of the feeling is coming back to the large numb areas in my jaws and cheeks next to my ears. Sometimes I get random twinges of pain (not severe, maybe a 3-4 out of 10) in my chin and under-jaw area, but that's the healing process at work. I left the silicone tape that Kelly put on my ears and chin on for four days. Now I have Mepitac on the incision sites unless I am showering. Taping is supposed to help the scarring because it reduces movement around the incision sites and keeps them nice and tight. I try to remember to keep my chin in a neutral position as much as possible and am still sleeping with the wedge pillow to keep my head up and reduce overnight swelling.

I've been working from home since the procedure so none of my coworkers have seen me yet (they don't know I had anything done and they don't need to know, haha!). For the last four days, I have been taking 30 minute afternoon walks down my street. Passed one of my neighbors and saw her kind of peering at my face like "hmm, she looks different somehow" but if she was wondering, she didn't say anything, haha! My husband's friends were over last night and none of them commented either, but they are guys so...yeah. The main thing is that *I* can see a big difference now and I am so happy with my new chin and jaw! For months before the procedure, every time I looked in the bathroom mirror, I had the compulsion to pull my slack skin up to see how much better my face would look. Now I don't have to do that anymore - it's all nice and tight, yeah!

I woke up about 30 minutes ago and still feel kind of bleary-eyed, so no pics for now. Before/after pics will follow, I promise. Quick summary: feel great, look great, so flippin' happy I did this! And oh yeah, I miss Asheville and the lovely people at Dr. Harley's office. What an amazing, life-changing experience it all was. I would do it all again without question or hesitation. Whoohoo!

Today is Sunday and I get the sutures removed on Wednesday, so just a few more days to go and then I can drive back home. The swelling in my upper face is better today. I'm putting up one pic I took this morning of the yellow bruising down the front of my neck. Seems to be par for the course for almost everyone at this stage. It didn't stop me from going out for a brief time to Whole Paycheck (oops, I mean Whole Foods) and getting some unsweetened almond milk and protein powder. I also checked out a great antique/artsy-craftsy store called the Screen Door, which is less than 10 minutes north of Dr. Harley's office. Cool place! If anybody noticed the sutures or bruising, I couldn't tell. People here are very polite but also good at minding their business, it seems! Didn't ice today (it makes the swollen sites VERY painful), but am still taking the antibiotics and cleaning with the water/peroxide mix and of course putting on the Bacitracin faithfully. As with yesterday, no need for the pain pills prescribed. Just tylenol every six hours or so to help with the pulled tight feeling under my ears and chin. I have to remember not to lower my chin, too, but if I tilt my head too high it pulls under my jaw pretty sharply. So I try to look straight ahead as much as possible. By the way, the friend that I am staying with while I heal has turned from a skeptic to a total believer in Dr. Harley's skills. The first night when I had the compression bandage on and was in all that pain, she was almost mocking me, saying things like "Is it worth it from all agony you're going through?" and "I don't think you needed plastic surgery" etc. It kind of irked me, but I stayed quiet -- no energy to argue with her! Well, this morning, she took a closer look at my face and said, "Wow, I really do see a huge difference in your jawline today. It's never looked so smooth in all the years I've known you." HA!