Ready to find myself and my face! Baltimore, MD

I'm ready! Tuesday marks the day I find myself again! I want to thank everyone here on Real Self for being so brave and kind in sharing your journeys and pics. If thats not the portrait of strong, courageous women, then I don't know what one is! You have all answered my endless questions and addressed my fears one by one, whether you've known it or not, so thank you! All the tips, tears, trials and revisions I have read about have helped me infinitely. I'm nervous, of course, but in reading each personal adventure I feel more and more confident, and More importantly informed. So, I will try and return the favor.

I'm 61 and I'm having an endoscopic brow lift, SMAS lift and fat grafting under eyes and cheeks. Also a TCA 35% peel under my eyes. I worry most about the fat grafting under the eyes. Will it be lumpy, will there be enough fat grafted, and will it take? Will I have to do this again?! I am confident, this is only anxiety, but hey I'm human. Intellectualizing and feelings are sometimes quite separate. I'll be fine.

I am taking supplements like its my job. Arnica, bromelain, vitamins A, B6, C; Zinc, and Milk Thistle (for the anesthesia) and a fiber vitamin gummy. I will be having surgery in a hospital and spending the night. I would have liked to have forgone the hospital, but my doc does not do extensive surgeries in his office. I've had many oral surgeries under twilight and it was perfectly fine. But this is the way it will be and it will be easier to stay the night, as I am about 40 minutes away. Traffic in this area can be heavy and the drains can be removed before I come home.

I took some pics to send to my PS and he told me to stop taking and pics of myself lol! I am not photogenic at all. I think my personality makes my friends not see my turkey neck, hollowed cheeks and droopy eyes. But when you walk and feel your neck swaying in the wind, it's time! What am I waiting for? 70? Oh hell no! Let's go!

See you on the flip side! Wish me luck!

Have to be at the hospital at 6:00 am, surgery not until 7:30.
How did I prepare?
Bought some awesome soups, I'll make some refried black beans
Fruit Popsicles, no sugar added, the Outshine brand are delicious. Probably won't be hungry for a few days. Anything I need my husband will get for me. Any reason for him to take the motorcycle out!
Tons of ice compresses
Got the old WaterPik out, not flossing will be awful for me.
Some organic chocolate meal replacements with 20 grams protein, for breakfast. Yuck! Just tried it, not happening!
Hoodies and button downs
Aquaphor for the TCA peel under eyes only
Meds for after: Xanax, Percocet, Advil, antiobiotic, probiotic
Arnica 30c pills and arnica cream for bruising. Wish I had known about vitamin K sooner, sounds like a very good bruise banisher (if I don't need the pain meds I won't take them, I hate that feeling. Took a Xanax 2 days ago and still feel like a space cadet!
Vitamin and mineral line up for after: Milk Thistle, C, A, COQ10, B6, D, Bromelain, Probiotic. How am I going to swallow these if I can't eat lol! Oh well, ASAP.
Cute infinity scarves and yoga pants; sunglasses
Stuff for my green smoothies I make in my vitamix, kale, cucumbers, parsley, lemon, coconut water,chia and flax seeds, bananas and/or avocados.
One big, fat comfy Lazy boy parked in front of the big screen and next to the kitchen and not far from the bathroom. (I sound like I'm living my son's Dream lol!)
A bell to call my husband - NOT! I'll just Skype him from my iPad ;) (he works upstairs). I work downstairs. Downtown Abbeyish ;)

I'm sure I have forgotten so many things, but I'll just look it up here, on Real Self!

Well, 6 days actually. I didn't have the best experience with the anesthesia, but other than that I don't really have any complaints. The pain is minimal, I never took the pain meds. Just the ones in the hospital which I regret. I suffered from nausea and headaches, however the actual procedure was very easy, thanks to my wonderful PS Dr. Schuester.

I used the arnica on the skin, the tabs under the tongue, the peroxide antibiotic ointment on the stitches and took two showers everyday to clean and reapply. All my incisions were done in a very precise way.

I am still very swollen, for sure, but I can tell I will love the result. The hardest thing for me was finding something to eat! I could not really chew much and was trying to avoid salt, so I was drinking kefir, a yogurt drink, eating papaya, chia seed rice pudding, very bland things. I lost about three pounds I was so hungry, but everyday I add more food. I did suffer a small case of gerd from the anesthesia so eating mac and cheese didn't do this body any good. Too fat. Plus I have been leading a mostly vegetarian, dairy free diet beforehand so adding back in the dairy kind of backfired except for the kefir. Should have picked up some protein shakes, because I really didn't want to do much but watch HGTV marathons. Reading didn't go well with my headache from the anesthesia.

Got all stitches out today, Thursday the staples, then I guess it will be two more weeks of laying low to reduce the swelling and the waiting for the under eye TCA peel to slough off, then I'll venture out.

I work at home, so tomorrow I will be doing so major catching up. I'll post the pics as they happened. I didn't take too many, but at least one per day.

So far, so good!