I've Wanted to "Do my Eyes" for at Least Ten Years... - Chicago, IL

So, to recap - an upper & lower blepharoplasty in June. It was supposed to be immediately followed by a Fractional CO2 laser to tighten and eliminate any scarring. I had to postpone the laser because of a funeral, and did it after Labor Day. Also in June, I had some fat injected in my marionette lines - which caused me the greatest issues (in my opinion.) I definitely have some asymmetries (as I did before surgery) and don't photograph the same (before surgery I looked better in smiling photos, worse in non-smiling photos) -- but, I am looking pretty darn good for a 56 year old.

I swelled up far more than I expected, and the puffiness in and around my eyes and cheeks and jaw took a long time to go away. I looked like a normal person fairly quickly, but it took much, much longer to look like myself.

My doctor, Dr. Karol Gutowski, was amazing. Very attentive, immediately responsive via text or email, and talked me down from angst more times than I can mention. His usual advice was to wait for healing, but if (issue of the moment) didn't get better --- he would fix it. I have no plans, at this point, to fix anything.

Would I do it again? The eyes in a heartbeat. The fat injections, I'm not sure - but I am content regardless.

Dr. G sent me a copy of my pre-surgery photo vs. one taken after three months before a Fractional CO2 laser. I can't believe how unhappy/unpleasant I look in the before photo. I wasn't. I felt happy, and value kindness. I likely was worried though...

In any case, a Fractional CO2 was always part of the plan but it had to be delayed because of a death in my family.

For what it's worth, my eyes swelled up again with the laser. It is clear to me now that I will likely always swell more than I anticipate. I text a lot of "is this okay?" Photos to the doctor. He assures me I will be okay, and that if not he will fix it.

Truly, time is what is needed most. Not only does it take time to heal, you're going t look worse before you look better. The hardest part for me was when I didn't feel as though I looked like myself.

Now I do look like myself, just a better version. Yay!

Things are beginning to resolve now. Most of the little asymmetries, oddities, are gone. I am still a bit swollen in some areas (after more than two months!) but I look better than before surgery - for sure.

It helps to know I can fix things that don't get resolved, or so I believed, but I'd rather not have to.

I have one final treatment in a month- CO2 laser for the fine wrinkles and a scar. I am also using a skin system that is shockingly evening out my skin tone, and helping to prevent hyper pigmentation. I can already see a big difference. The product line is Obagi.