|
CHAPTER 3: Your Facelift Is Waiting for You
I'd like to tell you that I was swept away in a limo from the airport.
Truth be told, Josés car was a little red one that was clean, safe but had no air conditioning or radio. It did,
however, have the one thing I needed – José, my fabulous bilingual
driver. José drove me to my final destination, Villa Ganz, the hotel
I picked for my new home of 12 days. I was exhausted and was thinking only
of getting into my room for a much-needed bed and food. The two things I needed – pesos
and a phone card – I couldn't buy anyway, as banks and most shops are
closed on Sunday.
As we pulled up to the villa, it went from hot and sunny
to a torrential downpour. I had saved money for a rainy day and the irony was
I had scheduled this all in the month of August – Guadalajara's rainy season.
I took this as a good omen as we pulled up to the villa. Staff were waiting for
me. A perfect hideaway with a lovely, warm atmosphere. I was one flight of stairs
away from my room, my bed and a long day's end was within my grasp. My day, which
started in Chicago at 4:30am, was finally drawing to a close.
I was famished, excited and tired. I called downstairs
to have my first taste of the local fare. I ordered a hamburger and fries – well,
you can take the girl out of the US… One hour later and I was taught a couple
of first-day lessons: in Mexico activity is not hurried, and words are taken
literally. I ordered a hamburger and it had ham in it. So I can pass on
this tip: when in Mexico, keep it simple and slow down.
I ended Day 1 by entering my last thoughts into
my journal, given to me by my best friend. The journal opened to my bookmark
with the Winston Churchill quotation: "Never, never, never quit..." How
appropriate. It made me think of all the planning behind my surgical trip as
well as provide a spiritual connection to my home and my friends who supported
me.
Day 2
At 8am room service arrived with my breakfast. There is no way to watch your
calories or worry when you stay next to the best bakery in Guadalajara. I rationalised
it, though – José would pick me up within an hour for tests – and
I did need my energy. Two croissants, coffee, fresh fruit and cereal was much
needed fuel, right!
At 9am, José drove me for urinalysis and
X-rays of the head and nose. Afterwards, he took me to my last stop of the day
to buy a post-op head garment. This is when it really hit me: I was actually
going to need this, for I had an appointment with Dr José GS at 6pm and
surgery the next day. The garment would become my most used piece of clothing.
I did not envisage that I would wear it after my surgical dressings were taken
off for four weeks post-op. That's right – I had this garment on three weeks
at home, day and night. It's purpose was to keep my incisions and surgery away
from anything that could hamper recovery or hurt my progress. I bought two, for
they needed to be washed.
I was counting the hours until 6pm, the time
for my consult with Dr Jose GS. At 5.50pm, José called my room to say
he was to take me to meet the doctor at the clinic. If all went well I would
be having my facelift tomorrow. As we pulled up outside the clinic – a simple
two-storey brick building – it started to rain again, a constant theme in
this adventure.
At the desk, friendly RNs had me sign in and told
me to sit in the waiting area, which was full of pre-ops, post-ops and other
people who all asked: "What are you here for?" I sat for a few minutes,
adrenaline coursing through me, as I heard announced: "Victoria, room seven." I
went upstairs. Lucky seven, I hoped, wanting finally to see Dr Jose. Instead,
it was a very friendly cardiologist, Dr Robles, who took a history of my medications
b/p and asked if I was enjoying Guadalajara. Before I could answer, a thin, smiling
man said: "Victoria, welcome. I am Dr Guerrerosantos. Would you please come
into my office and let's talk."
He looked no more than 50. As I handed him
my old chart he looked at my face, shook my hand and made me feel so at ease.
He asked me to stand up, and as I rattled off a million questiions he examined
my face. He then asked me to sit back down.
"Well," he said. "I know what you
want to have done, and I believe that we can make you look natural, not tight,
and enhance what you have with some fat injections to make a fuller, more youthful
face."
I asked if the previous damage I suffered with
my rhinoplasty and my neck could be corrected. He smiled. "Yes, you will
be fine and I think very happy when it is all done." He asked me to follow
him into a room, where he took some digital pictures of me pre-op. When he was
done and we went back to his office he said: "Tomorrow you will have a face
lift, neck lift, eye lift and eye-brow lift [a term used literally for opening
the eye more by raising the eye brow, not the forehead]. I will give you fat
injections into your nasolabial folds and in the buccal fat pad to make your
face round and youthful. The nose we will do one day after. Four hours of surgery
is enough for one day and you will stay in the clinic overnight to be monitored
by an RN."
My state was such that I could hear all he said
but it was not sinking in, for the surgery was actually going to happen! I blurted
out: "Do you promise I won't be aware
of any of this?" I was used to general anaesthesia.
"When you wake up, it will be over." He
shook my hand, flashing a huge smile as if to say, 'Don't worry, Victoria.'
So off to the Villa for a light meal. A hamburger
again, but this time hold the ham! I was scheduled for 10am. I was ready.
CHAPTER 1:
ADVENTURES IN FACELIFTING
CHAPTER 2: FLIGHT TO A
FACELIFT
CHAPTER 3: YOUR FACELIFT
IS WAITING FOR YOU
CHAPTER 4: IN THE OPERATING
THEATRE
CHAPTER 5: THE HOME STRETCH
CHAPTER 6: SIX MONTHS
POST-OP
CHAPTER 7: ONE YEAR
LATER
GO BACK
TO BODY LANGUAGE WEB
|
