Swollen .... 2 Week Recovery a Joke! - Birmingham, England

I'm now nearly 3 weeks post op from a MACS face lift, fat grafting to temples and lower bleph. Although the bruising has nearly gone I'm still swollen like an alien and my whole face is extremely tender and stiff. I had the procedure as jowls and baggy eyes are hereditary in my family and I wanted to stave this off before my 50th birthday next year. I think that eventually the results will be good overall but I wish I had researched more forums/blogs about the real recovery time. The often quoted '2 weeks' is a joke. and if I was working I can only imagine that I'd have to take at least an additional month of leave before I feel well and confident enough to return. I'm lucky enough to be able to hide away for a bit longer though some of my friends are beginning to think I've fallen out with them! Tto be fair, my PS did say that 2 weeks in her view was the minimum and that most patients take quite a bit longer to look 'OK' and not frighten small children and animals! lol The first 48 hours was horrendous with my face encased in a pressure bandage (which looked a bit like gimp mask!). The swelling was forcing my lips out so I resembled Bart Simpson (after he had been run over by a truck). Pros.... I think the facelift results will eventually be good and I can see my jaw-line is 10 times better than before. I have been eating really healthily to try and speed up the healing process - this has made me re-evaluate my whole approach to food and health which can only be a good thing :-) Cons.... swelling and discomfort going to take much longer than 2 weeks to diminish. I think a more realistic timescale to give patients is 4-6 weeks before they are likely to feel confident enough and well enough to do much. Not sure about the lower bleph yet. My eyes are currently asymetrical and look quite strange - I've been really panicking about this but I've read so many reviews that say just be patient and it will all settle down. Likewise with lumps, bumps and a couple of unsightly bands running up the side of my jaw! My PS is highly reputable and I see her in a week for a review so hopefully I'll get some reassurance from her. I also had fat grafting to my temples (one was really sunken from having a cyst removed a couple of years earlier). At this point I think it looks like its going to be a waste of money and that I would have been better with fillers. What I have learned is.... * Having elective cosmetic surgery can be a huge emotional roller coaster ... it's your face after all and if it goes wrong then you have to live with the fact that you chose to do this... scary place to be * The recovery process can be slow, painful and frustrating, even if you're normally a quick healer. As well as the discomfort etc, you have to learn to sleep upright on your back for a while (not easy). * I've learned its a good idea not to take such a casual approach to what is after all, a very invasive surgical procedure * I've learned that this is a great site for information, honesty (even if it's scary) and reassurance * My husband, daughters and the dog still love me even if my face resembles a satellite dish !! Would I do it again? Not sure... will update in a few weeks. May also post photos then if feeling more confident.