I Feel Blessed! I Am 52 Years Old and Look 30 Years Old Thanks to Dr. Goodkind! - Branford, CT

Hi Kathi!
My post recovery went pretty well, I did have a lot of swelling and bruising but was able to cover bruises with make up by day 11, by day 14 I was at my birthday party in public. I did not have any real problems except large swollen lumps on my neck, that was the worst of it. I still have swelling in my face and lumps in my neck but not really noticeable if you don't know me. My face still has numbness but I expected that could go on for up to one year, it doesn't really bother me. I still get a bit tired here and there but it's been seven weeks and I started running around 11 days after surgery. You really need three weeks to rest and pamper yourself, then gradually move into going more. I left for a two week vacation on my fourth week to entertain 10 people a day in a rental house, it was too much. Just be gentle with yourself. This is a very big surgery, I was in surgery for 6 hours, outpatient. I had a face lift, neck lift, nose job and upper & lower lids done. I felt beat up for about a week was in bed. I did my research and had lengthy conversations with my doctor so I knew what the process would be. Dr. Goodkind is beyond fantastic, trust me when I say he was great in all aspects, my care and results are beyond my expectations. Total cost for all five procedures including my hospital fee, lab work and pre-op test were $21,000.00. I didn't think that was bad considering the amount of work I had done and my results are worth every penny. I wish you all the best with your procedures and hope everything goes as you expected. Should you need me during your recovery with questions please feel free to reach out.
Brenda

Thanks SO much for these details Brenda - very very helpful & appreciated. And you're right, the costs do seem reasonable for all that was done and where.
Bear with me- just a couple of more questions: was the face lift a lower lift only or a full face lift? you didn't have any drains? what prompted you to get a nose adjustment ..... (I am considering doing the same thing; my nose isn't particularly large and is without any bumps, but 'gravity' seems to be pulling it down, if thats possible!!! ) Last question: did you have someone to assist & take care of you during your recovery period? That is one of my primary concerns. I live alone - very strong & independent....but I want to be realistic.
When I had my gastric bypass in January I was able to manage on my own very well afterwords. But the aftercare wasn't complicated because it was a laproscopic procedure. Thanks for your patience!!! Kathi

Hi Kathi!
I had a lower face and neck lift, my brow is fine so I left that alone. I did have drains that were removed the following day by my doctor. It was painless and I really did nothing with them. When he removed them I didn't even feel it, just messy because it bleeds a bit. I had a bump on my nose from a sledding accident when I was a child, it wasn't horrible but ruined my profile. I just thought if I'm going through all this mines well finish it. My nose caused little to no pain, had s cast for a bit but it was pretty simple, just can't bump it for quite a long time. I've been pretty guarded with not getting bumped. I did have care from my husband for the first week, I needed it, especially for first three days I was bed ridden and had his 24 hour care. I felt dizzy, was vomitting, could barely walk, I pain and couldn't eat so I was a bit dehydrated as well. By day four I was out of bed and able to shower in my own and do a few things then rest. For the first few weeks you need to really take it easy, do a few things, then rest. I found if I did too much my face and neck would start swelling very quickly and I was very tired. I'm great today but still get swelling from too much exercise or a long walk. I'm pacing myself and allowing my body to heal as it needs to. Every person is different, we don't all heal the same way or at the same pace. Health, age and a lot of other things can play a factor as to the speed of your recovery. My best advice is expect 30 days to really pamper yourself and don't over do it and let your body tell you what it can and cannot do. I would suggest help for a minimum of 3 days and preferably 7 days.
Also get a housekeeper for 2
weeks. How long is your care for in CR? I see my seen my doctor, day 1, day 5, day 10, day 14, day 30, day 45, day 60, day 90, 6 months and one year. I've had a ton of questions and some complications with excessive swelling on my neck the first month that required drainage.
I would just be concerned with follow up care being long distance as you could have complications after your home. I had thought about surgery abroad but decided not to, as I was concerned with my aftercare and having my doctor close by.
I realize that all surgeries have the possibility of complications and permanent deformities, I was a nervous wreck before my surgery and really needed a lot of reassurance from my doctor that everything would go as we planned. Granted when I woke up I looked like I had been in a horrible car wreck but each day I got better and better! I am blessed that it actually came out better than I expected. So ask your doctor lots of questions, no question is nonsense, there's a lot that goes into this, you would hate to go through it all then it want what you wanted.
If you'd like, I can get you a list of everything you'll need at home for after surgery, as you'll be in the house for atleast 10-14 days.
Hope this helps!!!
Brenda

Hi Chris,
I had some goals but determined I needed more or changed how I was thinking after meeting with Dr. Goodkind, he was able to show me how changing certain aspects of my face would effect another. In the end we planned my surgery together. His expertise and creativity was amazing! I'm very glad that I had such a wonderful surgeon that was not only fantastic in the planning stages but also in perfecting my face and outstanding aftercare. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a doctor who truly cares about his patients and aims to give them what there looking for but keeping them natural looking. If I can help with anything else please reach out.
Brenda

Thank you! Im am very happy with my results! I hope your recovery and results are fantastic too! Good luck with everything!