Question
Hello! I found this board a week ago and have been reading as fast and as much as possible. Am embarrased to admit, but I am one who did not research enough to know what to expect and gather enough info to make a better informed decision - - on the work I had done. Am 50 and while I do have a couple other issues going on with my eyes, am wondering if you can advise: I had upper/lower /mmh/product/eyelidsurgery/index.vm?procid=6" target=_blank>bleph, endo B/L and what my surgeon called a "cheek lift" or mid-/mmh/product/facelift/index.vm?procid=7" target=_blank>face lift. Since I woke up 3 months ago, I've had total numbness from top of eyelid to upper lip, left side only! Even inside of my mouth was numb. Surgeon said it would take 2 days to 2 wks to come out - - and that he has not seen anyone "like me" where it has taken so long. PS has been doing these F/L's since 1987! You get the /pictures/index.php" target=_blank>picture . . . sigh. I've been thinking "I'M AN IDIOT" for months since my face isn't responding "like everyone else". My immediate question is, the numbness is slowly coming out, but leaves a "semi-numb" feeling - like my lip, lower cheek, eye lids feel like they are waking up after having the blood cut off, except they haven't TOTALLY woken up. My cheek is still numb but extremely painful - - I cannot bear to touch my upper cheek/lower lid area. Mega odd since I've always had a high threshold for pain. I welcome any responses/advice.


Answer
Bayport : I am hoping 2 dogs will answer you :she has a wealth of information, encouragement and some helps............ as she has had some of the same stuff ( and she reseached extensively). I am expectig those with similar procedures to reassure you and advocate patience. This whole pastic surgery thing though is filled with lots of unknowns though isn't it ?and it seems we can never quite prepare enough: eg the numbness is really not like the dentist is it?: it is a "dead person feeling" to touch one's cheek. I am almost 12 months from a lower facelift and neck ( no /mmh/product/eyelidsurgery/index.vm?procid=6" target=_blank>eyes)and I would say I still have about 15-18% numbness still, though not sore to touch anymore
Good luck and hope this helps a bit
Chloe


Answer
Hi bayport,all I can tell you is what my own experiance has been,1yr ago had F/L L/B N/L and dermabrasion,as of 5days ago I a revision of the lower face.
If I'm not mistaken,the cheekbone area remained tender for some months,can you still feel little lumps on the cheekbone,if you can thats the internal stiches and can be painful but usually only when touched.
I had numbness for a very long time but only around the front of ears and outer corners of eyes,lasting aprox,10mths,it's a slow progress this healing,and now I'm back to square one.
It's nothing like extreme makeover is it?Hope you get some answers,and continue recovering


Answer
Hi Chloe! Yes, I'm here, the font of all trivial info! Bayport, Chloe is right. Even those of us who researched thought "numbness" meant SKIN numbness, such as in dental novacaine! How dumb were we??? It's a deep tissue numbness along WITH the skin surface. The skin surface does get "half" alive and seem not to get better. I'm 7 months out from neck, face, midface with endotines and brow. I also have the upper cheek/temple area quite dead on the left, still, but not AS dead as it was a month ago. It's coming. Still some wooden, spongey and, as Chloe said "corpse-like" areas in front of ears. Don't worry. The process is like watching paint dry! Nothing we can do to hurry it...I think it's a combination: we had very deep procedures, we are slower to heal than others, and we are very "sensitive" to how the face "feels," while others don't seem to be bothered much by this bizarre feeling. Try not to get down about it, or "measure it" more than once a month!
Hang in there!
2 Dogs


Answer
Thank you for your help! It is a godsend that there are others out there with the same complications . . . my PS kept telling me that he'd never had anyone that had problems like me! I cannot feel stitches and my midface was done thru temple & lower bleph incisions only. The brochure said I had as much chance of problems as I did getting into a car accident. That's exactly how they worded it! Well, the right side as healed fine but the left side is a train wreck. The bleph being the worst - - but I think I'm in the wrong section to discuss that. Anyway, thank you sticking around after your surgery to help others!! I really appreciate knowing that my sore, numb skull & cheek will get better in time. And I like that suggestion to "measure" by month rather than by week. With that perspective I can see that some progress has been made.