« on: February 09, 2021, 07:26:34 am »
Around 7:30am on Tuesday, 16 Feb, I will be taking a long nap. Dr. Ley will be performing a facelift (rhytidectomy) in Scottsdale, AZ. She has performed all of my surgeries (except the trachea shave), and I have been very pleased with the results. Hopefully this will be my last 'big' surgery. Maybe it's ironic the day also marks my third anniversary of becoming Jessica full-time.
I have wanted a facelift since my journey started, I even asked about it when I scheduled my trachea shave three years ago with Dr. Murphy in Denver, CO. I'm glad I waited, because a facelift then would have just accentuated my jaw and chin as they were at the time. Now that I've had jaw and chin contouring, a facelift should highlight a more feminine jawline.
My pre-op appointment is at 9:00am on 15 Feb, with a COVID-19 test sometime that same day. The surgery is scheduled for 8 hours. It will include a SMAS facelift, a neck lift, and a cheek lift. The cheek work requires incisions inside my mouth, so they recommend a liquid diet for three days following surgery. I guess I need to stock up on some dark chocolate Ensure!
Susan and I originally planned to head down to Scottsdale on Sunday (14 Feb), but due to a potential winter storm moving in we now plan to head down a day early. Some friends will be staying at our house, taking care of our plants and His Royal Majesty -- Prince, our whippet. Due to COVID-19, no visitors are allowed in the hospital. Luckily, I only need to stay in the hospital for two nights. If all goes well, I should get the 'all clear' to head home on 23 Feb.
From everything I have read, most people are comfortable going out in public about two weeks after a facelift. Since masks are required in most places, I expect that will help a bit. I plan to take several 'before' photos, and will post photos as my healing progresses.
Love always -- Jessica Rose