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Take a Look!
It has been one year from my surgery. In these photos, I was outside and I am not wearing any make-up. Making the decision to have surgery was not easy, but I want to tell you that I am still “delighted” and am “aging” well. Remember I did this for myself - I wanted to look a little closer on the outside to how I felt inside. Thank you to all who have commented. To borrow from Oprah - “Live your best life!"
Delighted!
I thought about a facelift for a number of years and now that I’ve had one, I’m so happy I took the big step! Yes, for me at Age 69, it was a big step. Those of you close in age to me who are reading this know what I mean - general anesthesia, complications, do I really need this at my age, people will think I’m crazy, what if it gets botched etc. And then add in that I wanted to go to Costa Rica for the procedure - language, medical system, Covid, recovery, returning home on an airplane etc. I am here to tell you that it was worth it! I feel better about myself, I feel that my exterior matches my interior more closely, and I feel good about spending time and money on myself. The benefits of a facelift are not all external.
My expectations were exceeded under the care of Dr. Alejandro Lev. He is a skilled surgeon, a humble man, a kind practitioner, a funny man and an honest man. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start from my initial inquiry to Dr. Lev through the United States website - EternallyVain.com. I sent photos as requested and received a response, including an estimate of the cost. It was suggested that I needed work done on my eyes, face and neck. I was not in total agreement with the doctor’s initial suggestion. So, while on a visit to Costa Rica, I had a consultation with Dr. Lev and he revised my surgery plan to lower face and neck only. When I met him, I immediately liked his professionalism, his honesty (you don’t need work done around your eyes) and his ability to put me at ease. I tend to make snap decisions about my ability to work with physicians, and whether to place my trust in them. Dr. Lev passed my gut test! I was easily able to talk with him about my concerns.I returned to the U.S. and asked my daughters and some close friends what they thought about this whole thing. Surprisingly, no one was against it. I made a surgery appointment for June 15! I was so excited and so nervous. I arrived at the home which would be my recovery place. This is another story in itself, but suffice it to say, I would not stay there again and it has been removed from Dr. Lev’s website. My surgery was scheduled for the following day at 6:30 AM. I was picked up by a driver arranged by the recovery home and taken to the Surgery Center. I chose the Surgery Center and not the hospital for two reasons - Cost and Covid 19. Please always remember - you are not in the United States. If you are expecting someplace snazzy to have your surgery, this is not for you. The Surgery Center does not look like a great place to have plastic surgery, but let me assure you, it is. Although the appearance is stark and dated, the work done within by Dr. Lev and his anesthesiologist, who is also an MD and has been working for Dr.Lev for many years, is outstanding. You will spend the night at the Surgery Center with two nurses. After Dr. Lev checks you in the morning, you will return to your bed at the recovery place you’ve chosen. I felt great until a few hours later when all the pain meds wore off. You will have a tight band around your head which I can’t say is painful, but it is uncomfortable. Just take your meds and stay in bed and rest. I had a little lunch of pureed soup and went straight back to bed. Some people suggest to drink everything through a straw because you can’t open your mouth very wide. I followed that advice and it was bad for me. I didn’t realize that every time I took a sip of anything, I was first inhaling a bunch of air before the liquid. I ended up with a tummy ache of major proportions which abated not long after I stopped using the straw! Unrelated to the straw, I was also very nauseous which was promptly cured with medication. Stay in bed and rest!My surgery was on Tuesday; the tight band was removed on Thursday. The worst two days were Wednesday and Thursday and THAT’S IT! YOU CAN SURVIVE EASILY. I highly recommend rest, rest, rest. You are there to recover. I stayed in my room and read or slept. By Friday I was feeling great, but I had read many other women’s advice about REST and decided I had invested a lot of time, energy and money in this endeavor and I was going to rest. On Friday morning, I managed to do a little Tai Chi to get things moving in my body and mind. Although I felt 100%, I sure wasn’t. I lasted 7 minutes in Tai Chi! After surgery you will probably be constipated. Bring and take something for this as you will feel much better after.The small bandage that was left on Thursday, was removed on Friday. I was told I could wash my hair (and all the dried blood out of my hair) but I decided to wait one more day and I’m glad I did. It takes a long time - more than a week - to get all the blood out. Don’t rush it. I put lots of conditioner in and just massaged my hair. I slept with conditioner in my hair. You’ll understand more when you try and get the blood out!Heed this advice: prepare yourself both mentally and physically for this serious surgery. For a month before surgery, I did not drink alcohol, I really watched my diet and fortunately, I don’t smoke. I gave myself a pep talk, I practiced yoga and Tai Chi and I really tried to relax the day before. If you can, give yourself a few days before surgery if you’re flying in. You want to go into surgery in good physical and mental health.Post surgery: rest, hydrate, rest, don’t go to the dentist (go before your surgery), don’t go on a tour, rest, take lots of photos of yourself, revel in your new look, rest. I recovered quickly in my opinion. I stayed at the recovery home for a total of 9 days (7 after my surgery) and then went to a friend’s house for 2 weeks more before I returned to the United States. The extra time I spent in Costa Rica is not necessary. Dr. Lev suggests 2 weeks after surgery. I was fortunate to have a friend to stay with and I also visited Dr Lev a few times during my extended stay. Although Dr Lev had expected significant bruising due to my skin color, I had minimal bruising - just a little yellow around my neck. I attribute my recovery to my preparation before surgery and to my strict rule of resting after surgery. Remember, everyone is different. You will receive specific instructions on how to (not) move your head. Follow them!I didn’t realize I wouldn’t be able to lift things after my surgery. I had a pretty heavy backpack so decided to buy a rolling carryon to replace it. To avoid constipation, bring Ducolax or your preferred medication and take it. I absolutely relied on my travel pillow. I slept somewhat inclined after surgery for about two weeks. The neck pillow stopped me from turning onto my face. Bring clothes that go over your head easily or button up the front. Bring a big hat to protect your face from the sun and to look really cool. Bring sun block.You deserve to treat yourself like you would treat your best friend. Pamper yourself, indulge in a piece of chocolate or ice cream, wear those pj’s you love, bring comfy slippers, and bring anything you use to amuse yourself when you spend the day in bed. Put your trust in Dr. Lev and I can assure you, your surgery will go well and you will love what you look like.
My expectations were exceeded under the care of Dr. Alejandro Lev. He is a skilled surgeon, a humble man, a kind practitioner, a funny man and an honest man. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start from my initial inquiry to Dr. Lev through the United States website - EternallyVain.com. I sent photos as requested and received a response, including an estimate of the cost. It was suggested that I needed work done on my eyes, face and neck. I was not in total agreement with the doctor’s initial suggestion. So, while on a visit to Costa Rica, I had a consultation with Dr. Lev and he revised my surgery plan to lower face and neck only. When I met him, I immediately liked his professionalism, his honesty (you don’t need work done around your eyes) and his ability to put me at ease. I tend to make snap decisions about my ability to work with physicians, and whether to place my trust in them. Dr. Lev passed my gut test! I was easily able to talk with him about my concerns.I returned to the U.S. and asked my daughters and some close friends what they thought about this whole thing. Surprisingly, no one was against it. I made a surgery appointment for June 15! I was so excited and so nervous. I arrived at the home which would be my recovery place. This is another story in itself, but suffice it to say, I would not stay there again and it has been removed from Dr. Lev’s website. My surgery was scheduled for the following day at 6:30 AM. I was picked up by a driver arranged by the recovery home and taken to the Surgery Center. I chose the Surgery Center and not the hospital for two reasons - Cost and Covid 19. Please always remember - you are not in the United States. If you are expecting someplace snazzy to have your surgery, this is not for you. The Surgery Center does not look like a great place to have plastic surgery, but let me assure you, it is. Although the appearance is stark and dated, the work done within by Dr. Lev and his anesthesiologist, who is also an MD and has been working for Dr.Lev for many years, is outstanding. You will spend the night at the Surgery Center with two nurses. After Dr. Lev checks you in the morning, you will return to your bed at the recovery place you’ve chosen. I felt great until a few hours later when all the pain meds wore off. You will have a tight band around your head which I can’t say is painful, but it is uncomfortable. Just take your meds and stay in bed and rest. I had a little lunch of pureed soup and went straight back to bed. Some people suggest to drink everything through a straw because you can’t open your mouth very wide. I followed that advice and it was bad for me. I didn’t realize that every time I took a sip of anything, I was first inhaling a bunch of air before the liquid. I ended up with a tummy ache of major proportions which abated not long after I stopped using the straw! Unrelated to the straw, I was also very nauseous which was promptly cured with medication. Stay in bed and rest!My surgery was on Tuesday; the tight band was removed on Thursday. The worst two days were Wednesday and Thursday and THAT’S IT! YOU CAN SURVIVE EASILY. I highly recommend rest, rest, rest. You are there to recover. I stayed in my room and read or slept. By Friday I was feeling great, but I had read many other women’s advice about REST and decided I had invested a lot of time, energy and money in this endeavor and I was going to rest. On Friday morning, I managed to do a little Tai Chi to get things moving in my body and mind. Although I felt 100%, I sure wasn’t. I lasted 7 minutes in Tai Chi! After surgery you will probably be constipated. Bring and take something for this as you will feel much better after.The small bandage that was left on Thursday, was removed on Friday. I was told I could wash my hair (and all the dried blood out of my hair) but I decided to wait one more day and I’m glad I did. It takes a long time - more than a week - to get all the blood out. Don’t rush it. I put lots of conditioner in and just massaged my hair. I slept with conditioner in my hair. You’ll understand more when you try and get the blood out!Heed this advice: prepare yourself both mentally and physically for this serious surgery. For a month before surgery, I did not drink alcohol, I really watched my diet and fortunately, I don’t smoke. I gave myself a pep talk, I practiced yoga and Tai Chi and I really tried to relax the day before. If you can, give yourself a few days before surgery if you’re flying in. You want to go into surgery in good physical and mental health.Post surgery: rest, hydrate, rest, don’t go to the dentist (go before your surgery), don’t go on a tour, rest, take lots of photos of yourself, revel in your new look, rest. I recovered quickly in my opinion. I stayed at the recovery home for a total of 9 days (7 after my surgery) and then went to a friend’s house for 2 weeks more before I returned to the United States. The extra time I spent in Costa Rica is not necessary. Dr. Lev suggests 2 weeks after surgery. I was fortunate to have a friend to stay with and I also visited Dr Lev a few times during my extended stay. Although Dr Lev had expected significant bruising due to my skin color, I had minimal bruising - just a little yellow around my neck. I attribute my recovery to my preparation before surgery and to my strict rule of resting after surgery. Remember, everyone is different. You will receive specific instructions on how to (not) move your head. Follow them!I didn’t realize I wouldn’t be able to lift things after my surgery. I had a pretty heavy backpack so decided to buy a rolling carryon to replace it. To avoid constipation, bring Ducolax or your preferred medication and take it. I absolutely relied on my travel pillow. I slept somewhat inclined after surgery for about two weeks. The neck pillow stopped me from turning onto my face. Bring clothes that go over your head easily or button up the front. Bring a big hat to protect your face from the sun and to look really cool. Bring sun block.You deserve to treat yourself like you would treat your best friend. Pamper yourself, indulge in a piece of chocolate or ice cream, wear those pj’s you love, bring comfy slippers, and bring anything you use to amuse yourself when you spend the day in bed. Put your trust in Dr. Lev and I can assure you, your surgery will go well and you will love what you look like.
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