After a good night's sleep and a relaxing day, going up to London at my age is quite tiring ...
... I have booked my accommodation in Marbella and paid the deposit.
I am flying out on Thursday March 31st, chill out around the pool in the complex situated in Marbella's Golden Mile, hopefully meet up with Jenny Bowden from Hidden Woman and enjoy some restaurants with her and other FT patients who are staying at her villa. We did this last time back in May and it was great.
Also I will buy in my food at the supermarket situated very close by.
The following week is reserved for pre-op tests, surgery mid-week, one night in hospital and then return to the apartment.
The final week, I will continue to recover and fly back to the UK on Friday 15th April, 16 nights in total.
A friend of mine will be taking care of me for the first few days.
When I had my previous corrective forehead surgery in London back in October 2014, I stayed in hospital for two nights but could easily have gone home after one night as the bruising was minimal and this I have noticed with Facial Team's post-op forehead surgery patients that I have met over in Marbella.
I know that the worst part will be the corrective rhinoplasty as Dr Bellinga will be using cartilage from the rear of my two ears to improve the appearance. He said that the ears especially are going to be really sore ...
I have never really liked my nose as it was shortened too much and looks rather piggy. But I have learnt to live with it. I want the nose that I originally had hoped for.
Also beneath the right alars, I was left with a vertical raised ridge (sub-dermal lesion). This scar will go when the next upper lip lift is done as the original lift was too conservative and lengthened again by the two fat injections.
In addition, I still get constant nose bleeds which Dr Capitan will investigate when he performs the reconstruction of my forehead. It had never been properly reconstructed as it was burred down in February 2004.
The implants that were inserted in October 2014, he will remove as they do not look right as now all the swelling has gone down, they are very obvious and unnatural looking.
So this is a complex surgery and quite a challenge to both surgeons.
After my original FFS, some friends of mine were surprised that I had any facial surgery. They were always unaware of my transition, so they said 'Why'. I said that I needed forehead surgery due to an accident many years ago, which is true as I had an accident at birth!!
The forehead was definitely smoother and less male which was feminising but because my nose was not great, my face lost some character and it's original individuality. Also I continue to either being mistaken as a sister with my older friends who have the same nose and the mother of my younger friends with the same nose. A great compliment in many ways because we all look entirely female but also very annoying in other ways !!
Originally, I was lucky to only need forehead surgery and nose work as I inherited many of my late mother's features such as high cheek bones, a good jaw and chin etc.
With regards my visible direct brow lift scars from 1991 above the actual eyebrows, especially the left indented one, fat or fillers during surgery or at a later date will be inserted and once all this has settled in, I will have some hairs from my head grafted in to hide the scars and possibly some permanent make-up.
I will also be getting my eyebrows rehaped by actual hair and permanent make-up as they have never been good.
Yesterday at Facial Team's London consultations, two ladies from a firm called April's Touch were attending and telling us about the opening of a new branch in London next Spring. They already have a place in Holland.
http://www.aprilstouch.nl/ Their website is coming soon.
I will be sending them fotos of my eyebrows so they can photoshop them with a better shape.
So there we are, lots to look forward to next Spring and 16 days in Spain too which is very appealing as I understand that the weather is very nice then.
My FFS journey continues:
