Post-Op

Well, things are finally better as far as the pain and swelling issues. I still wake up really swollen in the mornings regardless of how hard I try to sleep upright and sometimes my chin strap slips off at night. But during the day, it usually goes away and isn't bothering me near as bad. The doctors office called me in some pain medication thankfully, but mentioned that if I was still in pain after this bottle was gone (10 pills) then they would have to remove the implant. I kinda feel like maybe they didn't believe me - like maybe they thought I was trying to score some pain meds (like I would have gone through all this if I was a junkie - please $4500 would probably buy a lot of drugs on the street if that was my thing! LOL) - but honestly I used to work in a physicians office and that has kind of jaded me because I know what it's like on the other side sometimes but I think it makes me paranoid. Hopefully that's not what they thought because I truly was hurting something fierce. I am just glad it has finally eased up some so that I can actually start feeling normal again. For those of your reading this though and might be worried about the pain - please keep in mind that not only did my doctors office seem very surprised that I was having the prolonged pain so obviously it must not be a common thing to happen to people - but I will be the first to admit I am a wuss when it comes to tolerance for pain so that probably played a part in how my experience was. Most people probably don't experience as much difficulty with the pain as I did. Lucky me, huh? LOL As far as how happy I am with my results so far, I am VERY happy. I am now over the pain and over analyzing a lot though - my left side is "looser" (don't know how else to describe it) than my right side on my jaw line. Like maybe there was more fat left behind on that side or the skin isn't tightening as well on that side. It's kinda worrying me but I'm going to bring it up to the doctor tomorrow (well later today) when I go. (I should be sleeping - but unfortunately all of this has messed up my hours and I couldn't fall asleep yet. I am dreading how tired I will be later today.) I still have a deep purple bruise on my chin toward the left side too that doesn't seem to be fading at all and make up doesn't cover it up all the way cause its too dark - reminds me of broken blood vessels. I am worried about how long that is going to stick around because all my other bruises are gone already - which was amazing how quick they went as dark as some of them were. So when I go to my appointment today I am going to get my stitches out and I am supposed to get my filler injections for my acne scars. I am so nervous because I have read it can be quite painful and it sounds like it would be painful. I really hope it isn't. I also am still on the fence with the botox. I hear wonderful results and then I hear horror stories. Id hate to do all this and then do something that made me look worse. All I really want it a little lid lift and some help with the wrinkles that have begun to become apparent under my eyes. We shall see if I go for it or chicken out tomorrow. I'm going to try and lay down for a little while before I have to get back up but I will try to update after my appointment. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask me cause I know I had a bunch when I was stalking these boards trying to decide what to do. :)

I know I just posted last night but wow...I am almost in tears I am in so much pain at the moment. It is a Sunday...I really do not want to call the doctors emergency number and be that whinny patient but if it gets any worse I don't know what I am going to do. I am sooo swollen on the sides of my chin...like right along both bottom gum lines. It's throbbing and this morning this hurts worse than any part of this procedure has thus far and being as how Friday the nurse acted like I shouldn't be in hardly any pain now I am quite scared that something is wrong! I have no fever or any sign of infection, today is actually my last day on my antibiotics. I did not sleep good again, and I think I may have been clenching down in my sleep which maybe has something to do with the pain this morning. All I know is that this is just about unbearable at this point and I pray that nothing is seriously wrong. I'm beginning to think maybe I should have just went with the neck lipo and not gotten the chin implant. Anyone else out there experience a sudden increase of pain and swelling around post-op day 5?

Just wanted to update quickly about the past few days. I had my procedure Tuesday afternoon and it's now Saturday night. Although I read and was prepared for the whole "it takes months for the final result" - I still find myself getting worried because I am not as "flat" as I would like to be. I’d like to see more of a “slope” to my neck if you all get what I mean. That being said - I of course am still very swollen and in my mind I know it's way too early to even try to judge to what degree my profile will be improved so I am TRYING to stay positive. ? I can say I can that there is undeniable improvement even with the swelling so I guess I am trying to keep reminding myself that it’s way too early to get discouraged. I think that part of what has me down is that A- I am still in a lot of discomfort and pain at times and B - I am stuck in the house.
As far as the discomfort and pain – I called my doctor’s office Friday because I was concerned about running out of pain meds over the weekend (they gave me a small amount of Percocet to get me through the first few days but I took the last of that last night and believe me I still needed it). Whereas at first they acted it would be no big deal to give me a few more to get me through the weekend if I needed it – when I actually called Friday to get a script, the nurse I spoke with on the phone acted like I shouldn’t be hurting anymore and told me to take extra strength Tylenol. (Tylenol is a joke for me - it does ZERO for my pain.) I wasn’t really surprised by this seeing as I have worked in the medical field and I have lived in KY long enough to know that they act like anyone who requests or needs a pain pill must be addicted to them - It is VERY frustrating when you can’t get the stronger medication when you legitimately need it because of so many people abusing it. I know doctors are put in a precarious position because of the laws and all that but right about now as I am sitting here throbbing I’m not very happy that I couldn’t get a few more to get me through until Monday. Anyways - I am really more concerned as to why I am still in pain if I am not supposed to be. I was told that I am now allowed to take ibuprofen and so today was my first day off narcotics and with just ibuprofen and it really wasn’t enough to make me feel as comfortable as I’d like but… it’s the weekend and it is what it is. It did dull the ache a bit, just not as much as I think it should have and it is still interfering with my sleep and I am not very comfortable which is making sitting here and concentrating on homework very difficult. (I am in college – my last semester YAY!) At least with the pain pills I could fall asleep for a little while because they have that effect. Hopefully by Monday though I will feel a little better that way and if I don’t I’ll be making an appointment to find out why anyway. I will admit – I do have a low tolerance to pain so maybe that’s why this is a little harder on me than others BUT even though they said they used one of the smallest implants and all that – my chin is the main source of the pain. My chin itself throbs at times and it is as HARD as a rock. I have some purple marks out the front part of my chin – but most of my bruising is from the liposuction underneath. (I’ll add a couple pictures.) I have the numb bottom lip everyone talks about and it is starting to REALLY get on my nerves. I don’t look funny (other than bruising/swelling of course)– no drooping lips or not being able to speak correctly – but I cannot smile as big as I should be or open my mouth very wide. There is a LOT of pressure in that area. It’s no unbearable but again, I wish I had a few more pain pills and I am looking forward to this part easing up. I did notice that it looks a little like I am frowning when my face is relaxed – but I am trying very hard not to analyze too much during this time because I have read over and over that the swelling causes so much of this and that it dissipates and goes away within the first few weeks. So again, I will keep posting for those of you following my recovery and results trying to decide if this is a good option for you.
PS- I don’t get my stitches out until next Friday which is 10 days post-op. That seems like such a long time to wait. When I go in that day, we are supposed to do the fillers for some of the acne scars. I am VERY nervous about the needles going into my face that day. They were originally going to do the fillers when I was sedated from the chin augmentation Tuesday – but decided I would get the best result if I wasn’t lying on my back on a table all swollen from surgery – which I agree with – BUT – now I have to be awake! LOL If anyone has any idea what this will be like let me know. I am hoping that it’s worth it for the scars. I have battled acne since I was a teen and I would love to have a much smoother look to my face so I hope this does work.