Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Hi Shirley, your pictures looked good. Thanks for sharring. I'm glad you are recovering so well and everything is like you expected. I probably won't have surgery done for awhile, because I can still function pretty well. I really was having a hard time seeing right before my injections, but I still could function & see to do most things that I want to do. My injection just don't last as long as they used to, and my eyelids are droopy a lot. I have a hard time reading and watching TV. Actually I very seldom watch TV.
I'm sorry that you had a problem with the injection that seeped down into your upper lip. I talked to someone else that had that happen.
Does it just gradually improve as it wears off?
Billie in Kansas
Re Botox and lip drooping
The lip problem has happened once before and it was worse that time. It was after I got injections on either side of my nose to try to stop my nose from scrunching up (rabbit thing) and my lip from pulling up. It certainly did stop all that plus I couldn't smile or open my mouth well to even eat. The food kept hitting my upper lip instead of my mouth. I never got injections there again. It was 3 months before my lip was back to normal.
This time, I was aware that it might happen as the doctor and I discussed it. With it only being 5 weeks since my surgery, I had more swelling in my lower lids and we talked about the fact that the swelling might cause the botox to go down into unwanted areas. I decided to go ahead and risk it and get the botox as my lower lids felt like they were going to turn themselves inside out. It will gradually wear off but until then, I look rather dorky. Even talk a little funny.The interesting thing is that although I used to have problems with my nose scrunching and lip pulling up, it only happened after I got botox injections and then as the botox wore off, the nose scrunching and lip would improve and go away. When I changed doctors and he injected different sites than the previous doctor, I haven't had this particular problem since. Shirley in AR.
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Thanks for sharing. I am printing and keeping these photos for reference. I know you mentioned the healing process seems kind of
slow but in some sense maybe it will provide a better end result. I
think you are looking good and hopefully not only will you get relief
from this disorder but you'll look better as well!! All the baggy stuff
done and gone...:<) The other really positive you mention is the lowering of the med dosages and also the botox injection amounts. That
is a marvelous reduction in and of itself. Much easier for your body
to assimilate less "stuff". I have been working with a nutritionist and it seems there are difficulties making headway because the meds have
to be filtered through the organs and it is added stress for them.
So, rejoice my dear, we will with you and hope the improvement continues. I really look forward to seeing the new "you" at the
conference. Take care....Joanne M. San Diego, CA
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Thanks Joanne for the positive reinforcement. I am quite happy that I've been able to cut back on the medication. For now, I've gone as low as I can. When I try to cut back anymore, I have difficulty getting my eyes to open and stay open or the squeezing gets worse with any stress ( which can be just about anything). Sometimes I wonder, too, if I am doing the right thing by taking the extra B vitamin and the Calcium and magnesium supplement and the fish oil, etc, etc. I don't take as much as they say to take but do take a low dosage of a variety of vitamin and mineral supplements that others have recommended. I don't see where they have helped. It really is difficult to know what to do when there are no real answers out there for us.Shirley in AR. where it is warm and muggy.
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Shirley - you look GREAT! Now, treat yourself. Go buy new eyeshadows and lipstick! Or do what I do - get a facial! It is so marvelous, feels good, helps my skin ( I have icky skin). I wish I were there to go with you - a girls' trip!Shelley
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Thanks Shelly, It would be nice to go do a girl's thing. What with two sons and a husband that all have anxiety attacks at the mere mention of shopping (horrors) or any other related thing, my outings aren't always the most pleasant.
I have absolutely never ever had a facial done and I'm almost 50. I wear very little makeup, though and never any eyeshadow-just a little lipstick and occasionally some foundation and eyebrow pencil, if I'm going somewhere. It would be nice to wear some mascara, though. Eyelashes are just starting to straighten out from the surgery. They have been a real mess-going every which-a-way. And what with the tearing, mascara is not an option at this point.
The thought of those things is nice, though.Shirley in AR.
Re: Makeup
I wouldn't have been `caught dead' without my mascara and eyeshadow on (and eyeliner at one point) - oh where have those days gone? Now I wouldn't put anything near my eyes - except brow brush. Also the thought of having a facial and someone touching me near the eyelid and eye area just makes me upset at the thought of it. I stick to a light foundation on dress-up days and lipstick. Now a pedicure, a manicure and hair do - that's for me - having all 3 done on Saturday in preparation for our trip to Las Vegas on Sunday. Bon Voyage!June in Toronto where its turned quite cool and rain in the air.
Re: Makeup
Hi Shirley you are really looking good. I am so happy for you it is nice to see someone getting good results.
I am getting real discouraged. I went a week last tuesday & got my injections my eyes started closing yesterday just 8 days.I fear that i am in for some bad times will try & take one day at a time.
Like June i dont want anything around my eyes so i wear my sunglasses
Take Care Colleen IL
Re: Bad eye days and relationships
Hi Colleen, thanks for the kind thoughts. Sorry that you are having so much difficulty. Did you have the Myobloc again? Taking one day at a time is really all any of us can do. Maybe your eyes will start improving again. You may just be having a bad couple of days here. I can never really tell why I am having a good day or a bad day. They just seem to do what they are going to do. Sometimes I think that I have it figured out and then wham, my theory is blown out of the water.
Are you still having tight squeezing or are your eyes just closing and hard to open?I really don't like anything around my eyes, either. Seldom wear any makeup. I wear my Fl-41 glasses all the time. Took them off for the pictures. And I wear wrap around sunglasses over them when I go outside.
My husband and I used to watch TV together on the couch and I would lay back and he would rub my head and forehead and around my eyes (I know, you're all saying "Isn't that sweet"?) Well, I can't stand for him to do it anymore. I don't really understand it. If he rubs anywhere around my forehead or eyes especially, it just drives me crazy (in a bad way). :'-( So, it even effects our relationships with our spouses in ways that we never would have imagined. Shirley in AR.
Re: Bad eye days and relationships
Hi Shirley,
Wow, your pictures are great. What a big improvement in how wide you can open your eyes.
My blind left eye has ptosis so bad that it barely opens most of the time. It is more noticeable since surgery as my right eye opens more now. Hey, I'm not complaining. At least I can see with my right eye now. I have a tinted contact lens for my blind eye. Maybe eventually I will be able to wear that again. It seems to keep my eye open a little better. I'm the same way as most of you gals who don't like things around the eye area. I don't wear much makeup either. When the sun is out, I wear my wraparound sunglasses also. I don't know if we will be able to come to Az in August or not, but I'm still hoping.
Evelyn
Re: contact lenses
Hi Evelyn, Thanks for the compliment.
You mentioning your contact lens brought back memories of mine. What you said about it keeping your eye open a little better, I think, was true for me also. I think that my contacts actually did help in some way to keep my eyes open more and wider. I don't know why, but they did. When I eventually had to stop wearing them as my eyes worsened, it really just seemed to make matters worse and I had more difficulty getting my eyes to stay open. I couldn't wear them, though and thought that they were part of the problem.It would be wonderful if you could come to Arizona in August. I'd like to give you a big hug. There is a special place in my heart for you and I would love to meet you. If you are doing well enough, you really should try to come. Shirley in AR.
Re: contact lenses
Hi Shirley,
Gerry and I have talked a little about the Arizona trip recently. He's not looking forward to the August heat in Arizona. I told him he would have air conditioning, but he said we still have to be out in the heat part of the time. I really want to come if we're able though. We are trying to be careful with spending, because we don't know what is in the future for Gerry's job. Id really like to meet you and the others too.
This is a lazy day for me. I still have three days before I can resume normal activity. I'm down to using two kinds of drops now. It's easier to remember to put them in.
Yesterday I made a new recipe called Spaghetti Salad. It's cooked, cold spaghetti (angel hair pasta) cut into one inch squares and mixed with several vegetables with salad dressing. It calls for honey/mustard dressing, but I didn't have any, so used Italian herb dressing. It's delicious.
Evelyn
Re: contact lenses
Hi Evelyn,Salad recipe sounds good ... please e-mail recipe. I think I would like the Italian dressing better than the honey/mustard anyway. I hope you do get to go to Arizona and meet everyone. I'll be there in spirit, but probably not in body. Sally in North Idaho
Re: evelyn
i've made that recipe also. didn't you have a heck of a time getting that hard squash cut in half?
Re: evelyn
Hi Kathy,
The recipe called for yellow zuchinni, and it was very easy to dice. I made a cabbage salad that was even more delicious than the spaghetti salad. I don't use dairy products, so tonight I made eggless salad with tofu and a special packet of seasoning. You add a little vinegar and I used a couple TBS. of Soy Mayonnaise, onions and pickles. It's far better than the egg salad I used to make.
This morning I made Brown Rice and Carrot Pilaf. So good. As you can tell, I'm enjoying being able to read my recipes now.
Evelyn
Re: evelyn
i wouldn't mind the recipe for this pilaf, or will it be in the cookbook? are you lactose intolerant also? i have a problem with dairy products because of this.
Re: evelyn
Hi Kathy,
I'm not sure what I have with dairy products, but they don't seem to agree with me. I had a stroke, so not using cheese, etc. has helped me lose weight and helps my blood pressure.
Here is the recipe for the pilaf:
Brown Rice and Carrot Pilaf 3 Tbs. butter or marg. I used olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped
1 c. coarsely shredded carrots
1 c. long grain brown rice I used Basmati brown rice.
2 1/2 c. vegetable stock
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped parsley I used 1/4 c. dried parsley
2 c. bean sprouts..optional Melt butter in 2 qt. pan over med. high heat. Add onion and carrots and cook till onion is soft...about 5 min. Stir in rice; continue to cook, stirring until rice browns slightly. add stock and salt; cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed...about 45 min.
Stir in parsley and sprouts if used, just before serving. Serves 6 This isn't in the cookbook. I received it after the cookbook went to press. --modified by Evelyn at Wed, Jun 27, 2001, 16:58:55 --modified by Evelyn at Wed, Jun 27, 2001, 21:11:09
Re: evelyn
thanks!! it sounds really good.
Re: contact lenses
that is exactly what my contact lenses did to me; kept my eyes open and longer but eyes worse afterwords.
Re: Bad eye day
Colleen, I am so sorry the Myobloc is not working this time for you. I feel your pain and frustration, I really do because I want this Myobloc to work better than the Botox. This past Monday was a very bad day for me, but Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday my eyes were open just fine BUT today they have shut down again. I really don't understand why. I have been out in the sun on those days and no problems. We went out for breakfast and I noticed on the trip there and back my eyes wanted to "flutter" just a bit but when I came home and started to clean the house - I guess the rushing about, vacuumning (sp?) dusting etc they just want to close. The back of my head is touching my back because I am looking out of the bottom slits of my eyes just to read the BB. I am going to take a nap and rest my eyes, maybe they will be better after I rest. They are not squeezing - just pulling shut and I am fighting to open them. By the way, my hubby has a birthday today, he is now my age. (64) Its a long story - one that I won't explain now but he is 6 months younger than me and we have this litle joke, His birthday is June and mine is December. So when he catches up with me, he is the Boss for the next 6 months and when I have my birthday in December - I am the Boss for the next 6 months. Works out perfect. I really just let him think he is Boss and the same works for me. . Joyce in NC where the weather is HOT and humid. Bad eye day or not , I am going to watch my granddaughter play softball at 6PM and it will be HOT then.
Re: Makeup
Hi June, I hope you have a wonderful trip.
Evelyn
Re: Las Vegas Trip
Thanks for the good wishes Evelyn - we are looking forward to a complete break. Neither of us are slot-machine gamblers but we are looking forward to the conference. I understand they have arranged for fun things - a couple getting married (not for real I don't think!), some skits and the doctors speaking are supposed to be very good. The author John Senneff (who himself has peripheral neuropathy--the subject of the conference) will be there - he's written a couple of books on PN.It'll be hot, hot, hot, there I understand, much dryer climate than Toronto - 2 pairs of dark wrap-around sunglasses ought to do it along with a wide-brimmed hat! June in Toronto
Re: Las Vegas Trip
Hi June,
Is PN in the eyes, or all over? I have neuropathy from my diabetes, b ut it's just noticeable in my feet and lower legs.
I quit playing slots just for fun, because I was afraid of becoming hooked on gambling, like a couple of my brothers were/are. When we used to go to Vegas for furniture shows, I'd blow money in the malls. I always came home with a beautiful outfit.
I need to go shopping for a summer hat. I want to try on wide brim hats because we're having a tea party at a friend's house in the end of August. I want to find some lightweight gloves for the party too.
Evelyn
Re: PN
Hi Evelyn, peripheral neuropathy can be all over - a lot of people are in wheel chairs. It affects the muscles and the nerves - there has been talk on their bb about the eyes but I'm not sure about that. In my husband's case it affects his feet and calves, up to his knees - and is now going into his fingers. We should know more about the disease after this coming week at the conference.We leave tomorrow am - our computer is going into service while we are away. This is the last posting for a while. Take care all. June in Toronto
Re: BYE June
June, have a good time. You'll be missed.Shirley in AR.
Re: BYE June
Hi June have a good trip.
You & Shirley will both be missed.
Colleen in IL
Re: PN
June, this sounds like Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. My grandson (6) was just diagnosed with it. A blood test will confirm it, but very few look for it. It took my daughter five years and many Dr.s before they got a name for it! It has varying forms, and progresses at different rates. My grandson is now in braces he'll need for the rest of his life and we're just hoping it doesn't progress to the point of wheel chair or in his hands. It is genetic. Some people don't even know they have it, just walk a little clumsy. Good Luck! Pat in NY
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Looking good Shirley - keep it up.June in Toronto
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Hi Shirley, you look great. Can you blink? Are your eyes opened all you can open them? Did your insurance pay for the surgery? How long have you had bleph? Sorry for all the questions but inquiring minds want to know.
Sorry about your lip. And thanks for sharing.
becca in hot calif.
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Thanks June and Valarie and Becca.1. Yes, I can blink Becca. Sometimes I have to remind myself to do so as I will feel my eyes getting dry and starting to burn. Other times they seem to blink normally and other times they still blink or close too much. It varies throughout the day. 2. My eyes were open about as wide as I can open them right now. 3. My insurance would not cover the cosmetic portion of the surgery. That was an out-of-pocket expense that had to be paid before the surgery. This charge would differ from patient to patient depending on what the doctor has to do. Others have had the procedure done without the cosmetic portion. The figures that were given to me in regard to the cost of the cosmetic portion before my visit with Dr. Anderson as an estimate were $2,500 to $3,700. I haven't received my bill yet for the surgery (the non-cosmetic part) but the insurance has paid a portion of it. I went out of network and some of the charges were not allowed so I may still have several more thousand to pay, myself. The hospital and anesthesiologist were in-network so that portion was paid in full. Everyone's insurance and coverage would be different. 4. I have had Blepharospasm for approximately 2 1/2 years. Apraxia of lid opening was my main problem. Shirley in AR.
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Shirley, I am sooo happy for you and your great results!! Hugs from across the creek.
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Well, Shirley, you're lookin' good! Is your forehead numb? Mine still is, but not much. Mary
Re: Numbness
Hi Mary,
Goodness, yes, I'm still a numbskull. All the way up to my hairline. Periodically through the day and especially when I go to bed at night, it feels like "things" are crawling around up there under the skin. You don't suppose Dr. A put something up there to torture me to get me back for discussing his boots on the bulletin board? Naw, he loves the attention. It could take years for that to go away. I can live with it, though. So, are you going to the conference? It would be a free post-op visit with Dr. A. We could have a picture made with all his "works of art" surrounding him and his boots. Somebody could do bunny ears behind his head. You know you want to come. Shirley in AR.
Re: Numbness
from one numbskull to another....I'd love to come to any conference, but I'm afraid this won't be the one! Maybe if they have it in Buffalo, or Syracuse, or Rochester...or any other NY city ! I know it will be wonderful for all who can go. Actually, my forehead is numb only when hubby kisses it in the a.m.! It doesn't feel numb or "crawly" to me, when it's not being touched. Mary
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Shirley, once again thank you for taking the time to
post your post-op pictures along with your walk through
recovery. I think you look great. I am very happy that
you are doing so well and you are pleased with your results.
God Bless,
Mindy
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Looking good, Shirley!!Sally in North Idaho who has a swollen, bruised eye from today's Botox!
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Thanks Mindy and Sally. Sorry that you have a bruised eye, Sally.
I hope that your botox works well for you this time.Shirley
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Your eyes look great !! You can definitely see the artistry of the surgeon following the natural lines of your lids. I can barely see anything wrong except a little puffiness. It looks like you are wearing a delicate shade of pink eye shadow.
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Kathy, you need to go to work for Dr. Anderson. I read your post and I thought to myself "Lookin Good". Dr. A needs somebody like you in his office to explain to patients how they are going to look when the master surgeon finishes his work. :-))Shirley in AR.
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Shirley, I cannot get over how great the pictures look. The way you were talking in one of your last posts, I thought that you were much worse that these show. From experience, I can tell you that you will not even notice where the incisions were made in a month or so. The swelling looks like it progressed just as mine did. It is real even which is a good sign. As I mentioned, when I had the lower one done recently, my left eye is much worse than the right and I really don't think that it is going to get back to normal. I am afraid I am going to have to go back out to Utah since I can't make it to Phoenix to see Dr. A.Glad to see things are progressing well. Talk to you soon......Alan
Re: 9 week post-op pictures
Hi Alan, Thanks I think the incision line looks fine. They are both a little different but not noticeably so to others. The pictures were taken in the early afternoon and some of my early morning swelling was gone. They usually feel really tight in the morning when I get up and are more swollen then and then they improve through the day. There doesn't seem to be any swelling in my upper lids from the incision line to the lash area. It is all above the incision line and in the brow area. The lower lids still have some puffiness that comes and goes.
He did a lot more work on my right eye (it was much worse symptom wise, than the left) and it actually looks better most of the time than my left eye does. The suture line is really nice on the right side (excuse me folks, I worked in surgery for a bit so I can say that the suture or incision line looks great without flinching). Kathy would be real pleased with the artistry of it and not quite so pleased with the left. But that is really nit picking. (school nurse term). :-)Have you called and talked to Dr. Anderson about your left eye? The swelling just doesn't want to go down in that lower lid? How long has it been now, since your lower myectomy? Shirley in AR.
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