One of the doctors stopped by for a follow-up exam and said things are healing well. Next follow up is Monday at the hospital (they’ll have a driver take to/from).

The big news is that the bandages came off. Yay!

Not only a lot more comfortable, but meant I could get serious using the cold packs to reduce the swelling. Doctor today said swelling usually peaks around the third day, so hopefully Monday I’ll start looking better.

Looks awful, but doesn’t particularly hurt, although I’m still on painkillers through tonight. (Can do them longer if needed but it tends to messes with your stomach.)

Mostly my face just feels weird. Learned the hard way that I needed to move my head rather than my eyes, although that’s getting better, and it’s a little weird seeing in my peripheral vision the swollen bags under my eye.

Some parts of my face are a little numb — probably some cut nerves from when the cheek implants went into. Usually the nerves regrow later. Could also be just that the skin is being stretched so hard that it’s throwing off the sensation.

With all the swelling it’s hard to tell how effective the under-neck lips was, but my face definitely looks narrower and less jowly. Probably the combination of face lift and cheek lipo, as well as shaving down the jawbone. I’ve hated my jowls for years, so that’s exciting. Also seems like I’m a bit less square-jawed now, but hard to tell with the swelling.

Hard to guess what the eyes will end up looking like, but hopefully it’ll reduce the bags under my eyes. (Plus there’s more work to be done in round 2, grinding down the orbital bones to give the eyes a more open look — eyes being one the things Dr. Di Maggio takes great pride in.)

Definitely no regrets so far.

Even though I’ve got a lot of energy, I’m staying inside to today to use the cold packs every half hour — plus it’s 87 and muggy outside. But tonight I might walk down the block to the gelateria, even if I may scare small children along the way.