45 Years Old: Time for a Tune-up - Greenville, SC

I am 45 years old. Recently, I have begun to notice my face becoming lax, especially around the mouth and jawline. Many of my older female relatives have quite heavy jowls, so I know it's just a matter of time for me :)

I've never had any problem with the idea of plastic surgery - although I had always thought I would wait until at least my fifties. However, I've read a number of medical articles that suggest facelifts done in the mid-to-late forties have higher rates of patient satisfaction. So I made the decision to have the procedure this year - and hopefully have many years to enjoy the results.

I am having a facelift and neck lift: nothing done to the eyes at this point, since my upper and lower eyelids are still in pretty good shape.

I visited Dr. Graham's office last fall and was impressed with his surgical background, his personal surgical suite, and his staff. He was honest about what the procedure would and would not accomplish. He stressed that my face would continue to age after the lift and that I might need additional work to maintain the results in 10-15 years' time. There was definitely no hard sell: just a realistic description of the procedure, the expected healing time, and the likely results. Dr. Graham has excellent credentials and has been the chairman of plastic surgery at both of our area hospitals, so I feel that I am in good hands.

I have decided to take my best friend with me on the day of the surgery. My husband is supportive of my decision - but I still think that he would be pretty upset by my appearance right afterwards with all the drains and dressings. So my girlfriend and I will stay at a nearby hotel for a couple days immediately afterward until the worst of the swelling has passed. I love my husband, but I am pretty sure he would say things like "You look terrible - Is that normal?! Are you sure you did the right thing?" And I don't need that!

I am definitely nervous about the surgery: I mean, who wouldn't be, right? Fortunately I am super-busy at work right now, so I hardly have time to think about it. There's even a little part of me that is looking forward to taking 2 weeks off work to finally rest :) But I won't kid myself: this is real surgery and there will be plenty of ups and downs during the healing process.

I am really grateful to the other ladies on Real Self who have shared their photos and stories. You have given me the courage to take this step and to see past the first rough post-surgery days to the final end result. So I am excited to pay it back by sharing my journey with you.

Today I met with the surgical nurse who walked me through everything that would happen on the day of the operation. I must say that all the staff at Dr. Graham's office are very helpful and kind -- it makes a big difference when you are feeling nervous!

We reviewed all the prescriptions I would need to fill: antibiotics, Celebrex, anti-nausea meds, pills for pain, etc. There was an antibiotic ointment for the sutures and special gauze pads to wear under the compression garment. She also recommended that I pick up some Arnica tablets for bruising.

They will send me home with a special wedge pillow to elevate my head... We will see what my cats think of that -- they will probably want to sleep on it immediately!

I'm also scheduled for lymphatic drainage massages several times after the surgery to assist with swelling.

Only 9 more days - eek! It's kind of hard to believe. I am trying to stay focused on work in order to keep my nerves at bay.... But I can't help but spend more and more time on this site following everyone else's experiences.

Had a great experience today with Dr. Graham and his surgical staff. I'll write more when I am rested, but just wanted everyone to know that the surgery went well!

My surgery buddy Tamara changed the drain like a champ, too! My husband would have been out on a stretcher lol :)

No pain at the moment - just stiffness and tightness.