I hated my neck and jowls. I would look so droopy and tired in photos, especially after staying up late working on wedding cakes for friends etc. I had looked great for my age until the last few years. I decided to go to Thailand because I had come across the groups that take people there in groups. After much research, I decided to take leave from work and do it now. Surgery in Bangkok has gone up in cost in the last couple of years, but even with air fares, nursing care, insurance etc, it was probably still cheaper for all the things I had done. I was also more comfortable with going to a hospital for 2 nights and not just in a doctor's rooms.I did book through Health Care Hands and had their nurses come for a week. They gave me a phone, so I had contact when needed. It was also good to be escorted to appointments. The Ad Lib hotel is a 3 minute walk from Bumrungrad, and was very nice, but it is not just for HCH patients, so a little misleading. However, there were 6 other Aussies there who had surgeries, so that was reassuring too.It has been over 4 months since my procedures. I am reasonably happy with the outcome.
It was a good place to get away from family and friends as I did not tell people I was having this done. I stayed a total of 14 days. I also had a tooth whitening at the BICD, a checkup, clean, scan for an implant and a couple of fillings replaced before FL.(This could not be done after FL.) I will go back for implant and bone graft. They advised me against it before FL. Much better service than in Australia. The Zoom was long and difficult, looked great for a few weeks, but doesn't last.Dr Nond has a good website, and be aware that he can be very slow to respond, but will eventually. Not for someone in a major hurry. Dr. Nond gave me email addresses for a couple of patients in Australia when I was considering this. I enjoyed talking to them. I also sent messages to a couple of ladies here on RS. There is one man on here who was unhappy with Dr Nond. I could see through that. Dr Nond's website has an explanation, but I also feel that things can go wrong, so I bought the Insurance, I think it was over$600. You never know if they would really pay up. I was more concerned about getting ill and needing to be evacuated to Australia. I did not intend to get the forehead lift, but thought it may pull up my brow that sags because I squint. I have dry-eyes so I did not get upper eyes done.I was worried about tear glands. Might have that done one day. But I did have quite a delay for the lower bleph and the sagging eyelids to come back up. They are much better now and eyes are loosening up. I think it will take a full year to see complete changes and for all numbness to resolve itself. I had deep muscle work and the brow lift was endoscopic so there was extensive bruising and swelling. The forehead lift has not completely corrected my sagging right eyebrow inner corner. I should still get a little botox in that centre brow to bring it up. i used arnica after, Hirudoid ointment and a little 1% cortisone cream.I love my neck and jowls. My right cheek has a slight pulled look. That is the side where I am missing 2 molars but seems to be gradually improving. The tooth implant will probably help to strengthen that side.I had more problems with my lower Bleph, because of age, dry eye and previous attack of shingles in eye. I really didn't know that this was a common side effect and I was terrified of permanent issues.
Five months later, my advice for bleph problems-
1.See if you can get 'Visco tears' gel made by Novartis in Germany. The best, but must be reapplied. Single dose is best, but don't scratch eyes with plastic vial. No preservatives and long lasting.
2. calm eyes with a wet and melting icecube in wet tissue. Keep them closed, rested -don't look at screens or books too much. (I probably wouldn't use Thai ice unless made with bottled water)
3.eat low salt diet. Difficult in Thailand. But helps if you really avoid snack foods, soy sauce etc. Even now, I try to keep salt down, helps cheeks and eyes.
4. I found it helpful to make a little sling from narrow tape (medi tape, light and almost paper-like, or a bandaid cut in half lengthwise) stretching from mid-cheek to opposite eyebrow. Lightly pulling up the sagging eye. It rested the dryness. Hard to explain- It goes across the bridge of the nose and doesn't block your eye sight. tape eye at the sides with gentle tape See this tape pic- on the outside, but same idea.
5. Last resort, get the steroid, cortisone drops (FML) and also rub on eyelids. (but these shouldn't be used for too long)Hope this helps, my lower eyes are good now after 3months, better at 4months.I found St.Louis hospital clean and well priced. Not as 5 star as Bumrungrad, but good. Thais were sweet and polite. The stitching on my ears and eyes is tiny and disappeared in days, not like some of the rough stitching in the pics on here. My earlobes are a little strange, but not a major issue as no one seems to notice. I couldn't get away with saying nothing because I look so different so did need to tell people at work that I had had some eye surgery, I had December and January off. I could not have returned in 2 or 3 weeks. I find some pictures on here quite suspicious as people have no swelling or issues.This was not really a holiday. I did a little shopping and sightseeing, but very tiring. Take a good long scarf to wrap neck and head. Take unsalted snacks that are easy to eat, icepacks. I used the sky train and trusted hotel to get good taxi, or go to hospital taxi stands.I decided to do this before I retired, as I might not bother once 65 and retired. I will post some pics soon when I edit full face. The price of being modest
It was a good place to get away from family and friends as I did not tell people I was having this done. I stayed a total of 14 days. I also had a tooth whitening at the BICD, a checkup, clean, scan for an implant and a couple of fillings replaced before FL.(This could not be done after FL.) I will go back for implant and bone graft. They advised me against it before FL. Much better service than in Australia. The Zoom was long and difficult, looked great for a few weeks, but doesn't last.Dr Nond has a good website, and be aware that he can be very slow to respond, but will eventually. Not for someone in a major hurry. Dr. Nond gave me email addresses for a couple of patients in Australia when I was considering this. I enjoyed talking to them. I also sent messages to a couple of ladies here on RS. There is one man on here who was unhappy with Dr Nond. I could see through that. Dr Nond's website has an explanation, but I also feel that things can go wrong, so I bought the Insurance, I think it was over$600. You never know if they would really pay up. I was more concerned about getting ill and needing to be evacuated to Australia. I did not intend to get the forehead lift, but thought it may pull up my brow that sags because I squint. I have dry-eyes so I did not get upper eyes done.I was worried about tear glands. Might have that done one day. But I did have quite a delay for the lower bleph and the sagging eyelids to come back up. They are much better now and eyes are loosening up. I think it will take a full year to see complete changes and for all numbness to resolve itself. I had deep muscle work and the brow lift was endoscopic so there was extensive bruising and swelling. The forehead lift has not completely corrected my sagging right eyebrow inner corner. I should still get a little botox in that centre brow to bring it up. i used arnica after, Hirudoid ointment and a little 1% cortisone cream.I love my neck and jowls. My right cheek has a slight pulled look. That is the side where I am missing 2 molars but seems to be gradually improving. The tooth implant will probably help to strengthen that side.I had more problems with my lower Bleph, because of age, dry eye and previous attack of shingles in eye. I really didn't know that this was a common side effect and I was terrified of permanent issues.
Five months later, my advice for bleph problems-
1.See if you can get 'Visco tears' gel made by Novartis in Germany. The best, but must be reapplied. Single dose is best, but don't scratch eyes with plastic vial. No preservatives and long lasting.
2. calm eyes with a wet and melting icecube in wet tissue. Keep them closed, rested -don't look at screens or books too much. (I probably wouldn't use Thai ice unless made with bottled water)
3.eat low salt diet. Difficult in Thailand. But helps if you really avoid snack foods, soy sauce etc. Even now, I try to keep salt down, helps cheeks and eyes.
4. I found it helpful to make a little sling from narrow tape (medi tape, light and almost paper-like, or a bandaid cut in half lengthwise) stretching from mid-cheek to opposite eyebrow. Lightly pulling up the sagging eye. It rested the dryness. Hard to explain- It goes across the bridge of the nose and doesn't block your eye sight. tape eye at the sides with gentle tape See this tape pic- on the outside, but same idea.
5. Last resort, get the steroid, cortisone drops (FML) and also rub on eyelids. (but these shouldn't be used for too long)Hope this helps, my lower eyes are good now after 3months, better at 4months.I found St.Louis hospital clean and well priced. Not as 5 star as Bumrungrad, but good. Thais were sweet and polite. The stitching on my ears and eyes is tiny and disappeared in days, not like some of the rough stitching in the pics on here. My earlobes are a little strange, but not a major issue as no one seems to notice. I couldn't get away with saying nothing because I look so different so did need to tell people at work that I had had some eye surgery, I had December and January off. I could not have returned in 2 or 3 weeks. I find some pictures on here quite suspicious as people have no swelling or issues.This was not really a holiday. I did a little shopping and sightseeing, but very tiring. Take a good long scarf to wrap neck and head. Take unsalted snacks that are easy to eat, icepacks. I used the sky train and trusted hotel to get good taxi, or go to hospital taxi stands.I decided to do this before I retired, as I might not bother once 65 and retired. I will post some pics soon when I edit full face. The price of being modest
