Safely back at home where I slept all morning. The flight was brilliant apart from the two descents which made my face feel like they were exploding. I still have a lot of swelling around the sides and, it seems, affecting my inner ears.

Everything else is good apart from my 25 year old daughter who says she cannot cope with me changing and needs a long time to get her head round things. Everyone else has been so supportive, it's really tough to hear from her

Thank you all for your fantastic messages of support. This place is awesome. I'm going to take it super steady for a few weeks and will post up some links, as well as a review of Dr Sutin who I currently have raised to demigod status

I think I can guess where you'll be getting SRS...

 

I keep looking at my new forehead and nose. I was very specific re. the latter, giving Dr Sutin some particular pictures and we discussed at length what I was after. I wanted more of a point and an upturn but without a Miss Piggy flare (hence the alarplasty). He has exceeded all expectations and that's despite the swelling I still have. I think the man's a genius.

I'm going to compile a proper before and after series of photos which I will leave up as public. I have a public profile anyway (quite well known in the UK) so there's no point my hiding anything. I just think that PAI deserve more recognition in the west for their work which I consider to be outstanding. Not everything is perfect: I found some of the staff at Piyavate hospital tricky this time e.g. with my carer and their English is awful there (but not at PAI) but generally I cannot praise the place too highly.

And, yes, apparently Dr Sutin is fantastic down below too

xx

The incredible thing is that for the first three days I literally thought 'what the f have I done?' No kidding.

Now I'm over the moon.

I'm not sure if or how I'd have made it through without my friend flying out.

I've just changed my profile pic to an unedited selfie I took in the back of the taxi yesterday on the way to the airport. That's not even 7 days after FFS. Very very happy bunny

xx

Your new picture look great. Do you still have bruising? I don't see any in the picture.

Awww thanks. Mainly around my neck which is where the liposuction happened. That bruising only began about day 5. There's some still under the eyes and across my cheek bones but it's diminishing fast. The main swelling is now my nose and the sides of my face.

I still have in loads of stitches as they won't be removed for another week. That makes my face feel pretty taut.

It's covered with makeup?

Looking at pictures FFS always scared me more than SRS.

How do you feel about the orbital rim work? Good decision?

Looking good Rachel!  and each day it will get better. That's the nice thing about healing...

Thank you 2Cherry - yes so true.

AnonyMs, yes I put on a little makeup in the back of the cab: some around the eyes, eyebrows and a little foundation and rouge in areas where there were no cuts. My thinking was that I'm a woman and I'm travelling as a woman through the UAE, including their female loos, so don't want any hassles. It felt great though. It's now come off, of course and I won't be putting on makeup for a while I suspect. Need to heal.

The orbital rim work was a fantastic decision so thank you for the encouragement on here. I think I'd have regretted it ever after if I didn't bite the bullet at the time.

Having said that, it's that which must have also contributed to the terrible eye swelling. FFS is so so brutal.

I think I'll have to have a consult with them sometime.

Wish you a peaceful and blissful day... time will heal.

Hi everyone,

I've had a tough few days. It's nothing about the FFS surgery itself, with which I continue to be mesmerised.

However ...  when I went for my check up last Friday Dr Sutin said the sides of my face, esp the left, were still swollen and sore so the stitches couldn't come out for a week. I was given a choice: fly back to the UK and have them removed or stay in Thailand another week. I chose the former and flew back. The flight was okay but quite a big strain on the body. Soon after landing I developed a sharp pain inside my left calf and I was rushed to hospital to check on possible DVT. My d-Dimer level was sky high (>1000 ng/mL). That's the test used for clotting and DVT risk so I was given immediate heparin subcutaneous injection.

For the past week I have had a horrible cough, bringing up phlegm and I was diagnosed today with a post-operative chest infection. In addition the left side of my face is infected around the stitches at the lower ear so I was given antibiotics to treat both.

I felt dreadful earlier but I'm starting to pick up again.

I'm not apportioning any blame but I will say that healthcare professionals here are 'surprised' I wasn't given heparin post op in Thailand as well as compression socks. It's normal procedure now in the UK to be given heparin for at least 7 days after major surgery and I was also informed today that after that length of surgery they would advise against long haul flying for 3 months. That seems excessive, but one week was pushing it in my case.

The good news is that I think the facial surgery is fantastic. If that wasn't the case I'd be very down. I continue to think Dr Sutin performed a wonderful near-miracle on my face.

xx

That's bad...  the long flight maybe triggered it? take care and I hope you'll recover!

Thanks gorgeous. Yes, it may well have done I think
x

Here in the states they put the air operated socks on you after any surgery and they don't take them off until you are on your feet. Even my voice surgery  which was pretty quick and I was walking within hours was enough for the socks.

Quote from: Rachel Richenda on December 13, 2016, 12:45:08 PM
I'm not apportioning any blame but I will say that healthcare professionals here are 'surprised' I wasn't given heparin post op in Thailand as well as compression socks. It's normal procedure now in the UK to be given heparin for at least 7 days after major surgery and I was also informed today that after that length of surgery they would advise against long haul flying for 3 months. That seems excessive, but one week was pushing it in my case.

I've not heard of anyone getting heparin for surgery in Thailand, and people routinely fly back within a month or so of surgery. I guess most don't come back quite so quickly though. It could be that you're susceptible to blood clots and just never had a problem with it before. I found this article which also mentions surgery within 3 months as a risk factor, age over 40, and estrogen...

Long Distance Travel and Blood Clots
http://patientblog.clotconnect.org/2010/11/22/long-distance-travel-and-blood-clots/

I guess you should look into this next time you have surgery, but perhaps you're also at increased risk of DVT when flying normally. I think I'd look into that and see if its anything worth worrying about, and if so what you can do about it.

Wow sorry to hear about the complications. Hope you can get through them ok and quickly.