Upper Eyelid Surgery – My Recovery Photos

The Day Has Arrived… 14th December

Today is the day – the day I’ve been anxiously awaiting, feeling both excited and terrified at the same time. It’s time for my Upper Eyelid Surgery!

It could be the best thing I’ve ever done or it could maim me for life….. in reality, unlikely, as any major mistake can be rectified more or less – Richard Price (my superb surgeon) took me through the risks and the solutions in my second consultation. And I’ve put those to the back of my head, as you do in situations like this.

I’m due at the hospital at 7.30am but to avoid traffic we get there at 7.00am. I sent my friend home who kindly gave me a lift and reassured me throughout the journey  – obviously sensing my rising panic!  To be honest though, I didn’t hear a word he said.

I arranged for my Mum to collect me later once the Nurse has called her (all part of the service).

This time I walked into the hospital with a completely different outlook than previously. It felt life changing – it felt HUGE! Like the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life – of my own choosing anyway! It was almost dreamlike… as if it wasn’t really happening to me. I had so many questions going through my head. Is it too late for questions now?

• Will I come out looking like Frankenstein?
• What if my eyes are wonky?
• What if I can’t see after the operation?
• I might not wake up!
• I’m definitely going to look like Rocky Balboa!

In fact, that was the only image I had in my head, Rocky Balboa’s beaten up face on my body laying in a hospital bed!

It’s incredible what goes through your mind, but it’s all perfectly normal and nothing to worry about.

I got taken to my private room which was like a small hotel room, it was very nice and most of all clean!

This absolutely lovely lady came in and introduced herself as my Nurse for the day, Christine, she was to be the one who would come with me to hand me over when it was time to go in.  She would be the one taking care of me when it was over and would be there for me when I wake up. In fact, she was going to be my rock at what felt like such a vulnerable time. I was very grateful for her.

A short while later Richard Price came in to see me. He introduced me to a lady who was to take my before and after photos which she did. Quite a few, very close up ones of my very tired looking eyes – it was early in the morning and I hadn’t really slept much the night before so they weren’t the best photos I’ve ever had taken!

Richard explained that I would be taken in shortly, he went over the procedure again and told me not to worry. He would see me in a little while and then he left.

So, about 15 minutes later I was ready to go down – I was in my hospital gown, laying on the bed when all I wanted to do was pace up and down to calm my nerves.  A man arrived to wheel me through on my bed a short while later and my wonderful Christine walked alongside me talking to me and reassuring me that Richard was fab at what he does – which I don’t doubt for a second. He instills confidence from the moment you meet him.

As we went through the double doors into the operating room Richard was there with the anesthetist. He explained that I would feel a small sharp prick and I would be told to count down from 10 and I would fall asleep. By this time I was feeling extremely anxious but also excited!

I was determined to get to 1, to fight the urge until I got there – I think I managed to get to 8 and I was gone.

Where Was I?

I woke up but couldn’t see anything!

Oh my goodness, my fear had come true! I was blind!!

I heard the voice of my Nurse who instantly cured me of my blindness – she removed the cold pack which was laying loosely over my eyes! Phew! The relief was immense and I felt stupid for not realising what it was.

I was feeling a little confused from the anesthetic and my eyes were fuzzy.

My eyes were stinging a bit and they felt a little tight but nowhere near what I expected.

My guardian angel offered me a cup of tea and told me to just lay and relax.

I had a little bit of a sleep because I still felt groggy but I was pleased that it wasn’t more painful.

What seemed like a few minutes later but was much longer, Richard Price came in to see me and told me he was happy with the way it went. He told me that he would see me again in 7 days to have the stitches removed and if I had any concerns at all to call the hospital and no matter what time of day or night somebody would be there to advise me. What a lovely man he truly is.

My nurse gave me a mirror and I was pleasantly surprised – yes there was a little element of Rocky Balboa but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I had imagined.

The tape on my face is where the end of the stitches string is, it’s just to keep it secure and safe from catching. Ignore the tape on my chin LOL! That is nothing to do with my eyes, Richard Price also removed a mole for me at the same time.

So, as you can see this is as bad as it was going to be really. And it wasn’t unbearable at all.

I was given some pain relief tablets to take home with me and advised that I need to rest for the next couple of days and sleep as upright as possible for the next few days to ensure I didn’t roll over onto my eyes – ouch! That would hurt!

I rested a while longer, for about an hour and then my Mum arrived to take me home – yes she was shocked! You know what Mums are like – it must have been awful for her really.

Going home was a welcome relief, knowing that I didn’t have to go out again. I got into bed and slept on and off just resting my eyes.

Sleeping upright is extremely hard and I think I woke every two hours so it wasn’t the best nights sleep I’ve ever had but I didn’t expect it to be.

Photo Diary – It’s Not Pretty!

Below is a photo diary of my progress and how I felt over the next 7 days.

Day Two: 

Looking much better – I thought bruising and swelling would be worse.

Eyes are a little bit sore but not too bad – still slightly blurry vision.

I washed my eyes with saline and this helped with the blur.

Applying ice packs every 3 hours and cream every time the wounds feel tight.

 Day Three:

Started off the day OK but swelled up much more as the day progressed.

Painful and tight.

Feel like I have sand in my eyes.

Banging headache – the worst day so far!

Day Four:

Swelling has reduced quite well – today is the BEST day so far.

Not really any pain anymore – just feel like eyes when they’re tired.

Needed cleaning with saline this morning but vision is much clearer today.

Starting to itch and feel dry – need ointment more than ever.

                                           Close up of Day Four:

 Day Five:

Wow my eyes are starting to look fab – I hope they stay like this!

Still itchy today but obviously a good sign of healing.

Vision is OK today.

Still need ointment.

Day Six:

I am so impressed with my eyes. I look so much younger now that my tired eyes are gone!

No itching today.

Still feels a little dry and tight but to be expected.

Can’t wait until tomorrow to get my stitches out.

Day Eight:

This is my final photo and I love it!

As you can see the stitches are out.

There is no pain, no itchiness, no blurry vision.

The only symptom remaining is the wound feels a little tight, but it’s not uncomfortable it’s just slightly different.

There is still a small bit of swelling in the lid which subsided day by day and after another week they were how they should be.

Wow! What a difference to the “before” pictures.

My Final Thoughts:

In my opinion, for me personally, this was the best thing that I ever did and I wish I had done it years ago – so is it worth it?  Yes, definitely!

It was three days of feeling uncomfortable and only one day when I truly felt rubbish, uncomfortable and in pain and that was on Day Three.

I had to go back for a check up one month after having my stitches taken out and again two months after that and everything was perfect.

If you are thinking about doing it, for the money it was worth every single penny and I would have paid more!

The most important thing is that you find a reputable, professional whom you trust and feel comfortable with and do not make the mistake of going for the cheapest priced option. If you find two surgeons you are happy with then of course, use the cheaper option but you must do your research – that is the most important part of this whole process – even if it takes you months to find a good one, it’s worth it.

To find a good surgeon ask around on-line, read reviews or do what I did – when I had decided on my surgeon I asked my GP if he knew him and he said his own Mother had been to him for the same procedure and that he highly recommended him.

Click here to read my experience when researching surgeons and how I found mine.

I can 100% recommend Richard Price for this procedure and if I had anything further done in the future it would always be him I returned to – he does several procedures including face lifts, breast lift and augmentation etc. – although they are not something I’m thinking about doing now or in the future…..

Let me know your thoughts or experiences in the Comments below – I’d love to hear all about it!