52 Year Old Who Just Cannot Look in a Mirror. Scottsdale, AZ

Surgery was at 07:30 this morning. It's been about 12 hours, I'm uncomfortable - on a scale of 1-10 for pain, 1 is hardly any pain and 10 is Th worst pain ever, I am at about a 1 as long as I don't move, when I have to move it goes up to a 9. My daughter is with me and taking very good care of me. I'm staying on top of pain meds and muscle relaxers every 4 hours but my goal is to start tapering down Sunday. More later ladies.

It's been 4 full weeks plus 2 days since I had my procedure. I know things are coming along, a little slow but it's all moving in the right direction. I realize now that I went into surgery depressed but in denial about my depression. But that's how I live, in denial. It's a terrible coping mechanism but it had been working until July of last year. Some major life events occurred and instead of really dealing with them I just sort of dealt with them on the surface and then just put in more hours at work and at the gym. Going into this surgery already depressed ( but in big time denial ) and having kept this huge undertaking all to myself until just 1 week before surgery was bound to contribute to my recovery, and not in a good way. My mental state has definitely improved in the last 2 weeks as I started doing light cardio. Ok, that being stated here is where I am right at this moment :
1. I physically feel that I'm getting my stamina / energy back.
2. The swelling ( which really scared me ) continues to slowly decrease, I'm referring to the swelling in my cheeks, jaws and upper lip.
3. The left side of my face and especially under my chin -left side- is definitely decreasing but because the right side is tarting to look so much more like the "me" that I was expecting it's still obvious that my face is asymmetric. I'm wearing the face bra at least 6-8 hours, more if I can stand it, every day. I wish the doc would have sent me home with one but I didn't have it introduced to me until day 6 post-op visit when I had some sutures removed around ears. I'm thinking that this might have made a big difference in the swelling, at least under the chin.
4. I can tell that the weird sensations of post face-lift surgery are getting better or closer to normal ( what it was pre-surgery ). The feeling of tightness to my neck is feeling just a little less tight. The areas of numbness are decreasing but as the numbness decreases it is replaced with tingling very similar to what it feels like as novocaine wears off after a visit to the dentist. This then is replaced with a bruised like feeling. This bruised feeling eventually is going away leaving normal feeling. Numbness / tingling under chin and on top of my head. Cheeks, chin, jaw, have the bruised feeling. Sounds bad but it's really so much better.
5. My smile is still weird, but as long as I don't try to show teeth it looks normal, and it is getting better. At recent Post-op visit doc said that it could take up to 6 months maybe a little longer to fully come back.
6. I can frown and make the number 11 between the eyebrows but I can't raise the right eyebrow ( same side the smile is crooked ) but the movement is defiantly improving and doc said same thing about time and healing of this as he did about smile.
7. My sutures are pretty much healed at the ears and under chin, but I'm still having itching and irritation to the suture line at the base of my neck / hair line. For some reason Bacitracin, Polysporin, and Neosporin make this suture line very red raw and very irritated. This area is healing and it is closed, it's just the itchy irritated feeling that won't go away that is causing me just a little concern- am I having an immune response to the internal sutures ? Is it them dissolving and being re-absorbed that is causing this ? Is it the hair that was shaved growing back causing this ? All 3 ?? I just hoping it stops very soon because it's very hard to keep my hands away from this itch.
8. I had no idea that earrings shouldn't be worn for maybe 2-6 weeks after surgery. My earlobes were swollen and I put a pair of earrings on about 2 weeks ago. At first it was hard getting the right one in, it felt like the hole had closed up and then when I finally got it in it was irritated and sore during the 3 hours I had them in. Today I can put a pair of earrings in and there is no problem but I'm leaving them out for another few days.
9. At my last visit the doctor said I could dye my hair, this was a little over 3 weeks post-op. BIG FAT MISTAKE, dye got into my suture lines at the ears and OMG !!!! I will be calling PS tomorrow for advice on HTF I'm going to fix this. See what lack of patience and not enough information can do to you ??
All in all things are getting better ( except for the home tattoo job, what an IDIOT)
I want to send out my most heart-felt thanks to every wonderful person who has reached out and sent support thru the wonderful comments and the sharing of personal journeys. This site and the sharing from others has truly been my saving grace.
Thank you
** anyone have an idea how I'm to fix the tattoo job I did ?? **

It was during the last 2 years that my face started to age at the speed of light. This is a pic that is "ME" I look like I'm in my mid-40's and that's fine, I was fine with it.
During the last 2 years I just avoided having any photos take when I could help it.