I Couldn't Be More Excited To Be On This Journey! - Guilford, CT

My husband asked me what I wanted for my 35th anniversary present and I said (half jokingly and half dead serious) plastic surgery. To my surprise and delight he said "you got it". I am 63, active and fit, but for the last year I've really noticed the aging process progressing and making me feel self conscious . I've never had a problem with being photographed until recently when I now want more distance between me and the camera. Close ups don't lie! I am a medical professional and so is my husband. He recommended a board certified plastic surgeon with an excellent reputation who was a former President of the CT State Medical Society and President of the CT Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. His resume also included graduating first in his class at Penn State as well as a Chief Residencies in Surgery and Plastic Surgery at Yale. The icing on the cake is that he volunteers to travel to third word countries to operate on children with deformities. Yup, I guess he can handle some loose skin on my neck and lower face. LOL! The first obstacle was getting an appointment for a consult and that required a wait of several months. This doctor doesn't advertise and I've not seen anything about him on RS, but it intrigued me even more that he is so in demand.
The day of my consult finally arrived and I confidently informed the doctor that I was seeking a mini face lift. He examined my skin carefully and then explained that he would certainly be willing to perform that lift, but he felt that a mini or "weekend lift" would not adequately address the complaints that I have with my neck and that the results would not be as long lasting. He asked me to not make a decision right then, but to think about the difference in recovery and down time and his assistant would call me with the price differences between mini and full lift and the decision would be up to me. There was no attempt to sell me on additional procedures such as peels or laser treatments and I really appreciated that. 24 hours later I called the office and informed them of my decision to go with the full facelift. I am scheduled for June 29. I am very comfortable with the doctor and the procedure I chose.
I hesitated initially about the decision to document my journey on RS. I'm not ashamed that I've decided to proceed, but there is a part of me that feels guilty about spending so much money on self improvement. Like many others on RS have mentioned, I worry about being judged as overly vain and selfish. I have only told a couple of close friends and my darling daughter about my surgery. I know they will encourage and support me. I'll also be looking to the wonderful women that have paved the way on this website to provide excellent advise and support. I hope to pay it forward myself because I've found the experiences and the before and after photos of other RS women so invaluable and inspiring. And so the journey begins...

Today was my pre op visit. When I met with the PS I chose for the first time I had no idea that Realself.com even existed. I had done no research on the Internet and I couldn't have picked out a Platysmas in a police line up. Ha! What a newbie I was. Then I started perusing this site,and to be perfectly honest, I started spending my free time literally stalking complete strangers as they embarked on their plastic surgery journey. These gals were my new peeps even though they had no idea who I am or that I was fascinated by their posts. I arrived at my PS visit today armed with a full page of single spaced questions garnered from everything I learned from all of the amazing women who have gone before me. I am eternally grateful ladies!! If there is one thing I have learned so far it is that no two plastic surgeons are completely alike. Yes, there are standards of care that all good physicians adhere to, but when you are dealing with true artists, they each have their unique way of creating their canvas. For me the one non negotiable is that they must be board certified and have superior credentials and high marks on quality measuring sites such as Web MD. It is important to do that homework before you choose a surgeon and thankfully that I did do. So on to today's' pre op.... Shortly after I arrived in the waiting room I broke into a cold sweat and started second quessing my decision. Was I crazy? What was I getting myself into? Then I was given the consent forms and in no way did that lessen my anxiety. Seeing the worse case scenario on paper was scary even though the PS verbally explained all that to me at the first visit. All of the happiness and gleeful anticipation I'd been experiencing all last week dissipated. Fortunately the receptionist said that I wouldn't sign the forms until I met with the PS. He immediately calmed all my fears and answered every single one of my questions in the calmest, kindest manner. Whew! Game on. Here are a few of the answers to my questions, some of which surprised me:
He carefully individualizes every face lift because no 2 faces are alike.
He does a SMAS on every patient, and long scar or short scar depends on the patient, in my case he thought it would be a medium scar.
No staples, only sutures and they will be desolvable.
No chin incision. He can reach the neck without that incision and get the same result.
No tying the cords of the Platysmas, he moves them apart laterally and has a good result.
No to icing the face, it constricts blood vessels. It I were having my eyes done, which I am not, he would definitely want me to ice.
Yes to Arnica, tablets the week before surgery and cream after to bruised areas.
Again, every PS makes recommendations based on their preferences. There is no wrong or right, but I think it's important to follow what they want you to do during recovery.
I left the appointment today feeling positive and optimistic which is my nature. Now it's time to work on some pre photos. Oh, and he didn't say anything about not having any alcohol so I had a glass of wine with dinner. Cheers!

Where did the time go. I can't believe that Wednesday is the BIG DAY! I am madly trying to get everything ready for recovery. I purchased a wedge pillow, Arnica cream and tablets, a fresh pineapple and pure organic pineapple juice, soft foods like apple sauce and a soft toothbrush. I got my hair cut yesterday and have an apt. for color Tuesday night. Today I got a mani/pedi. I still feel like I am forgetting something. Any other suggestions?