Can't Stop Smiling after Neck and Jowl lift plus FXL/C02 to neck!Dr. Mulholland is a consummate professional. - Toronto, ON

This is not me, Amy Tremper, it is someone else. The site has gotten us mixed up. I live in Boulder and used Dr. Wynn Hartley.

Hello again, StillSouthern, Actually, although I’m a Canadian citizen and have lived here most of my life, I was born in Louisville, KY. of American parents and many of my relations reside in the states so; perhaps, we are both ‘StillSouthern’. Your remark about being anaesthetized with valium is a big red flag for me! Could this mean that you are planning to have your surgery with Lifestyle Lifts? Say it isn’t so. I really can’t say for sure what drug Dr. Mulholland used to relax me before my surgery but it was a pill placed under my tongue. There was an anaesthetist present during the operation and I vaguely recall one of the R.N. s saying something about ‘twilight sleep.’ In fact, I was asleep during the entirety of the surgery and have no recollection of it at all apart from the fact that the surgical area (in terms of equipment, overhead lighting, anaesthetist and nurses in attendance, operating table etc.) was much like the operating room where I had shoulder surgery performed earlier this year. In Ontario, Canada, the conditions for surgery outside of a hospital must meet rigid conditions of sanitation, building codes; staff etc. and premises are regularly investigated to ensure that those standards are being met. After my surgery, I recall being helped to a comfortable recliner and tucked up with cushions/pillow? (Not sure, too groggy), behind my head to keep it elevated. An R.N. stayed with me throughout the night and hubby picked me up at 7.00 A.M. the following morning. Expect some discomfort for certain; you will have just had surgery to a very sensitive part of your body. However, if your surgeon provides the same post-op medications as Dr. Mulholland, expect to be kept reasonably comfortable with Percocet. I’d go through it again in a heartbeat rather than spend the rest of my days looking like a bloodhound. The most important thing in this endeavour is to CHOOSE A TOP SURGEON! A board certified, preferably (like Dr. Mulholland), a double board certified facial plastic surgeon. I’ve done some very extensive reading of the horror stories by the poor folks who were victimized by the Lifestyle Lifts Corporation; enough to bring a tear to one’s eye. The most tragic element in some of those situations is the fact that the L.L. casualties often paid more for their mutilations than I paid for the best of the best! I look forward to hearing more about your early December surgery; please keep me posted. All the best, louisainthewoods.

Ah no, not Lifestyle or mini at all. He said I presented with the typical chin/jaw/neck and he would do muscle correction and full incision pattern. He is Harvard/Vanderbilt/Columbia trained and very thoughtful, kind and humorous. As I read more about local anesthesia with oral sedation I become more comfortable with the idea, I think it was just a bit of a shock. I guess I always thought these kinds of surgeries required you to be "put to sleep", but of course that creates it's own problems. Thank you so much for your thoughtful, caring reply. :)

Can't wait to. Hear more about your lift. I am thinking of a mini next year to lift the neck. Quick and under local or short term sedation, not full anesthesia. Am curious.

You had a terrific result on your TT and I want/need one of those lol. I looked at the "mini" lift and seems to me they have "maxi" incisions and recovery time so I'm going for the full procedure, but I need more than just lower face also. Only doing this once ..

Hello again, StillSouthern, I agree completely with your statement, ‘only doing this once’, since a repeat performance would be taking vanity a bit too far in terms of both discomfort and expense. Best to get it all over with at once. After my substantial weight loss, my formerly fat face deflated like a slowly leaking balloon; jowls and wattles a-waggle. Not a pretty sight as evidenced by the above photos. In a word, ‘Yuck!’ I suspect that I’m a bit more enthusiastic about cosmetic surgery than most, mainly because of the way I looked a year and a half ago. Fat and ugly, to be brutally frank. In view of that, I really hope that I’m not painting too rosy a picture for other lift wannabes? It’s a very personal decision but, in my case, the results were genuinely worth any and all of the negatives! P.S. I thought that a TT was a tummy tuck. Haven’t had one of those since my body is easily covered but my face? Only a burqa would fill the bill and with my hot flashes, not practical.

louisa, I think DreamCruiser had a TT (tummytuck) lol and no you're not painting the picture too rosy. Even without general anesthesia it's definately major surgery, and not to be undertaken without regard for all that entails.

Yes, I did have TT, BL and Lipo of flanks....nothing on the face yet

Actually, StillSouthern, I had my wonderful mini-facelift done with only local anesthetic, after taking an Ativan immediately upon arrival. It was the lower face,neck, jawline thing, but I felt nothing and was not in even a twilight sleep, I was fully awake.

And I understand, completely, what you are attempting to explain about the simple pleasures of body image satisfaction. What some may have noted as snobbery was probably an attempt to keep one’s chin up so that yon wattles wouldn’t be skimming the collar of one’s blouse Middle schools boys are a ruthless, pitiless lot of young savages, steeped in testosterone and capable of great cruelty. The wisest course of action you could have taken was to improve your appearance and, believe me, as a disinterested observer, you’ve done that in spades. Boys of 12 and 13 can also be great romantics and an attractive teacher (particularly if she’s teaching an interesting subject), becomes an object deserving of much masculine sympathy and consideration. I’ve been around boys all of my life; numerous brothers, sons and now grandsons so I know of what I speak. To be frank, your ‘worst of before’ photo shows a pretty tough customer but you were blessed with the lovely teeth and bone structure that will keep you looking good for many moons to come. At the risk of giving offence, I’ll also add that you appear to be a deeply sensual woman so that your lack of a man is only as temporary as you want it to be. It's always a treat to meet another articulate, like-minded soul and I truly hope to see more of you on this site.

Good Morning, gettingolder1950. I was entertaining myself this morning by pasting your before and after photos, side by side, on my desktop in order to do an in-depth comparison. It’s positively eerie, how the 40-year-old you somehow managed to emerge to challenge and overshadow that grumpy-looking 60- something looking you! Without the before and after, no one would suspect that you had undergone surgery because it’s completely invisible and, let’s face it, unexpected. Nobody looks at us refurbished gals and suspects surgery; they just like looking at us a whole lot more without understanding why that is. Ya’ gotta’ love it....

Those before and after photos are a bit misleading because everything was still so tight. The last picture of the group, from my last post , where I look like hell, is closer to the relaxed final version. No complaints, I didn't want to look 20 years younger. In fact I was a little alarmed at first. Nevertheless, my 8th grade boys knew right away that I looked different from last year. I am currently trying to decide how to tell them I know they are gossiping about it and freeze them in their tracks with the laser beam of honestly and simplicity. Wish me luck. PS I only teach boys that's why I always refer to my students as "my boys." I have actual real children as well, but they are grown.

After your face lift relaxed, did you look the same before the mini face lift?

Hi dreamcruiser, It’s been 6 weeks and a bit since my lower face and neck lift and, so far, there has been no laxity in the ‘lifted’ area. I continue to have a few lumps and bumps but extensive reading on this site, as well as info from my P.S., indicates that it will take some time before my skin smoothes out. This afternoon, hubby was playing some videos of our recent, pre-op trip and the sight of my dewlaps and wattles waving in the breeze had me almost retching with horror. Had to run to my make-up mirror and take a long, restorative look in order to get my blood pressure back to normal. Keep in mind that I enjoyed a substantial weight loss before my surgery and all of the extra skin from my previously fat face had nowhere to go but down. Shudder!

Just wandering around tonight and I reread this post of yours and realized I never told you how completely accurate you were in every way. I did finally tell that 8th grade class that I'd had a mini-facelift (which both meant nothing to them, while at the same time confirming their suspicions). They were astonished, first by the fact that I had correctly deconstructed their coded whispering and second that I would actually tell them out loud exactly what I had done. In my summery to them I think I said something like, "I had my neck pulled up and wrapped around my ears." It was just too tempting. They were stunned into a kind of respectful silence that I rarely have in my classes...because, yes, they absolutely are "pitiless young savages" and you are also right (especially as I read more about male brain development) that their poor brains are steeped in testosterone at this age. It does indeed turn them into monsters until they are around 40, in my experience. Happily, the estrogen attack we suffer at the same age, blinds us sufficiently to continue the human race. I mean this in the kindest possible way, because I do really like men.

Hi gettingolder1950. I admire your bottle in confessing to your wattlectomy but agree that it was a good move. The topic will lose interest quickly now that the lads have had their speculations confirmed. I had a follow-up appointment with my P.S. a couple of days ago (6 weeks post-op!), and he was very satisfied with my progress despite considerable firmness under my chin and some lumps and bumps here and there. I had a laser treatment in those areas, one of several that are included at no extra cost and intended to improve the skin and hasten the healing process. Did you experience any excess firmness or lumpiness? I’m curious as to whether those symptoms are universal among facial surgery patients? I’m not at all concerned because I realize that healing takes months, just inquisitive. It was great to hear from you!