“When I celebrated my 50th birhtday, I vowed to do something about my drooping eyelids. My husband thought I was crazy because I talked about getting Blepharoplasty almost everyday. He often recited that phrase from “Desiderata” which says that one should be “gracefully surrendering the things of youth.” He was vehemently against me getting cut-upped for vanity. Nevertheless, I tried to get as much information as I can about the eyelid surgery. I have thought about getting it for years , because when i hit my forties, I noticed the tired, “old-lady” look I had, everytime I looked in the mirror. I would always lift my eyelids with my fingers and while doing that, I observed that my whole face would light up.
The hardest part of submitting one’s self to aesthetic surgery is the guilt factor. I felt guilty about spending money on myself because I should be helping others instead. I asked myself a million times if it was worth it. I was torn between choosing myself over those who needed help more. I was also apprehensive that something might go wrong and I’ll end up mutilated or, worst, become blind. I can’t afford to go blind because I volunteer to teach art in a public school.
One day, when I was reviewing the pictures shot by the kids from my photo class, I realized that my nose was up in the air and I was trying to open my eyes as wide as i can. I can hardly see without raising my eyebrows. My eyelids were actually getting in the way of my sight, as they were covering almost half of my eyes. That was when I decided that I really should get that bleph. I deceided that I would go for it during the summer vacation of the children.
I had to look for a good surgeon. Good, meaning, he/she must: have the proper training, possess an impeccable track record; be considerate enough to answer all my questions; be able to quell my fears; and not charge too much. The last requirement is a must. I am not rich and I certainly know the difference of reasonable from rip off because I did a lot of research. I talked to three doctors who specialize in cosmetic surgery, two of them advertise heavily (meaning; exteme self-promotion) and one does not even bother to announce his achievements. Women of all ages come and go in their offices. While I was waiting for my turn to be called in, I talked to the women who appeared to have gone under the knife and who were there for their check-up. The small chats I had with these women plus the gut-feel I had for the right doctor made me choose Dr. Marlon Lajo over the other two doctors. He was the only one who noticed that my one eye was smaller than the other. He also recommended that I have chin liposuction, just as well, since it’ll only take a while to do that while I sleep throughout the procedure. And yes, Dr. Lajo was patient enough to answer all my mundane queries. The other two doctors appeared edgy and anxious to end their time with me so they can, I presumed, accomodate more patients.
When the day came for my bleph and lipo, I went to Healthway Clinic at the Alabang town center in Muntinlupa. Dr. lajo’s nurses, Chet Francisco and Marivic Reyes, were very friendly and they put me at ease. I was given a sleeping pill that knocked me out for two hours . The entire procedure was done in less than an hour and I slept for another sixty minutes. I felt groggy and bandaged on the eyelids and the chin when i woke up. I was told that I would be sore for a couple of days and that I should expect swelling on the affected areas for at least a week.
After seven days, the sutures were removed without anesthesia and it did not hurt at all when Dr. Lajo pulled them with tweezers. I opted to stay home and not see anyone for another week. In three weeks, the swelling was almost unnoticeable and I was playing tennis with my friends again. It helped that I was wearing eyeglasses because my eyelid were somewhat reddish in color. I was told that I could wear eye make-up after a month but I chose not to do that until the reddish hue on my eyelids was gone in three months. When the swelling on my chin was gone after two weeks, I looked somewhat slimmer because I suddenly grew a neck! I always had a double chin and after the chin lipo wwas done, my neck became more elongated.
Years after the surgery, my friends are still complementing me for looking younger and every time they see me. They assumed that it was maybe because of my sunny disposition , my simple but healthy lifestyle, or probably because I was doing stress-free work by sharing my skills to kids for free. Maybe they’re right . But what they don’t know is I got a little help from a very nice doctor. I was definitely seeing better, too, of course. I’m glad I deided to get the eylid surgery ( Blepharoplasty ) and I’m thankful that I chose Dr. Marlon Lajo to do it. He, undoubtedly, is one of the best aesthetic surgeons in the country today and the reason for the best-kept secrets of many women who feel good like me. ” –
Maria R. age53