Feeling Great at 66 but Disappointed in my Aging Face! OKC

Embarrassed and saddened at the young age of 66, I have elected to get a face lift. Like many of you “real” wonderful women on this site, I have felt the guilt of pride, egotism and the fact that I will be spending a LOT of money for selfish reasons, but I just couldn’t quit obsessing over the way my face aged so quickly and how elderly I appeared – so, right or wrong - I had my initial consultation January 15 and set the date of my surgery – it is Monday, May 16th, 2016. My surgeon is Dr. Ivan Wayne; his office is in Oklahoma City and he affiliated with OU Physicians. I chose him because of his five star reviews, private phone calls I have had with one of his patience who had a composite face lift, his two board certifications, his status as a “teaching” doctor, and his proximity to where I live. The cost is astronomical – compared to similar procedures in Costa Rica. Really wish I could have gone that route, but I just can’t be away from duties around here for that long, and my husband wouldn’t be onboard with that either. The “composite” face lift Dr. Wayne performs includes the neck, lower and the mid-face and is supposedly a somewhat different technique – we shall see. Additionally, I will have a lower blepharoplasty and some minor fat transfer to the marionette folds I have most recently acquired! UGH! I have a bunch of very noticeable wrinkles, but I don’t want to risk ruining “brand new to the world” skin in the summer sun; so, I will likely have the recommended C02 laser resurfacing done in December. The support from so many incredibly kind and selfless, intelligent and bold women on this site has given me some relief from my selfish/guilty feelings. I appreciate this site so much and will eagerly share my journey and any knowledge I gain along the way with all! Here’s a big HIGH FIVE to amazing YOU!! And one more thing - I am going to attach one post-op picture for now. I found it too painful to choose the worst pictures of me, but I will post those dreadful things closer to my surgery date!

Why the update before surgery?? After reading many reviews on Real Self and researching a variety of facelift procedures, I cancelled my original surgery date, which was May 16, and decided to have Dr. David Harley do my facelift. During my telephone consultation with him - as I sat in a friend's car outside of Starbucks - we talked about what bothered me most and what he thought he could accomplish. (He was looking at the five pictures I sent to him while we talked.) The final decision was for me to have a neck and lower face lift and possibly both a lower and upper blepharoplasty. I need a chemical peel to help diminish the MANY VERY NOTICEABLE wrinkles I have, but with summer almost here, I have chosen to put the peel off until December.
In case you are wondering? - I cancelled my original surgery date because the idea of being under a general anesthesia for 8 hours and getting a rather extensive surgery at a rather expensive price tag became less appealing and even overwhelming to me. When I kept reading the results some of the gals on this site were getting for less time spent under anesthetic and less money out of their pockets, I began second guessing my decision. Originally, I didn't think I could go out of state for my surgery, so I was happy to find a reputable doctor close to me, but I could only find two reviews regarding his composite facelifts - both excellent reviews, but I began to doubt my fairly hasty decision. Since I am 66, I wanted to have my reconstruction ASAP - before the summer of 2016; so, I probably rushed into my decision before really understanding or knowing everything there is to know about the many types of facelifts and what was best for me. I guess I should mention for you gals who may be battling the same thing I did - It was no easy task getting my husband on board with my decision to temporarily halt the scourge the great outdoors and genetics had done to my face! Yes, my husband is one of the biggest factors I initially looked for a fl surgeon strictly in Oklahoma. I honestly couldn't even tell him the total amount I would be spending!! Anyway, as the months went by (I scheduled the date of May 16th for my facelift on January 17th) I kept reading as much as I could and trying to convince myself I had made the right decision. Finally, I made the bold move of telling my husband what I was discovering on this site and that I was reconsidering my decision and wanted to find out what Dr. Harley could do. I have to tell you - he liked the idea of paying a lot less money for the surgery and he liked the idea of going to North Carolina! Lucky me!! So, I lost my $500 deposit when I cancelled my surgery, but by using Dr. Harley I will save enough money for my husband and I to drive the 14 hour drive to Asheville, stay in hotels and a vacation rental for 14 nights, eat, drink and be merry! LOL! Not only that, I will still have a couple of thousand more in my bank account than if I had my facelift in Oklahoma, AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, Dr. Harley has so many wonderful reviews that I have few qualms about my decision to have an elective surgery that I know can be risky. I am not going to get the mid-face lift I would have gotten with Dr. Wayne, but I would rather not be worrying what 8 hours under general anesthesia might do to my brain down the road and the idea of the extensive recovery I was facing. By the way, A big part of the reason for the big savings is Dr. Harley does his procedure under local anesthetic in his office with no overnight stay in a facility. I really believe I have made the right decision this time! Yay!!! Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to blog about their journey - the good and the gruesome! You helped me re-think my decision, and you have helped me better prepare mentally for the rather tough recovery I will endure. One other thing I have gained from reading so many excellent stories is that I will NOT think of myself as selfish or vain!! I am a woman who wants to be the best I can be - while I still have time!!

I guess it's time I put a few pictures up so we can all compare before and after restoration. I'm vain enough to think these bare naked pics don't really look like me - LOL It's AMAZING how a little makeup and a distant photo can make you feel okay about your face, but that's not reality. I just can't accept an old looking face when my inward spirit is so youthful. I'm thankful there is a remedy to that problem, and I have chosen it. I have come to realize through my consults and this site - much to my dismay- my wrinkles will not be all that diminished after my surgery, but if I'm able to be satisfied, I won't have anything else done. (That would make my husband extremely happy!) If I decide I have to get rid of more wrinkles, I'll likely go with some type of peel because the CO2 and fraxel laser scare me! In the meantime, I'm staying positive and hopeful that Dr. Harley can work a miracle on my neck, lower face and lower and possibly upper eyes! Love you RealSelf girlfriends! You're absolutely the best women in the world!!