Hi everyone,

I trust you all had a good weekend.

I am finding now that as I come up to week 6 ( this coming Wednesday ) that my forehead's feeling is improving all the time and I get the odd shooting pain, nothing serious just weird really.

Because my scalp has now been opened up three times plus three sessions of hairgrafting, I am not sure if I will ever get back full feeling. But I am used to it now anyway after the second scalping in 2014 ... LOL ... 

I have just got to be careful for the rest of my life that when I hit my head that I don't knock it too hard, otherwise I might pass out and that will not be such a good idea ..... 

All part of the lottery/game of transitioning eh?

My nose is getting smaller and the top lip coming down. The top lip is still pretty numb as the healing process takes place which makes eating and drinking sort of interesting ...

But being a bit of a surgery junkie by now, I know that time is the healer and it cannot be rushed.

It's going to be interesting to see how long it all takes before I am back to normal.

Lots of positive comments yesterday from people who met me for the first time when I told them that 6 weeks I had been hit by a Mack Truck !!!!   

Seriously though, I told them that I had forehead surgery, a rhinoplasty and upper lip lift, and they all thought I looked pretty good considering that the surgery was only recent.

So that was good to hear and encouraging too.

But I know how girls feel who have not had this type of surgery before and feel very anxious that it will never heal and look a mess forever.

This morning being a Monday after a good weekend, I felt a little down when I looked at my face which is always more swollen first thing, whether I have had surgery or not. But after 30 minutes to an hour, the swelling goes down and every day this edema seems to get less which is heartening.

But although I am pretty patient after all the facial work done on me down the years, I still cannot wait until the healing process is complete.

However, I am getting on with life as normal and just accepting the fact that my beaten up look is going to remain for a while longer.

Anyway I am off to bed now ( an hour later than I intended ).

More to follow on my stay at  "Jenny's Nest" with fotos tomorrow.

Hope wherever you are, you get a good night's sleep, I hope to.

Nite

Hugs

Paula








 

Sorry to hijack the threat but isn't Facial Team extremely slow in replying to messages? Is there someone other than Lilia who can handle external communication?

Hi,

No problem re the thread ... 

Don't know where you got that information from but I have always found FT very quick to reply.

Lilia Koss is their Director of Marketing and Institutional Relations so would not normally deal with day to day patient enquiries.

It all depends, of course, who you wish to contact as these days they are very busy.

They have many staff who deal with all different types of matters/enquiries.

What do you need to know, I am sure that I can point you in the right direction to speed things up?

Hugs

Paula

Quote from: bunny girl on May 16, 2016, 07:00:59 PM
Sorry to hijack the threat but isn't Facial Team extremely slow in replying to messages? Is there someone other than Lilia who can handle external communication?

Thanks Paula 
I sent an enquiry about their tracheal shave procedure & cost via their website and then Lilia got back to me and asked me to send in my photos because I live miles away from them. It's been a little over a week and still no reply... I should probably send a reminder email.

Btw, I might be moving to London this summer. I believe you are from England?

Quote from: Paula1 on May 17, 2016, 05:46:41 AM
Hi,

No problem re the thread ... 

Don't know where you got that information from but I have always found FT very quick to reply.

Lilia Koss is their Director of Marketing and Institutional Relations so would not normally deal with day to day patient enquiries.

It all depends, of course, who you wish to contact as these days they are very busy.

They have many staff who deal with all different types of matters/enquiries.

What do you need to know, I am sure that I can point you in the right direction to speed things up?

Hugs

Paula

Hiya,

Quote from: bunny girl on May 18, 2016, 08:42:50 PM
Thanks Paula 

You are welcome .... 

I sent an enquiry about their tracheal shave procedure & cost via their website and then Lilia got back to me and asked me to send in my photos because I live miles away from them.

Sorry, I did not realise that Lilia dealt directly with patients by e-mail although she attends their presentations when abroad.

It's been a little over a week and still no reply... I should probably send a reminder email.

I know that they are incredibly busy all the time so a small nudge would be a good idea.

Btw, I might be moving to London this summer.

Neat, where are you based now?

I believe you are from England?

That's right, I am based south-west of London - 30 minutes from Central London by train.

Facial Team are in London for consultations  Thur July 7th & Fri July 8th and then up to Sparkle in Manchester for July 9th.

Hugs

Paula

Morning everyone,

Amazing what a few days has done to my healing.

Over the last week or so, the top lip's ( the red bit ) skin has been cracking (like a chapped lip) as the swelling has been going down and now looks better still. Moisturiser has done the trick.

The open rhinoplasty and upper lip lip incision is getting less too, in fact I would say only just visible when up close which is remarkable, no doubt due to my using Dermatix Gel ( as recommended by Facial Team ) on these incisions these last three weeks. They say stop using it after four weeks which is next Wednesday - 7 weeks after surgery.

The nose swelling is also improving which is good.

I have been massaging the scars and nose more vigorously which has to be helping a lot ... 

Sorry for the delay in uploading more fotos, but just been too busy.

This weekend I will have more time, so back then.

Have a great day folks.

Hugs

Paula

Hi all,

Back to my Jenny's nest stay.

The last post was about Sunday 10th April when I had my final session of acupunture.

Monday I chilled out and then on Tuesday, Antonio Moreno came round to see another patient to perform some lymphatic drainage massage and I managed to get a foto with him.



The next day Wednesday, Nicola, one of the patient's mothers and myself walked down from the villa to Marbella Old Town to get some items.

It really is stunning and a great place to window shop or maybe buy, eat tapas, possibly have lunch/dinner in the many restaurants/bars or simply have coffee and watch the world go by.

On the way down



Orange Square



Shops


Town Centre





That evening I decided to make a quick meal for everyone. Previously I had bought a ready made cannelloni which turned out to be disgusting, the salad part was fine that I had prepared and the strawberries were good which was something at least.




So Jenny quickly brought out some pizza from the freezer to save the day, thanks heavens. Very embarrasing and I don't think that Jenny and Nicola will ever let me live it down ... LOL ...

Then on Thursday, the penultimate day, I asked Nicola to take fotos of the coronal incision stitches and dissolving stitches behind my ears where the cartilage was removed for my nose reconstruction.

The coronal incision after only 8 days was well healed thankfully due to my good vascularity







Then she took some profile shots.





After lunch we took the taxi to the hospital to have all my stitches removed.






Nicola and the other patient co-ordinator Carmen


FT's Head Nurse Grassyt Gonzalez


Upper Lip lift & open rhinoplasty stitches (left) and coronal incision stitches(right)


She also removed the nose plaster and took some fotos. Since then my eyebrows have come down a lot, they were over elevated in 2004




I took this selfie in the mirror


Then I had my final chat with the surgeons and then back to the villa



That evening Jenny and I plus some other people (no Nicola sadly) went into Marbella by taxi and had dinner at El Tanguito in the old town

These horses are gorgeous in the town centre. In July I am going to go for a ride in one of the carriages ..








View from the terrace upstairs


The outside section, it was too cold so went inside downstairs


Inside


I had their delicious shepherds pie



And then it was back home for my final night.

More tomorrow on my final day.

Ms. Paula,

With all due respect, your eyebrows need some serious attention

Hi,

Thank you for the comment ...  and glad you pointed this out.

In my thread I have said that when I had my original facial surgery in 2004, the eyebrows were raised too high which was sometimes a feature of this surgeon's work ... i.e ... a surprised look !!!

Also he did not take into account the previous 1991 Direct Brow Lift.

But please remember that all these photographs are just post-op one week and due to the swelling they are even higher than they were before the surgery.

Now that I am 6 weeks post-op they have nearly come down again to the level that they were prior to April 6th.

Dr Capitan, Dr Simon and I discussed this problem a long time ago and I plan in due course to have the existing eyebrows lasered out and have permanent tattooing done lower down my forehead and in a better shape.

They both said along with Dr Bellinga in my pre-op consultation the day before my operation that afterwards my nose will be a better shape and size along with the feminised upper lip lift, my forehead will be properly feminised for the first time along with the transition to the nose, so the present position of the eyebrows will look incorrect because the proportions will then be wrong.

In 1991, a surgeon here in the UK performed a Direct Brow Lift procedure that had I known was going to leave me at the time with disfiguring and visible scars above the eyebrows, I would never had it done. This surgeon, thankfully now long since retired, performed a lot of bad work on sisters at the time but he was recommended to me by the gender reassignment surgeon who did not want to know when I prolapsed three weeks after surgery !!! 

1991 was a bad year for me, that's for sure.

The sad part about it, this is still happening with some surgeons to this very day.

They take your money and run when things are not done right or go wrong.

G'rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr   ....

In fact next week, I have an appointment in London with people recommended by Facial Team to discuss having permanent tattooing done as well as laser removal of the existing eyebrows.

Fortunately the old direct brow lift scars are less visible now due to some dermabrasion and microneedling, so should just look like forehead creases.

So my facial journey continues.

Hugs

Paula

PS. Here is my face the day prior to surgery and the eyebrows were much lower down. Now they are almost the same height. Note the mosquito bites above my left eye. Ouch !!!

Quote from: Ⓥ on May 21, 2016, 01:53:34 PM
Ms. Paula,

With all due respect, your eyebrows need some serious attention

Forgot to mention but Facial Team's surgeons also pointed out that my eyebrows need to sit over the reshaped orbital rims not above them !!!

I am really looking forward to my new eyebrow positions ...

Hi Paula,
Thanks for sharing your pictures and experience with us 😊

Hiya,

You are welcome honeybun ... 

I feel it's so important that members should see what is involved in having this type of surgery.

However I sincerely hope that other people's FFS journeys are not quite so long as mine .... 

Take care

Hugs

Paula

Quote from: kittenpower on May 22, 2016, 12:15:16 AM
Hi Paula,
Thanks for sharing your pictures and experience with us 😊

On Friday, I was told that the surgeon who performed my SRS in March 1991 at the London Bridge Hospital in London had recently passed away.

Quote from: Paula1 on May 21, 2016, 04:22:24 PM

In 1991, a surgeon here in the UK performed a Direct Brow Lift procedure that had I known was going to leave me at the time with disfiguring and visible scars above the eyebrows, I would never had it done. This surgeon, thankfully now long since retired, performed a lot of bad work on sisters at the time but he was recommended to me by the gender reassignment surgeon who did not want to know when I prolapsed three weeks after surgery !!! 

Good afternoon everyone,

Interesting but there is still a slight trace of the heaviest bruising below my eyes at the bottom where it is purple, so the forehead healing is still taking place at nearly 7 weeks post surgery.

Foto taken one week after surgery - My Raccoon look ... 


My last day at Jenny's Nest post to follow later ... 

Hi again everyone,

I wish to share these fotos as Marbella is such a great place to have surgery at, so I hope you don't mind.

Part 1 - Final day

I got up early on Friday my last day as I had to pack and vacate my room by 1.00pm as Jenny had another guest staying.

Also I wanted to spend my final day sightseeing down in Marbella. See street map:

http://www.malagacar.com/maps/marbella/marbella_map_8.htm

and:  http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Maps/Map-Marbella-_-Malaga-Spain?strLocid=31M3lkdjEwY016WXVOVEE1T1RFPWNMVFF1T0RnMk5UTT0=

So I had an early breakfast, left the villa and walked down to the bus station where there is a taxi rank.

A few people looked at me as I looked rather beaten up but as I am used to this anyway, it did not bother me one bit but it might have bothered them !!

Some people asked me what's happened to your face, so I said that I had a bit of reconstructive surgery the week before due to an accident I had a few years ago .... LOL ...

Anyway a lovely young taxi driver dropped me down to the town centre, paid him with my debit card plus tip and then I realised I needed to go to the same nail bar about half a mile away that I went to before surgery and have the nail varnish put back on my left little fingernail which I had to remove before the operation.

So he took me there and when I said how much he said 'Nothing' which was awesome. A real nice guy.

Anyway after the nail bar, I decided to walk down to the sea and have a look around and do the touristy thing with my Panasonic 'Bridge' camera with it's amazing 25 to 600mm 2.8mm Leica Lens and 4D video. 

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/digital-cameras/bridge-cameras/1403827/panasonic-fz330-review

Here are my fotos.

Seafront looking west


Seafront looking east - There are cafes, tapas, restaurants everywhere.


Lots of small kiosks like this selling all sorts of items and ice creams


Looking south towards the harbour and Mediterranean beyond


There was some kind of charity race taking place which was fun to watch



Looking north away from the harbour



Looking east away from the harbour


Looking north-west from the harbour


The Puerto Banus ferry (Catamaran) coming in


I used the zoom



Harbour looking south


Harbour looking south-west


Ferry office - I am going on the ferry in July, cannot wait .. 


Real Club Maritimo Marbella


Police Horses that were attending the charity race


This guy was watching me !!! and maybe wondered who beat her up
or just thought ' Another Facial Team patient ' .. LOL .. 


Another kiosk


Beach to the east of the harbour


I then decided to walk north up Avenue Miguel Canao where there are many restaurants and cafes.



Looking south from same avenue


Last year in May, I had a great pizza and desert here and will return in July



and when I arrived in Marbella last year, the first night I enjoyed a meal here at 10.30pm



I then walked further north up the same avenue.



and spotted this gorgeous dog


outside this bakery and cafe


This guy chatted to me with his lovely pet despite my apperance ..    


Inside the bakery/cafe


So I chose some lovely looking strawberry tarts to take back to everyone at 'Jenny's Nest'
and then sat down to have some and coffee too ...  Yummee .. They were delicious, so well worth a visit.

Outside of cafe looking south


This place opposite looks interesting, so I will visit in July


As I was running late and had to get get back to the villa, I knew that there was a taxi rank at the top
of the avenue and then what happened next would probably have ruined my relaxed final day, in fact the whole previous two weeks, had I allowed it!!




Part 2 probably tomorrow now.

Sorry ... 

Part 2 - Final day

Good Morning everyone,

Another week of healing begins .. 

When I sat in the taxi that was at the head of the queue, I had a gut feeling that something was not right by the demeanour and attitude of the driver.

I should have got out, walked away and chosen another taxi. However as I was running a bit late, I needed to return to the villa as soon as I could.

I showed the driver exactly where I wanted to go ( I had the address details printed out ) so he had no excuse and off we went.

When we arrived close to the street where Jenny's Nest is situated, he drove in a different direction, no doubt to increase the fare. The area that the villa is situated is very wealthy, so a good excuse to charge as much as he could.

When I told him that he was going the wrong way, he shouted at me and said I have lived and worked in Marbella for over 40 years.

I said that I did not care and please take me the correct way. He then got nasty and said he would call the Police, so I said please do. I said that's not the way to treat a customer ( I was getting heated and stressed ) especially a woman who you can see has obviously undergone recent surgery.

He drove around the block a few more times and eventually we arrived. I paid my fare, did not tip him to which he swore at me in Spanish and drove away fast nearly ripping my hand off the door I was closing.

Now either he knew my background or not ( remember that many taxis go to and from the villa, so word gets around ) and maybe was prejudiced towards women anyway, who knows, but the way he treated me was outright disgraceful and disrespectful.

All the other taxis I went in during my stay, the drivers were great. Some knew my background because they were hired by FT, but others did not as I just chose them from a rank when I needed to.

So when I entered the villa, I was very upset and stressed so soon after surgery too.

However after a nice cuppa tea and lunch, I felt much happier and I quickly put the whole incident down as being unfortunate and I did not want my lovely day ruined by some idiot.

The rest of the afternoon was spent chilling out with the other girls and Jenny until the taxi arrived at 5.15pm to take me to Malaga airport.

It was very emotional saying goodbye to everyone and the whole Facial Team experience was simply incredible from the moment I set foot in Spain to the day I got on the plane back to the UK.

I said goodbye to my room and the lounge that we all enjoyed watching TV, having acupuncture, lymphatic drainage massage etc or simply chatting in.




Would I do it all again? Of course if I had to, but naturally will not because this chapter of my journey is now closed.

Here are the fotos I took during the 40 minute journey to the airport.

The drive is simply stunning along the Mediterranean coast with the lovely properties.









Not my plane but view from the terminal


As soon as I arrived at the airport, I requested a wheelchair which I suggest everyone does when they have had surgery such as this. For a start you are not allowed to lift heavy bags etc for a number of weeks and it sure speeds up going through check-in, passport control etc ...     Facial Team also give you a 'Fit to Fly' letter for the airline. I was one of the first on the plane and upon arrival at Gatwick, Monarch Airlines had already phoned through so that a wheelchair was ready to take me to a kart which two other passengers from the flight joined me on to take us through customs and passport control. To see all the others passengers walking and queuing to go thru passport control was rather nice, so having surgery does have it's advantages ... 

It was very cold back in the UK compared to Marbella, so I was glad I had a warm jacket to put on.

My flatmate was waiting to pick me up at the airport, so that was great and just a 45 minute drive home, made some tea and I fell into bed shattered.

Cannot wait to return to Marbella in July for a week's break, check up with the surgeons and touch base with Jenny and Nicola again .... 

read up on hemosiderin, it may not be bruising.  It could be iron left from the bleeding which occurred after surgery.  It can take several months for the body to reabsorb the iron.  It took about 3 months before the bruised look went away after FFS.

Quote from: Paula1 on May 22, 2016, 09:13:31 AM
Good afternoon everyone,

Interesting but there is still a slight trace of the heaviest bruising below my eyes at the bottom where it is purple, so the forehead healing is still taking place at nearly 7 weeks post surgery.

Foto taken one week after surgery - My Raccoon look ... 


My last day at Jenny's Nest post to follow later ... 

Hiya,

Thank you for your reply ... 

I will look into that, ta.

Some days it's visible, other days it's not.

Weird eh?

Funnily enough I take iron tablets as I have a slight iron defficiency.

Hugs

Paula

Quote from: deeiche on May 23, 2016, 07:28:50 AM
read up on hemosiderin, it may not be bruising.  It could be iron left from the bleeding which occurred after surgery.  It can take several months for the body to reabsorb the iron.  It took about 3 months before the bruised look went away after FFS.

Hi all ...

Well I am 7 weeks and 1 day post-op and my face is changing each day now and really settling down.

Before I go for my check up in 8 weeks time in Marbella with Dr Simon and Dr Bellinga, I will also be seeing Dr Capitan in London on July 7th which is in 6 weeks time when he is over here seeing old patients for check-ups and new patients too.

Have a nice day.

Paula

Good evening members,

Amazing what a few days makes to the healing process ...  .

I am nearly two months post-op.

My top lip is constantly getting chapped ( skin peeling ) in the area below the vermilion zone as the swelling reduces as the whole lip is settling down.

I am being patient because not only did I have an upper lip lift but I also had a complex open rhinoplasty revision using cartilage from behind both ears so there was far more trauma to this area than normal with just an upper lip lift. Also Dr Bellinga removed the ridiculous fat put in the top lift ( and subsequent top up ) during my facial surgery in 2004.

Right after surgery the top lip looked great and then a week later as the healing process kicked in, it looked more 'Bugs Bunny' in appearance.

Now that look has virtually gone and over the next few weeks, I am sure my top lip will look great.

To reassure me, Dr Bellinga said that the top lip will go down (relapse) as time passes by and it will look more natural.

My nose is improving all the time and considering this is my third rhinoplasty, he has done a great job. My piggy and too small nose has being consigned to history ... 

Those eyebrows are continuing to drop too. This was due to them being lifted too high previously and has nothing to do with Facial Team's surgery.

The last dissolving stitches behind my ears spat today, so all is going well in my healing.

It will only get better as time goes by ....