My Dr Konior FFS experience by Wendy
Yahoo e-mail: Wendy48088@yahoo.com
Yahoo 360 page: http://360.yahoo.com/wendy48088

I had Facial Feminization Surgery done with Dr Raymond Konior in the Chicago area on Tuesday, 27 May 2008. I had the following procedures done:

Face Lift with Platysmaplasty
Cervicofacial Liposuction
Pretricheal Browlift with Bossa Shaving and Hairline Advancement
Mid-Face lift
Thyroid Cartilage Shave

I did not get any jaw or nose work done.

I was in a lot of pain the first 4 days after the operation. I could not keep the Vicodin down - I kept throwing it up (which is very bad when you can't get the pain meds in your system). So the nurse I paid for to stay with me the first two days (a good idea if you don't have someone trained / capable of dealing with this kind of post-op stuff with you) called Dr Konior and I was switched to Darvocet, two tablets every 4 hours, which I could keep down and which worked for me.

"Worked for me" means I was in a constant pain level of roughly 6 or 7 (on a scale of 0-10). First two days felt like my face was on fire. Went to the clinic (wife drove me) and Dr Konior removed the drains and the heavy compression bandage. Went back to the Comfort Suites and kept applying ice packs and got some of the "rebound swelling" the Dr mentioned (once the drins are out the fluid now stays in the face. So if the first two days it felt like my face was on fire, the second two day (days 3 and 4) it felt like the whole fire dept was jumping on my face stomping out the fire.

I was also very tired and not eating anything except for drinking Ensure nutritional drinks. I got better and started eating (microwaved soup and unsalted crackers) and getting my strength back by the fifth day.

Recovery from this kind of surgery is not easy or painless. I did not get a lot of sleep and had almost no energy for about the first week.

At 4 weeks post-op I am still swollen and tight along the sides of the head and very tight onder the jaw and chin, and some (hopefully temporary) loss of sensation on the top of my head, and it feels like I am wearing a football helmet with the chin / jaw strap pulled tight, but otherwise not too bad.

It takes about a full three weeks to get your strength back. Post-op depression (I take 10 mg Prozac daily so that guards me against the real depression of the feeling of being in a deep dark pit that I had sneak up on me some years ago.) seems to be a confused state where it is hard to think and you seem to be in a cloud. I think it's a combination of the anesthesia staying in your system for a while, and your body devoting all it's resources to healing.

It's survivable, but anyone wanting to do this better plan for doing nothing other than recovering and getting their strength back for three weeks after the operation.

I paid for a nurse the first two days. You don't have to pay for a nurse but do have to have someone there who is able and willing to care for you with you for at least the first two days. That's someone who knows what to do if you have bleeding, a fever, start shaking or otherwise have a sudden problem, too much swelling, too much pain, etc. They must be capable of devoting a lot of time to you for at least the first two days, and somewhat less but still attentative for the next two days after that. Not someone who is going to be too bored and totally out of touch when you are in pain and at your weakest and most helpless.

You will also need eye drops for dry eyes.

Plan on several hours for a shampoo to get the dried blood out of your hair. Soak your hair and pat in lots of shampoo and conditioner and rinse out by pouring water gently over your head. Did I mention this takes several hours? Any rubbing at all and your hair will come out in clumps due to post-surgical trauma to the scalp.

Also start taking Metamucil or some such fiber drink to get your system restarted again (otherwise the anesthesia from the operation + not eating for several days causes a lot of pain when things do get restarted later).

At 4 weeks post-op the top of my head has loss of sensation and feels like I have a wig cap on. My temples and muscles under my jaw is still tight - feels like I am wearing a football helmet. Dr says this will resolve in the coming 2 months or so.

I am very impressed with Dr Konior and his staff, and think he did an excellent job on me.

Dr Konior's Website: http://www.thenewyoudoc.com/

Hi Wendy,
Congrats on the surgery, it sounds like you had quite the ordeal. I'm glad you had someone there to help you out, it definitely pays to do that I think. You pictures didn't come through in that post by the way. Give yourself a full year to see the results of the FFS Meghan

That's odd, the pictures were there before I went to bed and now they're gone.

Quote from: Beyond on July 05, 2008, 07:49:50 AM
That's odd, the pictures were there before I went to bed and now they're gone.

Maybe she got shy?

Wendy!

It's so good to hear from you!  I'm glad you're feeling better.

The numbness may be around for quite sometime, though.  My scalp and chin still feel a bit numb, though some feeling has returned.  I have lost the "wearing a helmet" feeling and have a bit of temperature feeling so I can now blow dry my hair without fear of burning myself.  Beware of that going forward.  Towel dry your hair until you get some sensation back.

My GCS surgeon, Dr. Christine, had her facial surgery about seven years ago and she still has numbness.  Unfortunately that is the price we pay for our changes.  I wouldn't change a thing about what I have had done, but having the numbness can be a challenge.

And it will take about a year for all the swelling to go down and the soft tissue to properly reform.

Congratulations on the new you!

BTW:Put the pictures back up...

-Sandy(Or *I* will!  Muuuuaaahaaaahaaaa!)

Wendy- yes, congrats on the surgery.

I am 10 days post op from FFS and I can testify to the lack of energy.  I am forcing myself to taking 2 walks daily but I give out pretty quickly.  I have to go back to work Monday and I wish I could take another week off.

Virginia