It sounds kind of overwhelming.
I just kept trying to focus on how, in six months, it’s going to look great. I’m going to feel so good. This is a gift to myself. I’m going to be so happy. I’m not going to use this many filters on Instagram. All those little things.
It’s been three weeks since surgery. How has the recovery been after those first few rough days?
I have a little mobility in my jaw, so it’s almost like I’m relearning my bite a little. It’s been explained to me that those are the nerves reattaching, and the muscles are weak, so everything’s kind of getting back to where it was. And it takes a minute for all that to get back together.
Soups for a week, smoothies for a week, mashed potatoes, oatmeal. It was a solid week of no solids. And I’m still not 100%. But I’m not alarmed about it because every day I’m improving, and there’s been no infections. But all the more reason why I’m trying to take care of myself and not get rundown. I’m really trying to force myself to stay in bed, not overdo it, and just let my body do what it’s got to do.
Because I will say the other big thing that most doctors will tell you, as did Dr. Kim, is that some women get depressed after this. They look in the mirror and don’t recognize who they see. It is a long game. You can get back to life, but don’t expect full results for even six months to a year. So there is an anxious feeling, a mildly depressed feeling. And I think I experienced that a little bit. It’s not an uplifting time, let’s put it that way.
I didn’t fully think of this part prior to the surgery, but my doctor explained that it’s not just your skin that gets pulled and then cut. The actual muscles in your face are also moved. My boyfriend, Greg, said it best in that “it’s like you took your face off and put it back on, basically.” It kind of is. I opted to put my staples in my hairline, but that kind of almost widens your temple space because all of this goes back further than it used to be. Otherwise, your scars are more visible and I didn’t want that.
Let’s talk about the cost of something like this. It is a major commitment.
The cost is major. It’s a major life investment. It’s like a car or a down payment on a house. I only got my consultation from my doctor, but I’ve heard it can cost six figures for the three surgeries I had. But Dr. Kim, I think his price for the neck lift, the facelift, and the eye job is $30,000 to $40,000. I got a sizable discount because I am talking about it publicly and I am sharing all my photos. And even so, I still had to think if I could afford it, even with the discount. One of my sons is going to college. I’m a single, independent, working mom. I have my own business. So it’s not like the surgery was a no-brainer for me by any means.
Courtesy of Catt Sadler
So when you look in the mirror now, how do you feel?
I feel like myself, which is good. I still feel like I have a chipmunk face because I’m swollen, but I know that’s not going to last. I know it’s going to settle with each day. So I feel really good. I feel like I did the right thing. I feel like, Wow, I can’t believe that this is possible.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Jessica Radloff is the Glamour senior West Coast editor and author of the NYT best-selling book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series. You can follow her on Instagram at @jessicaradloff14.
This feature originally appeared on Glamour US.