 "I
was 61 years old and looking in the mirror I felt 90.
In the last five years too, since giving up work running
our own pub, I’d taken to sailing and it had taken
its toll on my face too. I just looked weatherbeaten and
miserable.
But now I had just cashed in my pension fund. And I knew
what I wanted to do with it. I’d just given my
sailing boat a makeover - and now I wanted one too. I wasn’t
going to retire gracefully - I wanted to do it in style.
‘You definitely need a face lift Ann,’ said my friend Adele, when
she next saw me. I knew thats what I needed to do. Get rid of this turkey neck
and miserable look for ever.
So I got on the internet and started some research, trying
to find a good clinic with a good reputation.
Then I found Mills and Mills, who have a clinic in Marbella.
It was so much cheaper to have it done over there, and I
would get to stay in a five star hotel too. My face lift
would cost me just £7,000 compared to over £12,000
here in the UK.
I went for my first appointment in London. The surgeon took
a good look at my face and promised me he could make me look
younger. But he wouldn’t touch my forehead, he said
that didn’t need doing. Instead he would just concentrate
on my neck and lower face.
I was worried about it - I didn’t want to look as though
I was in a wind tunnel. But the surgeon specialised in rebuilding
childrens faces, so I knew I was in the best possible hands.
Billy my husband was really supportive but my friends
didn’t think I should have it done. But I was determined. ‘My
skin just doesn’t fit me anymore,’ I told them. ’ So
I flew out to Marbella two days before the operation.
My friend Adele had come with me to have her eyelids done
too. I started to get cold feet but then I looked in the
mirror and there I had my answer, staring back out at me.
I looked dreadful and I knew that I had to go under the knife
to make myself happy again.
I arrived at the hospital, the surgeon walked down to the operating
theatre with me, with his arm around my shoulders. ‘You will look fantastic
Ann,’ he reassurred me. And then I lay on
the operating table, and the next thing I knew I was trying
to wake up.
I put my hands up to my face, and could feel the big bandages
wrapped around my head.
I could just about open my eyes but I couldn’t eat
anything as my mouth and jaw were too sore.
The following day, Adele came to see me, and took a polaroid
picture of me. I was surprised, I didn’t look at bad
as I thought I would do. My face was swollen and my lips
were puffed up and I felt uncomfortable, but I was given
lots of painkillers, so it wasn’t too bad.
I was just so excited to see my new face. After 24 hours,
my bandages were taken off and I could hardly bring myself
to look in the mirror. What if I looked terrible. But when
I saw my face, even though it was still swollen, I could
see that already I looked ten years younger. I could see
my chin gain - just like I had when I was a little girl.
I just burst into tears I was so thrilled.
After three days I was allowed out of the hospital and I
moved into a nearby apartment, which I rented for a month.
I didn’t want to fly home straight away, just in case
anything went wrong, and I didn’t want to upset my
family by arriving home with a bruised face.
Gradually I started to be able to eat again - just a few
slices of banana at first as my jaw was still sore but each
day was getting easier and easier.i stayed in Spain for a
month as I wanted to be fully healed before my friends and
family saw me.
After a couple of weeks, Billy flew out to see me. As I came
down the stairs to meet him, his mouth just fell wide open. ‘You
look as young as when I first met you,’ he said. He
just couldn’t believe it.
Eventually we flew home and my daughter came to meet me She
burst into tears when she saw me, ‘Mum, you look fantastic,’ she
sobbed.
I celebrated my 62nd birthday a few days later. For
a joke mum sent me a birthday card saying ‘happy 21st
birthday,’ And I really did feel 21 again. It was the
best thing I ever did. I looked miserable - and I used my
pension fund to take the years off me again.
It has taken a few months for my nerve endings to settle
down, and the tops of my ears are still numb, but that should
go in the next 12 months. But it was the best thing I ever
did. No-one can say I ever look miserable again. I’m
the happiest I’ve been in years and I would do it all
again without any hesitation. Thank you Mills & Mills."
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