<p>@conmama,
No worries about waiting until you are ready for it.</p>
<p>@cincy gal,
The perfect people to scare with your post-op-day-0 face would have been trick-o-treaters. It was your expensive Halloween costume 
Actually it was your laser resurfacing which is what causes the after-care to increase a lot.
Iām glad that the ophtho found narrow angles on your DH before he had an attack of narrow angle glaucoma.</p>
<p>Day 7, Week one update - I have survived, but it was a long week. As YohoYoHo mentioned, a lot of the post-surgical care was related to the laser resurfacing. On Day 6 (yesterday), the facial skin peeling was done, so that greatly reduced the maintenance. I also saw the surgeon on Day 6. He and his staff thought I looked great - very little bruising but still some swelling. The doctor prescribed another few days of prednisone which has helped a great deal with the swelling. I forgot to mention that the surgeon called me the day after my surgery to see how I was doing and ask if I had any questions. This on a Saturday. He also gave me his cell phone number to call him with any questions or concerns. Nice touch.</p>
<p>Although my eyes arenāt ready for public exposure, with foundation my face would be fine for the public as there is not much facial redness today. I am amazed at how well my lower lids look - no apparent scar at all. The upper lid scars still need more time before I can say the same for them.</p>
<p>My eyes are still pretty light sensitive, and my near vision isnāt back to normal yet. Both are better than they were a few days ago. So far, I can say it has all been worth it.</p>
<p>Funny story - when DH had the prescription filled for the pain pills, the pharmacist recommended that I also take a stool softener. Since I couldnāt even open my eyes following surgery, DH searched for the āstool softenerā pills in our medicine cabinet. I dutifully took the pain pills and āstool softenerā. Over the next 24-48 hours, I was making very frequent trips to the bathroom ā¦ to urinate, and I commented that they must have really pumped me up with IVs during surgery. It wasnāt until a couple of days post-surgery that I discovered that the āstool softenersā were in fact diuretic pills. That gave us both a good laugh in the midst of all the post-op care.</p>
I had four different procedures done back in October (upper and lower lids, brow left, and another muscle tuck at the outer corners), and am almost back to normal after several weeks of pain and swelling (still a little swollen). On my 3-month follow-up visit last week, the doctor pointed out that one eye is still droopy and heād like to do another upper eyelid surgery on it. He said that it would be local anesthesia, and that my field of vision for that eye is probably still within the range that insurance will cover.
Has anyone had this kind of follow-up surgery? The surgeon makes it sound like no-big-deal, but he left out a lot of details on the post-op experience for the original surgery so Iām inclined to assume that it will be worse than heās saying.
No followup procedures here. Six months later I am SO glad I had the upper bleph. Not only can I see better, but Iāve noticed that I look a LOT better in casual photos. My only problem now is that I donāt know how to apply eye makeup on this new structure! I need to go to Sephora and get someone to do it for me. 
Iād love to get the area below my eyes done, but thereās no way I can afford it and since it is purely cosmetic, insurance doesnāt help.
Almost 3 months post-op for me. I did have the inner corner of one upper eye/ptosis incision open up a bit after suture removal, so I went back to see the surgeon who put in a couple of more sutures. That kept me self-consciously housebound for ~a week longer. Other than that, I am so pleased I had it all done.
I also had laser resurfacing of my entire face at the same time. While the post-care for this was pretty time consuming, I was pleasantly surprised that I was ready to go out in public with little make-up just 2 weeks or so afterwards. From everything I had read prior to surgery, I thought I would be healing and very red for at least a month.
Thanks for the updates! It sounds like my initial troubles were due to doing so much in one surgery, and a simple upper lid procedure should be much easier. I can see so much better, at least out of the not-still-droopy eye!
Glad things have worked out so well for everyone. The earliest I can have mine done is in one year from now. Kids in college and no one at home to scare. Iāve been going back and forth about a lower bleph. I didnāt even think I was badā¦but one doc said that he would do that before the upper for a more youthful look. Personally, Iām not sure it would make a big differnce. I donāt have ābagsā at all. Just some slight fat bulgeā¦but I donāt think that is noticeable at all. What it does probably do is make the dark lines i have look darker. But I read that redistributing the fat further down (which is what he would do, not take it out), doesnāt help the dark lines at all. I didnāt really start getting those until about 3-4 years ago. Iām just scared Iāll go through all of that and then Iāll end up looking the exact same under my eyes. I suppose notā¦two docs suggested it.
@consolationā¦Iām sure the docs have a payment plan you might want to consider if you really want it done.
My doctor recommended doing the lower lids, even though I didnāt think that they were too bad. He said that they would look worse after the rest was done, and that it would save me money to do them at the same time. In hindsight, that procedure was one of the most problematic because the stitches along the lower lids were really irritating and took over a month to dissolve.
Indiana - I had a follow-up on one lid with local. It was weird being awake, but it really was pretty easy. No pain and healed up quickly. I was glad I did it. It was free since it was fixing the original surgery.
@conmama ā¦ I had upper and lower bleph, prosis repair, and laser resurfacing of the entire face. The lower bleph was the easiest part. Although I didnāt think I needed it much, having the surgeon show me before and after pics of other patients really helped me see the potential. If it is in your budget and you are going to have surgery anyway, I would go for it if it is recommended.
Thanks, preironic. My doctor said that heād waive the surgeonās fee, but Iād still have to pay for everything else needed to do the tweak. He couldnāt guarantee that we wouldnāt have to go back to the surgery center. So, weād go through the whole visual field test again to see if insurance would pick that up.
@cincy galā¦thanks. Iāve thought that, too. If Iām going to do it, why not just bite the bullet and do it all. When you say you didnāt think you needed it much, what do you mean. Did you have ābagsā or what did you have that made you think you might not need it either. And how does it look now? How long did it take for the upper and lower to heal enough that others wouldnāt notice the surgery. I know you had more recovery issues with the laserā¦but I would just be interested in surgery. I was thinking about taking up to 3 weeks off if needed. I absolutely do not want people at work talking. Iām not quite sure what to say when I take the time off, other than itās āfemaleā surgery. I"m not that close with others hereā¦so no one would push. But i dontā want it noticeable when I go back.
@conmama ā¦ I had the beginning of bags, but looking at pictures of my parents, I knew I was destined for it to only get worse. The surgeon showed me before and after pictures of patients who looked similar to me. I also brought in a picture of me at ~age 30, because I was going for a younger looking version of me, not a ānew meā. The surgeon described the lower bleph as more of a re-draping of the fat, with a small amount of skin removal.
If I hadnāt had to have the small upper lid area re-stitched (and they hadnāt used blue sutures!), I would have gone in public at two weeks post op. Make-up could easily have covered the residual redness I had from both the surgery and laser resurfacing. Definitely by week 3, I was very presentable. In fact I had family over for a birthday dinner at 3 weeks post-op.
Only my husband and my SIL know that I had surgery, SIL because she had had similar surgery a year or so prior and I had asked her about surgeons. Others just think I look refreshed and not tired.
For anyone considering laser resurfacing, I would highly recommend a product called Epidermal Repair to be used once the peeling is done, about 1 week. I had read about it on-line and ordered it pre-surgery. I like it so much, Iām going to continue to use it for the foreseeable future.
What does laser resurfacing correct?
Laser resurfacing is primarily for fine lines. It was recommended by both surgeons I consulted with, especially for around my eye area. If was not much more money to do the whole face. I am very pleased with the results. The real challenge is the post-op care - lots to due on a time schedule. I also discussed the pros and cons with my dermatologist.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/laser-resurfacing/basics/definition/prc-20019469
@"cincy gal"ā ā¦thanks. After reading your story, Iām just not convinced Iām bad enough for the lower, there is no extra skin whatsoever.n just that little slight buldge that I didnāt even notice until he pointed it out. I would have to have more detail from him. Itās good to know downtime is minimal .
Good morning. I had a consult on Monday with a plastic surgeon. I donāt remember who made the original referral. He has done a couple of mole removals on my daughter ā they were in places youād want a plastics person. Anyway, I feel like Iāve put off a lower bleph for 30 years. Iām starting to see the same signs in my Ds and I jokingly told my husband āitās timeā and āweāll need to know how much to escrow for the daughters.ā
The family heritage is Italian and the eye bags seem to have come from the Sicilian side.
Soā¦Iām waiting. He wanted to book me for June, but I havenāt seen the estimate. I delayed, saying I want to get my eyes examined first to make sure they are in good shape before starting something new.
But what really put me off is the work his nurse had done. Other staff members are quite attractive (and may take advantage of staff discounts), but this one looked like sheād had a series of peels and the area between her upper lip and nose were FLAT. Too much Botox? not enough filler? Her cheeks were tight and shiny with the appearance of no collagen. Iām guessing sheās in her early 60s.
Anyway, I spent so much time studying her face that seemed over processed that I began to doubt my being there.
I think it is time for another opinionā¦
@Mom22039ā¦When I started researching Blephs I made an appt. with a well know plastic surgeon in my large city. But after coming to this Board, I read that you really should see an Oculoplastis Surgeon. This is what they specialize in. Other surgeons may be able to do it, but they do all sorts of other things, probably more of the other things. Oculoplastic surgeons do just eyes day in and day out. Sort of like having a baby. Sure a GP could deliver one, but wouldnāt you rather have an OB/GYN?
I had 3 opinionsā¦and had to pay $100 to 2 of them (the oculoplastic surgeons I went to). I went just to talk about an upper, and he told me that if he had to choose between an upper or lower on me for a more youthful look, he would choose a lower. I had NEVER considered that, because I donāt have bags. But I have gotten that undereye circle and now the fat buldge is more noticeable to me right under my eyes. The plastic surgeon also mentioned that to me, but I didnāt like him for a variety of reasons.
Anyway, I am sitting on the surgery for a year to think things through. I highly suggest you go see an oculoplastic surgeon for their recommendation, even if it costs $100 for his/her time.
Thanks @conmamma. I do have names for two ocular plastic surgeons. The nurses at my dermatologistās office gave me the names. They had very natural looking work done by them. They look fresh and natural, not over done.
Youāll have to come back and let us know what you find out. All of us that are interested in Blephs, eat up the stories and anything people are willing to tell and help us with!