Here’s Sue BEFORE her Face Lift with Dr. Quiroz of COSMED Plastic Surgery Center in Mexico. Look for her next blog posts as she shares her experiences (and photos!) of her plastic surgery journey.
Submitted by Sue Teague, Retired RN, CosMed Patient & Guest Blogger
Maybe you have thought that cosmetic surgery “is not for me.” Maybe you are right. However, it is likely that you arrived at the CosMed website and are reading this because you are curious what you might be getting into as you begin to explore cosmetic surgery.
Perhaps, you are contemplating a cosmetic procedure with less than complete information and are not sure how to get the facts you need. Perhaps you are hesitant with thoughts of pain, fear of the unknown or dread critical judgments by others. Maybe you are harshly judging your own sanity! All of these concerns are common and can be valuable in the “discovery process” because they slow you down from what is an emotionally based pursuit. After all, this surgery is elective and cosmetic! Such an important decision as cosmetic surgery should not be entered into lightly or with unexamined expectations.
About my blog posts for COSMED:
This story began as a personal blog for my friends and family and morphed into a series. I, along with CosMed, believed that an “informational blog” might be of interest to readers. When preparing for surgery, there is much groundwork that needs to be done including personal, emotional, medical, and financial questions that need to be addressed before scheduling. However, pulling the details together is manageable, especially if you remember the Rule of ONE-a minimalist approach to problem solving where you focus on ONE thing at a time.
About Sue, The Blogger:
This Blog will be a series written by one woman who wrestled with many of the same questions and issues as you are.
I am Sue, a 63-year-old widow. These are the two most important factors that relate to the desire for a facelift-age and marital status.
Why is age important? Chronological age represents a clock of my time here on Planet Earth; if I am to believe the actuaries, then my clock is at now at 4:38pm (nearly cocktail time!). I have some time until the clock strikes midnight and am acutely aware of the passage of time.
Why is my marital status an important factor? Now, I check off the “Widow” box on my tax return. The protracted and extremely difficult nature of my husband’s cancer journey took an ugly toll on my body; I became more overweight and my face fell along with my hopes for the future. The unrelenting stressors of caretakings after-effects are well-documented and were painfully evident whenever I looked in the mirror. My face aged a decade in 2 years. Every time I looked at myself, I was reminded of the awfulness of losing my husband. It has been 3 years since his passing and I decided it was time to heal the outside of me. I have lost 30 lbs. It is time for my facelift.
My personality occupies the high end of the “happiness scale”; in fact, I have been told that there might be something seriously wrong with me. What can I say-I was blessed with Happy Hormones and a sometimes annoyingly cheerful disposition. I spend 4-5 months/year traveling the US with my bichon frise, Cassie, spending time with friends and family from coast-to-coast. My inquisitive, outgoing nature is a perfect match for my RV travel lifestyle. I especially enjoy the beauty and solitude of our country’s national parks. I seek new experiences; last year I went whitewater rafting and this year I am planning a zip line at the Royal Gorge in Colorado. Solo travel can be too solitary at times, so I write a Blog to stay in contact with my F & F who seem to vicariously enjoy my adventures. I am sometimes obsessed with doing things on the computer and some of my friends think I am “geeky.”
When not traveling, I reside in a modest over-55 retirement community in Florida where my activities as a newsletter editor bring me both Yays and Nays depending on your politics. I ignore the Naysayers. There will always be people who feel it is their job to rain on other peoples’ parade.
I decided NOT to tell people of my choice to have a facelift until after-the-fact. This makes it easier for me as I do not have to repeatedly explain myself. It is also more comfortable for those who have fears and biases struggling with the concept and how to react to my plan. My annual extended vacation to the west coast from Florida enabled my “stealth mode plan” to take place.
Financial
Most would not expect a retired RN, widowed from a retired police officer, to be rich. That is true of my situation. I expected to pay a lot of money for a facelift was ready and willing to part with some savings. I have always fervently believed that we always find ways to do what we believe to be important and will always find reasons not to do things that are not as important. I made budgetary sacrifices to go forward with cosmetic surgery.
Whether you are young and wishing enhancements to your appearance or a young-elder and desire corrections to age-related assaults to your appearance, motivating factors are vanity-based. After all, we are talking about cosmetic surgery! I choose not to label myself as a vain person and I decided to call my facelift “self-care.”
So, here we go! I hope you find something to enjoy and learn through my experience of cosmetic surgery with CosMed.
