In Costa Rica for a Facelift...
He wraps us in a miserable cap that is very similar to an arm cast, with inches of soft cotton. The ladies here call it a "helmet". He removes it in two to three days, and does not want people to wear a compression garment. I asked him why, and he said that patients were getting permanent lines under their necks from wearing garments, and that his results are just as good the way he does his "helments".
I'm dying to post some pictures, but this hosted picture thing is a real pain with spotty Internet service. The solar flares here near the Equator have cause problems with communications this week, but other than that, I'm loving it here. I don't have any before pictures on this computer, so my after's won't have as much implact, but I'll try to post them anyway.
Do you have pics up of your necklift?
Jennifer
I bought a good compression garment with me, but he said not to use it. I think they are fine if worn correctly, but some people put the seam to the inside (against the skin), and it forms a permanent crease in the skin.
I think the hematoma on the cheek (where you get the large "football player" bruise after surgery) is pretty common, and I think it resolves very quickly. I don't have any hematomas yet, so holding my breath that I get buy without any.
Dr. Lev is famous for getting a very tight neckline. Mine is still a little swollen, but I saw it right after the head wrap came off, and it was even better than it looks today (woke up with more swelling this morning). I have seen enough of his patients to know that I will have wonderful results if I just follow his instructions. I can't believe how gorgeous some of the women in his waiting room (during my visits) are. Just gorgeous!
There are probably 20 women here at the ranch who use various doctors. Most of us are patients of Dr. Lev, but you can look at the work done on other women by different docs, and see that Dr. Lev's work really shines in comparison. He's a wonderful person, too. Such a blessing. I've hated my profile my entire lifetime, and he's given me a gift that I did not even think was possible. I've heard people refer to him as "the artist", and I can totally see why. He really has a gifted eye and a skilled surgical hand. He's cute and funny, too, and that always helps!
His patient coordinator, Didi, does a great job at making sure all of us are safe, and that we are escorted at all times when we go away from the ranch. She's very skilled, and I am thankful to her for helping me arrange this lifechanging trip.
We each have our own private cottage here at the ranch, and all meals and transportation are provided. My cost for this entire trip was 11,200 (flight, hospital fees with one night stay and personal nurse for the first night, facelift, upper and lower eyes, brow lift, chin implant, meals, transportation, lodging AND the removal of my old saline implants) and I can say without a doubt that it was the best thing I've ever bought for myself in my entire lifetime. I'm VERY happy. I realize that I could probably have gotten the same work done in the U.S. for a comparable price, but I was so impressed by his artistic eye that I decided to make the trip to Costa Rica rather than use a U.S. doc. So very glad that I did!!
Oh and yes, all of us ladies eat our meals together and spend meal time talking with each other. It's been a wonderul experience, and I still have ten days here to heal and enjoy the company of the other ladies.
Yep, turn that garment around NOW, lol!! I'd have never thought of it either since it looks like the seams should go to the inside just like a clothing seam, but I checked the instructions on mine, and it also shows to wear the seam out.
I came here fully expecting to hate staying at the ranch since I had read somewhat mixed reviews before leaving for Costa Rica. Once here, I found that I really love the ranch and especially the owners and the team of people who live and work on the ranch. There's even an adorable two or three year old baby boy that follows his dad around each evening to start fires in the fireplaces of each cottage. He's the cutest thing, with a roll of paper tucked under his arm that he uses to help start the fires. Just adorable.
The only negative at all for me is that I am so prone to motion sickness, and the ranch is ten or so miles from my doctor's office. However, they always let me ride in the front seat, so I've had no problems with sickness so far. I love the sheep and the mountains in the background. Fresh fruit hanging from the trees. Just gorgeous.
I hope your hematoma goes away soon. It's got to be a total bummer to have such a tiny thing holding you back from a full recovery. I'm sure it will be gone in no time!
As much as I would love to get the tummy tuck over with now, I just don't want to tempt fate and risk messing up my good facial results with another surgery. I'm just too darned old for this recovery stuff, lol. It takes so much out of me. I admire those of you who can do the multiple surgery thing, but it's totally not for me. I'll just wait and do it after I'm healed up from this. I know when my friends see me, they are going to start booking facelifts down here, lol, so I'll just travel back with one of them when they go. No hurry at all for me with the tt.
I am taking lots of photos, and I'll put together a cohesive presentation on my OH page once I'm back home. The owners of this ranch travel all over the world, and they dedicate each little cottage to something that they love. It's more rustic here than some city girls might like, but I live in a log home on 30 acres, so I'm right at home here in my little rainforest cottage.
