2 weeks post-op, no makeup, still bruised. But happy!
I went shopping without makeup or styling my hair at all, and got ma'am the whole time. The changes aren't huge, but after only two weeks the are significant enough that I feel like there are whole new possibilities for me, and my confidence is really good.
My nose and eyelids are still swollen, and my forehead is numb (and will be for a while)--but I feel already like I can begin to put the experience behind me and move forward in my life. Therefore, I'll just kind of write some closing thoughts, because I think it will be a while before there are whole new changes.
I think Spiegel is a very good surgeon for the things I wanted for my face and my priorities--which was to do as little as possible while still working to pass. He didn't try to sell me on jaw at all, he said mine was fine as it was if I didn't want it. When he recommended a lip lift and I said I didn't want that, he didn't press at all.
In person, he is funny, and his bedside manner is good--but you don't get a ton of time with him. I dealt with his surgical fellows as much or more than with him. They were also very good. My only complaint is that the surgical fellows gave me 10 fewer painkillers than they thought they did, and when I was still in pain, and called for more, they told me to wait--so I was really stretching out the ones I had, and had moments of real pain. Due to pain, the recovery ended up more stressful and hard than I think it needed to be, especially for my mom, who was watching me in pain and really upset about it. When she called to ask if she could come get the 10 pills they didn't give me, the surgical fellow said, "some people with drug addictions do this surgery on just ibprofen." This may be true, but I have to say I found this kind comment of insulting. I am not a drug addict, and therefore, don't agree that I should have had to take precautions and endure pain that a drug addict would endured. Some women also give birth on dirt floors in certain parts of the world, but when paying thousands of dollars for a doctor, I think most women would be upset were they asked to do so.
Ultimately though, when I'm not longer in pain, and pleased with the results, it def doesn't seem like a sufficient reason to chose a different surgeon. For the surgery I had, forehead and nose, I would recommend Spiegel and his staff, if you want to have surgery in the United States. I think the procedures I had will be worth the money for me, and that it will help me move past this kind of stage of my transition, which is pretty priceless. Good luck to all you other girls considering it!
